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Hamas Official Says Ceasefire Needed before Hostages Can be Freed

Russia’s deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov meets Hamas delegation in Moscow. 
Russia’s deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov meets Hamas delegation in Moscow. 
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Hamas Official Says Ceasefire Needed before Hostages Can be Freed

Russia’s deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov meets Hamas delegation in Moscow. 
Russia’s deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov meets Hamas delegation in Moscow. 

Hamas said it cannot release hostages seized during its attack on Israel until a ceasefire is agreed, the Russian newspaper Kommersant quoted a member of a Hamas delegation visiting Moscow as saying.

It quoted Abu Hamid as saying Hamas needed time to locate all of those who had been taken from Israel to Gaza by various Palestinian factions in a Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
"They seized dozens of people, most of them civilians, and we need time to find them in the Gaza Strip and then release them," Hamid said, Reuters reported.
Kommersant quoted him as saying a calm environment was needed to complete this task. Hamas said on Thursday around 50 of the hostages had been killed in Israeli air strikes.
Israel has urged Russia to expel the visiting Hamas delegation, calling their invitation to Moscow "deplorable".

Earlier on Thursday, Iranian and Hamas representatives arrived in Moscow to hold talks for the first time in three weeks since the war broke out between Israel and Hamas on October 7.

The deputy foreign minister of Iran, Ali Bagheri Kani, also visited Moscow on October 26, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing without giving further details.

“Hamas” said that its delegation in Moscow stressed the right of the Palestinian people to “resist” Israel in all possible means.

In a statement, the movement added that the delegation urged the international community to bear responsibility for the “genocide” committed by Israel.

The delegation led by Musa Abu Marzouk, head of the group’s International Relations Office, met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov at the Russian foreign ministry headquarters in Moscow.

Hamas representatives showcased the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip and ways to stop what they described as US and West-backed “crimes”. They said they had told Bogdanov that they “highly valued Putin’s position and the efforts of Russian diplomacy”.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said later in a statement that it discussed the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip and the evacuation of foreigners, including Russian nationals, with a Hamas delegation.

Moscow affirmed its support for implementing the international community resolutions, which stipulate the establishment of the State of Palestine with full sovereignty and independence based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the coexistence in peace and security with Israel.

For his part, Bogdanov expressed his country’s support to the Palestinians and showcased Moscow’s efforts with relevant parties to reach a ceasefire, open crossings, and enter humanitarian aid.

Putin warned on Wednesday that there are attempts to bring other countries into the conflict in the Middle East and “launch a real wave of chaos”.

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Cardinals Begin Conclave to Elect New Pope in Majesty of Sistine Chapel

A giant screen installed in St. Peter's Square shows the cardinal electors as the conclave to elect a new pope starts, in the Vatican, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
A giant screen installed in St. Peter's Square shows the cardinal electors as the conclave to elect a new pope starts, in the Vatican, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
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Cardinals Begin Conclave to Elect New Pope in Majesty of Sistine Chapel

A giant screen installed in St. Peter's Square shows the cardinal electors as the conclave to elect a new pope starts, in the Vatican, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
A giant screen installed in St. Peter's Square shows the cardinal electors as the conclave to elect a new pope starts, in the Vatican, 07 May 2025. (EPA)

Catholic cardinals who will choose the next pope were locked behind the heavy wood doors of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, sequestered from the world to elect the man they hope can unite a diverse but divided global Church.

In a ritual dating back to medieval times, 133 cardinal electors walked slowly into the chapel before taking an oath of perpetual secrecy under the gaze of the stern Christ depicted in Michelangelo's Last Judgement fresco, which adorns the chapel.

Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the Vatican's master of ceremonies, then pronounced the Latin command "Extra omnes!" (Everyone out!), telling all those not involved in the conclave to leave.

The chapel's doors were slammed shut, allowing the cardinals to hold their first ballot to look for a successor to Pope Francis, who died last month.

No pope has been elected on the first day of a conclave for centuries and voting could continue for several days before one man receives the necessary two-thirds majority to become the 267th pontiff.

There will be only one ballot on Wednesday. Thereafter, there can be as many as four votes a day.

The only expected signal from the cardinals during the conclave will come in the form of smoke from a chimney atop the chapel, as the clerics burn their ballots.

Black smoke will mark an inconclusive vote; white smoke and the pealing of bells will signal that the 1.4-billion-member Church has a new leader.

'WATCHFUL CARE' OVER THE WORLD

At a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday before entering the conclave, the cardinals prayed that God would help them find a pope who would exercise "watchful care" over the world.

In a sermon, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re told his peers they must set aside "every personal consideration" in choosing the new pontiff and keep in mind "only ... the good of the Church and of humanity".

In recent days, cardinals have offered different assessments of what they are looking for in the next pope.

While some have called for continuity with Francis' vision of greater openness and reform, others have said they want to turn the clock back and embrace traditions. Many have indicated they want a more predictable, measured pontificate.

A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries were expected to enter the Sistine Chapel, up from 115 from 48 nations in the last conclave in 2013 - growth that reflects efforts by Francis during his 12-year reign to extend the reach of the Church.

No clear favorite has emerged, although Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are considered the front-runners.

However, if it quickly becomes obvious that neither can win, votes are likely to shift to other contenders, with the electors possibly coalescing around geography, doctrinal affinity or common languages.

Among other potential candidates are France's Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary's Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost and Italy's Pierbattista Pizzaballa.

The cardinal electors are all aged under 80. Re, who cannot take part in the conclave as he is 91, suggested the cardinals should look for a pope who respected the Church's diversity. "Unity does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity," he said in his sermon.

The average length of the last 10 conclaves was just over three days and none went on for more than five days. The last conclave, which picked Francis in 2013, lasted just two days.

The cardinals will be looking to wrap things up quickly again this time to avoid giving the impression they are divided or that the Church is adrift.

Some 80% of the cardinal electors were appointed by Francis, increasing the possibility that his successor will in some way continue his progressive policies, despite strong pushback from traditionalists.

Among their considerations will be whether they should seek a pope from the global South where congregations are growing, as they did in 2013 with Francis, from Argentina, hand back the reins to Europe or even pick a first US pope.