Tuesday, January 21, 2025
1704 GMT — At least 47,107 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave, with the toll continuing to rise despite a ceasefire as new bodies are found under the rubble.
The ministry is finding more bodies, as the truce has allowed people to comb the ruins.
The bodies of 72 people "arrived at hospitals over the past 24 hours", the ministry said in a statement.
"A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulances and civil protection teams are unable to reach them," it added.
The ministry said the number of wounded had reached 111,147 since the start of the war on October 7, 2023.
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1947 GMT — UN says 897 aid trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said 897 aid trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday, the third day of a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
OCHA cited information received from Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement - the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
1912 GMT — Death toll from Israeli attacks in occupied West Bank rises to10
Israeli forces have launched attacks in the volatile occupied West Bank city of Jenin, killing at least ten Palestinians and wounding 40, Health Ministry officials have said.
1825 GMT — UN chief 'deeply concerned' about Israeli military raid in northern occupied West Bank
The UN chief has denounced the Israeli military's attacks in the occupied West Bank, urging it to "exercise maximum restraint."
In response to Anadolu's question on increased attacks by Israel in the occupied West Bank as well as rising illegal Israeli settler violence, deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said at a news conference that Antonio Guterres "remains deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank, particularly the ongoing large scale military operation in Jenin."
"The secretary-general urges security forces to exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only when it is strictly unavoidable to protect life," he said.
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1811 GMT — Lebanon reports 17 more Israeli violations of ceasefire
The Israeli military has committed 17 more violations of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon.
The breaches were concentrated in Beirut and the districts of Bint Jbeil, Marjeyoun, and Hasbaiyya in the Nabatieh Governorate, involving drone flights, incursions, demolitions and arson.
1616 GMT — Prisoner swap in Gaza shows who values human dignity: Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the Gaza ceasefire, has said images of prisoner exchange show who values human dignity and who disregards it.
"Türkiye will accelerate its efforts to pave the way for lasting peace in the region, 'taking ceasefire as an opportunity' in Gaza," Erdogan said in a televised speech after the cabinet meeting in Ankara.
Earlier, Palestinian resistance group Hamas said that the health condition of freed Palestinian prisoners reflected Israel’s “barbarity and fascism.”
"Images of the three female hostages showed that they were in full physical and psychological health, in contrast to our prisoners whose appearance showed signs of neglect and exhaustion,” Hamas said in a statement.
“This vividly illustrates the vast difference between the values and ethics of the resistance and the barbarity and fascism of the occupation,” it added.
1553 GMT — Top Israeli security officials visit Egypt to discuss Gaza ceasefire implementation
Top Israeli security officials visited Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Israeli media has said.
Mossad chief David Barnea and Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, met with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad on Monday to discuss security arrangements along the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN said, citing unnamed Israeli officials.
The talks also dwelt on a mechanism to manage the ceasefire and possible violations, KAN said.
1547 GMT — UN humanitarian office says aid surge ‘key priority’ to back ceasefire process in Gaza
The international community must scale up humanitarian aid to Gaza to support the ceasefire and meet the overwhelming needs of millions, the under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator has said.
Recalling the recent deployment of 600 aid trucks on the first day and 900 trucks, including 300 to northern Gaza, on Monday, Tom Fletcher told a panel on Gaza at the World Economic Forum in Davos that there will be "more today," adding his humanitarian coordinator is "heading into Gaza today."
"The key priority for us on the humanitarian side now is to get a huge surge of aid into Gaza, partly to support the ceasefire process because it's dependent on this step-by-step, very complex approach," he said.
1455 GMT — Qatar PM says Israel, Hamas must show 'good faith' for lasting Gaza peace
Qatar's prime minister has said that a lasting peace in Gaza would depend on Israel and Hamas acting in "good faith", days into a fragile truce in the Palestinian territory mediated by the Gulf state.
"If they are embarking in this in good faith, this will last and hopefully will lead to phase two, will lead to a permanent ceasefire," Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told the World Economic Forum in Davos.
1428 GMT — Egypt hopes for calm at strategic Bab el Mandeb Strait after Gaza ceasefire
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi voiced hope for restoring calm at the strategic Bab el Mandeb Strait following a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Sisi met in Cairo on Tuesday with Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization Arsenio Dominguez to discuss the situation at the Bab el Mandab Strait, and ways to restore security in the region given its importance to international maritime trade routes, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.
