Free Republic

The Palestinian Hamas terrorist organization balked at the second release of Israeli hostages on Saturday, delaying the transfer for several hours while complaining about alleged Israeli violations of the terms of the agreement. Update: The Israeli military has said that if Hamas does not hand over the second group of hostages by midnight local time (5 p.m. ET), the entire deal is off and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will resume attacking Hamas targets in Gaza (via Ynet).

Forty-nine days and counting since Palestinian Islamic HAMAS brutally attacked Israel, killing, raping, and taking hostages on October 7, 2023. Latest counts say 31 Americans were murdered and at least 9 and maybe as many as 40 Americans are held hostage. Where's Biden? On vacation, again, stating he hopes hostages released soon.

...The White House and State Department have maintained that they hold leverage over the Taliban... but a senior congressional source told CBS News that the Taliban is basically holding the planes "hostage" so they can "get more out of the Americans."... ...Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Tex.), the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, agrees. He told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday that he's concerned that U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad will come away from the talks recommending that the Biden administration acknowledge the Taliban as the legitimate government...

President Joe Biden, sharing a report of a "hostage crisis" with Americans reportedly unable to evacuate Afghanistan as the Taliban prevent planes from taking off. "Joe Biden abandoned Americans in Afghanistan. Members of Congress, including me and my office, have been working around the clock to get them out - and for days Biden's State Dept. couldn't even get out of its own way. Now there are deeply disturbing reports of a hostage crisis," Cruz tweeted on Sunday. The GOP senator retweeted CBS News correspondent Eana Ruffini, who reported that the Taliban are holding several flights from taking at Afghanistan's...

Taliban holding six airplanes carrying AMERICANS AND AFGHAN REFUGEES 'HOSTAGE' at an airport in Afghanistan... https://twitter.com/ChuckCallesto/status/1434546651536965632