The President's Daily Brief - PDB afternoon Bulletin | February 10th, 2025: Hamas Suspends Hostage Exchanges Indefinitely & Trump Talks To Putin

Episode Date: February 10, 2025

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: Hamas has announced it is delaying the release of Israeli hostages until further notice, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. Israel calls it a complete breach of the deal and is now preparing for "any possible scenario" in Gaza. Former President Donald Trump says he’s already spoken with Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine. What did they discuss, and what does it mean for the conflict? To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not loving your AT&T or T Mobile Bill? Yeah, we've been hearing that a lot. Good news. Bring your AT&T or T Mobile Bill to Verizon and we'll give you a better deal. So get away from that unfortunate phone bill and get to Verizon. Run, ride, canoe. Whatever it takes, we'll be here. Bring your AT&T or T Mobile Bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network. A better deal. No surprises. That's Verizon. Best Network based on Route Metrics, Best Overall Mobile Network Performance U.S.

Second Half 2025. All rights reserved. It must provide a recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person, and regain me the deal, additional terms, conditions, and restrictions apply. It's Monday, 10 February. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First, Hamas has announced that it's delaying the release of Israeli hostages

until further notice, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. Israel calls it a complete breach of the deal and is now preparing for, quote, any possible scenario in Gaza. Later in the show, President Trump reveals he's already spoken with Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine, saying his Russian counterpart, quote, wants to see people stop dying. Well, that I guess he probably shouldn't have started the war in the first place. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. We begin with breaking news. Khamas has announced that it's halting the scheduled release of Israeli hostages, claiming that Israel has failed to uphold its end of the ceasefire agreement.

In a statement from its armed wing, the Al-Kasam Brigade, Hamas accused Israel of blocking displaced Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza, targeting civilians with shelling and restricting the flow of humanitarian aid. They claimed Hamas had fully complied with the ceasefire, oh, and they stated that hostage releases would remain on hold until Israel met with what the terror group is calling past week's obligations. Huh. It's almost like a terrorist organization, a creature of the Iranian regime, wants to dictate the terms of a ceasefire after starting this war with the slaughter of over a thousand Israeli citizens. But perhaps that makes me sound churlish. The next release was

set to take place this Saturday, February 15th. Three Israeli hostages, taking during Hamas's October 7 attacks were supposed to be freed in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. This would have been the sixth swap since the ceasefire began last month. So far, 16 Israeli hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners have been exchanged. In total, 17 Israeli hostages were still due to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire, eight of whom Israel says are dead. But now, Now, Hamas is suspending the process indefinitely. A cynic, of course, would say that it's because they don't have any more living hostages or they don't know where they are. Predictively, Israel has responded forcefully to the announcement. Defense Minister Israel Katz called Hamas's decision a, quote, complete violation of the ceasefire deal and said he has ordered the Israeli military to maintain the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza.

Katz warned, quote, we will not allow a return to the reality of October 7. Meanwhile, an Israeli delegation is currently in Qatar negotiating the second phase of the hostage deal, which could see more captives released. However, it's unclear how today's developments will impact those talks or if the ceasefire itself will hold. For now, tension is, of course, rising, and the next move from either side could determine whether negotiations continue or if the conflict escalates once again. As we reported this morning on the BDB, the most recent hostage exchange over the weekend sparked outrage due to the condition

of the released Israeli hostages. Doctors have confirmed that the three men, all abducted during Hamas' October 7 attacks, returned severely malnourished and suffering from multiple health complications, including heart disorders and infections. Their condition has only heightened concerns about the welfare of those still in captivity. Coming up next, President Trump says he's already been on the phone with Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine. I'll have those details after the break. Fox News is now streaming live on Fox One. When it matters most, turn to the voices you trust. We go beyond the headlines, bringing you the stories you won't hear anywhere else. Live coverage, sharp analysis, real perspective. At home or on the go,

stay connected when it counts. Stream Fox News on Fox One. Download today. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money, because behind every headline is a bottom line. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings, there's a money side to every story. And when you see the money side, you understand what others miss. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. President Trump claims he privately spoke with Russian President Putin about ending the war in Ukraine,

hinting that Russian negotiators are eager to meet with their American counterparts, yet details remain scarce. In an interview with the New York Post aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump declined to specify how many times he's spoken with Putin, offering only a cryptic, quote, I better not say. Trump insisted he has a plan to end the war but kept specifics under wraps, adding, quote, I hope it's fast, every day people are dying, and I want to end this damn thing, end quote.

The president suggested that economic pressure through tariffs and oil price cuts could force Russia to the negotiating table, though the Kremlin has dismissed such class. in the past. More strikingly, he floated the idea of Washington engaging with Moscow without Keeb's direct involvement, stating, quote, let's get these meetings going. They want to meet. Every day people are dying, young men like my sons on both sides, end quote. But despite Trump's confidence, well, Moscow remains tight-lipped. Kremlin mouthpiece Dmitri Peskov stated that, quote, communications between Moscow and Washington occur through different channels. Well, that, that's pretty cryptic. The Kremlin on Sunday refused to confirm any talks between the leaders. However,

analysts argue that Putin has little incentive to negotiate. Nearly three years into the war, can you believe that? Three years into the war. Russia is closer than ever to securing its core military objectives in Ukraine, making a diplomatic resolution unlikely, and that's according to assessments from both Western and Russian analysts interviewed by the Associated Press. National Security Advisor Michael Walsz, who joined Trump's interview, declined to verify whether Trump had spoken with Putin, but acknowledged that, quote, there are certainly a lot of sensitive conversations going on. Everybody's talking cryptically. He added that U.S. diplomats would be in Europe this week to discuss potential pathways to end the war. According to Waltz,

leaders, including India's prime minister and China's president, as well as figures across the Middle East, signaled willingness to assist Trump in brokering a peace deal. But what that actually looks like, well, that remains unclear. Walt suggested that Trump's strategy would lean heavily on economic leverage, stating, quote, the president is prepared to put all those issues on the table this week, including the future of U.S. aid to Ukraine, end quote. He also indicated that, Trump would push for Europe to take the lead on Ukraine's long-term security, stating, quote, President Trump is going to end it, and then, in terms of security guarantees, that's squarely going to be with the Europeans, end quote.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly vowed to end the war, emphasizing the staggering loss of life. Trump told the post on Friday, quote, all those dead people, they're like your kids, two million of them, and for no reason, adding that Putin also, quote, wants to see people stop dying, end quote. But Ukrainian President Zelensky made clear that he's deeply skeptical of Trump's approach, warning that it could sideline Kiev entirely. Zelensky told the AP, quote, Putin wants to deal directly with Trump,

cutting out Kiv. Well, he's not wrong. That would be a stark departure from the Biden administration's nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine policy, which insists that Ukraine must be a central player in peace negotiations. Well, there's some logic to that, given that they're the invaded country. Zelensky warned that allowing Russia to dictate the terms of peace would emboldened authoritarian regimes in China, North Korea, and Iran, setting a dangerous precedent for global security.

And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Monday, 10 February. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. And, as you may have already learned from the gossip columns, to listen to the show ad-free, it's very simple. Become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Start the spring season off right with a new pair of Toccovis Western boots.

Hand-crafted and over 200 steps from genuine leather, they're built to last, and feel broken in the moment you put them on. From cowhide to exotic leathers, Toccovus blends timeless style with all-day comfort. Pair them with premium denim, Western shirts, and accessories for an effortless, polished look.

Shop quality Western goods in store or online at ticovus.com.