Sisi said Egypt looks forward to calming the situation in this region, especially with reaching a ceasefire deal in Gaza as part of efforts to restore security in the region, the statement said.
1348 GMT — Indonesia says Gaza ceasefire must lead to two-state solution
Indonesia has emphasised that the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in Gaza should serve as a "momentum" toward achieving a two-state solution.
"Indonesia’s stance remains unequivocal; any attempts to displace or remove Gaza’s residents are entirely unacceptable," the Foreign Ministry said on X.
The ministry warned that any efforts to relocate Gazans would perpetuate "the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory," aligning with "broader strategies" aimed at driving Palestinians out of Gaza.
1245 GMT — Qatar urges UN Security Council to ‘take effective role’ in Gaza ceasefire implementation
Qatar has called on the UN Security Council to “take an effective role” in ensuring the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire and Israel's adherence to the agreement.
This came in a speech by Qatar’s permanent delegate to the UN, Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, during a Security Council meeting in New York on the Middle East developments.
“This meeting comes just days after the announcement in Doha of an agreement to end the 15-month conflict in Gaza, which caused immense human suffering, widespread destruction, and displaced most of the population, leaving 160,000 people dead, injured, or missing,” she said.
1113 GMT — Israel kills at least eight Palestinians in occupied West Bank
Israeli forces have launched attacks in the volatile occupied West Bank city of Jenin, killing at least eight Palestinians and wounding 35, Health Ministry officials have said.
Earlier the Palestinian Authority said US President Donald Trump's lifting of sanctions on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank would incite violence against Palestinians.
"Lifting sanctions on extremist settlers encourages them to commit more crimes against our people", the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
1113 GMT — Pakistan assures support for Gaza reconstruction
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said his country will make a “maximum contribution” to the rebuilding of war-torn Gaza.
In his opening remarks at a Cabinet meeting in the capital Islamabad, Sharif reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people, assuring maximum contribution to the reconstruction phase of Gaza following the ceasefire deal, state-run Pakistan Television reported.
Noting that the ceasefire followed the killing of Palestinians and the destruction of cities, he expressed the hope that the temporary ceasefire would turn into a permanent truce.
1044 GMT — Qatar says 'confident' in a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza
Qatar is confident that the deal it helped mediate for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas addressed all the major issues at stake in the war, the foreign ministry spokesman said.
"We are confident in the deal when it comes to the language of the deal when it comes to the fact that we hashed out all the major issues on the table", Majed al-Ansari told a regular press conference cautioning: "Any breach from either side or a political decision could lead the deal to collapse."
1027 GMT — Israel arrests 20 more Palestinians in fresh occupied West Bank raids
The Israeli army rounded up at least 20 more Palestinians in fresh military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.
Two women were among the detainees in the raids that targeted Hebron, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Ramallah, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.
Israeli soldiers interrogated dozens of Palestinians in several towns during the raids before releasing them, the statement said.
0913 GMT —Trump inciting Israeli settler violence — Palestinian Authority
The Palestinian Authority said US President Donald Trump's lifting of sanctions on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank would incite violence against Palestinians.
"Lifting sanctions on extremist settlers encourages them to commit more crimes against our people", the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The ministry pointed to recent attacks by Israeli settlers throughout the occupied West Bank that left 21 wounded.
0747 GMT — Israel expected to release 200 Palestinians
Israel is expected to release 200 Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences and high-term sentences, in exchange for four Israeli women soldiers, who will be freed this week, a Hamas official said.
The statement was made by Nader Fakhouri, the media official in charge of the Martyrs, Injured and Prisoners Office of Hamas, and was released by the Prisoners Media Office affiliated with the group.
Fakhouri explained that "the second part of the first phase of the Palestinian resistance factions' agreement with the Israeli occupation will begin on Saturday, January 25".
"On Saturday, the resistance will announce the names of Israeli prisoners to be released, and in return, the (Israeli) occupation will provide a list of Palestinian prisoners to be freed," he added.
According to Fakhouri, "based on these two lists, the actual implementation will take place on Sunday, January 26, with the release of Palestinian prisoners and the handing over of Israeli prisoners".
