Thursday, January 30, 2025
1244 GMT — Israel has suspended the release of Palestinian prisoners "until further notice", army radio reported, right in the middle of the third exchange for hostages of the Gaza ceasefire.
"The political echelon announced the suspension of the operation ... until further notice," the radio said citing a security source.
It did not specify the reason for the suspension.
1223 GMT — Gaza checkpoint to be staffed by scores of armed American contractors
A small US security firm is hiring nearly 100 US special forces veterans to help run a checkpoint in Gaza during the truce, according to a company spokesperson and a recruitment email seen by Reuters.
UG Solutions — a low-profile company founded in 2023 and based in Davidson, North Carolina — is offering a daily rate starting at $1,100 with a $10,000 advance to veterans it hires, the email said.
They will staff the checkpoint at a key intersection in Gaza's interior, said the spokesperson, who confirmed the authenticity of the email. Some people have been recruited and are already at the checkpoint, said the spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He did not say how many contractors were already in Gaza.
1218 GMT — Seven hostages released from Gaza back on Israeli soil: army
Seven hostages released in Gaza are back on Israeli soil where the two Israelis among them will be reunited with their families, the Israeli military said.
"A short while ago, accompanied by IDF (army) and ISA (security agency) forces, the seven returning hostages crossed the border into Israeli territory," the military said.
It added that the two Israeli hostages will be reunited with their families and the five Thai hostages will be met by Thai officials.
1155 GMT — Spain rejects Israel's UNRWA ban, says it puts ceasefire deal in danger
The Spanish government said that it rejects the Israeli ban on the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), and called on Tel Aviv to suspend its application.
"Spain expresses its deepest concern about the impact that this decision will have on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories, putting at risk the ceasefire," said a statement issued by Spain's Foreign Ministry. In its statement,
Spain called UNRWA "essential" and "irreplaceable", emphasising the essential services it offers to six million Palestinian refugees. Madrid "fully supports" the agency's work and has recently announced it is increasing its financial aid to the organisation.
1145 GMT –– Three Israeli, five foreigner captives freed by Hamas in Gaza
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has set free three more Israeli captives in Gaza under a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Female soldier Agam Berger was handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Al-Razan area in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to an Anadolu news agency reporter.
Two more captives — Arbel Yehud and Gadi Mozes — were also released and handed over to the Red Cross in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Five Thai workers were also released during the handover, which took place outside the ruins of the house of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
The Israeli army confirmed that it was notified by the Red Cross that Yehud, Mozes, and five Thai nationals were handed over to them.
1043 GMT –– Hamas hands over Arbel Yehud to ICRC
Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud has been handed over to the Red Cross, Israel's Channel 12 said, as footage showed her surrounded by a surging crowd and Palestinian resistance in a chaotic scene in southern Gaza.
0848 GMT — Palestinian resistance hands over Israeli soldier to Red Cross
The Palestinian group Hamas set free a female Israeli soldier in Gaza under a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Agam Berger was handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Al-Razan area in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to an Anadolu reporter.
Two more Israeli captives are set to be released on Thursday in swap for 110 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
The Israeli army confirmed that it received the freed Israeli soldier from the Red Cross and she will be brought out of Gaza to an army facility near the border settlement of Re’im for an initial checkup.
During the handover ceremony, Red Cross representatives were taken on stage to sign a protocol for the soldier’s release.
0429 GMT — Israel cuts ties with UN aid agency supporting Palestinians
Israel will cut ties with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Thursday following accusations it provided cover for Hamas, a move likely to hamper delivery of its vital services after 15 months of war in Gaza.
The agency, UNRWA, will be banned from operating on Israeli soil, and contact between it and Israeli officials will also be forbidden.
UNRWA has provided support for Palestinian refugees around the Middle East for over 70 years, but has long clashed with Israeli officials, who have repeatedly accused it of undermining the country's security.
Read the full story here.
0341 GMT — Jewish group slams Trump’s executive order on pro-Palestinian protesters
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) has strongly criticised an executive order signed on Wednesday by US President Donald Trump that paves the way for deporting pro-Palestinian student activists, calling it a "violent crusade" against free speech and political dissent.
“We are disgusted by Trump's reported plans to continue his violent crusade aimed at gutting freedom and democracy,” the leading progressive anti-Zionist organisation wrote on X, denouncing the move as a "vile" attempt to silence opposition to US-backed Israeli actions in Gaza.
The executive order states that the US government will use “all available and appropriate legal tools” to combat anti-Semitism, including prosecuting and deporting those accused of unlawful anti-Semitic harassment.
The measure targets student-led anti-war demonstrations that have erupted on college campuses in response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has killed over 47,000 people.
0309 GMT — No US funding used for family planning in Gaza: Aid group
No US government funding was used to procure or distribute condoms or to provide family planning services in Gaza, the International Medical Corps (IMC) has said, refuting claims made by the Trump administration.
The humanitarian organisation, which said it has received more than $68 million in funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) since Oct. 7, 2023, when Israel's war on Gaza broke out, emphasised that the financial support has been used solely for lifesaving medical operations in the besieged enclave.
“With the generous support of USAID and the American people, we’ve used these resources to operate two large field hospitals currently located in central Gaza - one in Deir al Balah and one in Al Zawaida - offering a combined total capacity of more than 250 beds, including 20 in the emergency room and 170 in the surgical department,” IMC said in a statement.