0706 GMT —Israeli settler attack in West Bank injures 21 Palestinians
As many as 21 Palestinians have sustained injuries as illegal Israeli settlers attacked two Palestinian towns near the city of Qalqilya, northern occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its medical teams treated those injured by the settlers' attacks in the towns of Jinsafut and Al-Funduq.
The victims suffered bruises as they were beaten by the settlers, and also suffered from teargas inhalation fired by the Israeli forces, the humanitarian group said.
The settler attacks come as a fragile ceasefire, brokered by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the US, in Gaza went into effect on Sunday.
The intensified attacks also come immediately after newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on illegal Zionist Israeli settler groups and individuals for committing violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
0112 GMT —Trump expresses scepticism over Gaza ceasefire
US President Donald Trump has expressed scepticism about the Gaza ceasefire deal when asked if he was confident that all three phases of the agreement would be implemented.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office as he signed executive orders, Trump said the blockaded enclave looked like "a massive demolition site" and that it had to be rebuilt in a different way.
0107 GMT — Trump revokes sanctions on illegal Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank
US President Donald Trump rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on illegal Zionist Israeli settler groups and individuals for committing violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, the new White House website said.
The website said Trump rescinded Executive Order 14115 issued on February 1, 2024, which authorised the imposition of certain sanctions "on Persons Undermining Peace, Security, and Stability in the West Bank".
Trump's decision is a reversal of a major policy action by former president Joe Biden's administration, which had slapped sanctions on numerous Israeli settler individuals and entities, freezing their US assets and generally barring Americans from dealing with them.
2147 GMT — Illegal Israeli settlers torch Palestinian homes, vehicles in West Bank attacks
Illegal Zionist Israeli settlers launched attacks on several Palestinian areas in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to homes, shops and vehicles, according to sources.
Loui Tayem, the mayor of Al Funduq, told Anadolu Agency that "dozens of illegal settlers attacked citizens' homes and vehicles on the outskirts of the village, burning one car and several other vehicles, as well as damaging multiple shops".
He described the situation as "tense", adding, "We hear gunfire from time to time, but we cannot identify its source."
2000 GMT — Israel abducts 64 Palestinians after freeing 90 under Gaza deal
The Israeli army has abducted 64 Palestinians, including children as young as 7, during a raid in eastern Qalqilya in the northern occupied West Bank.
The abductions occurred one day after Israel released 90 Palestinians from custody under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with resistance factions in besieged Gaza, pausing a 15-month genocide in the enclave.
Israeli forces entered the town of Azzun, forcing shop owners to close their businesses, journalist and activist Fares Al Azzouni told Anadolu Agency.
"The occupation forces stormed homes and a mosque, detaining 64 residents, including children," said Al-Azzouni, adding that one was 7 years old.
Those who were abducted were forced to lie face down in a public square before being herded and made to walk in a line with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them while looking downward, according to Al-Azzouni.
They were then taken to a military camp at the northern entrance of the town.
2056 GMT — UN says 915 aid trucks entered Gaza
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 915 aid trucks entered besieged Gaza on the second day of the ceasefire.
OCHA cited information received from Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement.
2050 GMT — Palestine President Abbas says 'ready to work' with Trump on two-state solution
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration and said he was ready to work for peace based on a two-state solution.
"We are ready to work with you to achieve peace during your term, based on a two-state solution," Abbas said in a statement published by the official WAFA news agency.
Abbas said it would mean "the State of Palestine and the State of Israel living side-by-side in security and peace, ensuring security and stability in our region and the world".
2014 GMT — Israeli army sniper kills child, wounds another in southern Gaza despite ceasefire
An Israeli sniper shot and killed a Palestinian child and wounded another in central Rafah in the southern besieged Gaza despite a ceasefire and prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas, according to the Palestinian news agency, WAFA.
The child, Zakaria Hamid Yahya Barbakh, was killed near Al Awda Square in central Rafah when Israeli forces opened fire. Another child was wounded while attempting to retrieve Zakaria's body, it said.
Two Palestinians, including a child, were killed, and nine others, among them children, were wounded earlier by Israeli gunfire in Rafah, according to reports.
For our live updates from Monday, January 20, 2025, click here.
