Monday, January 27, 2025
1148 GMT — The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has handed over to mediators a list showing that 25 Israeli hostages are still alive, out of 33 scheduled for release, an official of the group told Reuters.
He said Israel had received the list from the mediators of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
1150 GMT — Israeli drone strike kills two Palestinians in occupied West Bank
A Palestinian was killed and another injured in an Israeli drone strike in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem, the Health Ministry has said.
A ministry statement said the casualties occurred in the attack that targeted the Nur Shams refugee camp in eastern Tulkarem.
Witnesses said the drone hit a vehicle in the camp, leaving it in flames.
1131 GMT — Israeli prime minister to visit US this weekend despite ICC arrest warrant
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to fly to Washington this weekend to meet US President Donald Trump, despite an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Israeli media has said.
Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant face arrest warrants issued by The Hague-bas ed court in November last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Under the ICC's Rome Statute, 124 state parties are obliged to comply with the court's arrest warrants, including detaining high-profile individuals like Netanyahu. The US is not a party to the ICC statute.
1124 GMT — Return of displaced Palestinians shows Israel's ethnic cleansing failure: politician
A Palestinian politician has hailed the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza as proof of the failure of Israel’s ethnic cleansing plans in the enclave.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians began to return to northern Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel.
"Our heroic people foiled the ethnic cleansing plot in the Gaza Strip with the return of hundreds of thousands to northern Gaza, including Gaza City, despite the massive destruction and genocide committed by the (Israeli) occupation," Mustafa Barghouti, the head of the National Initiative Movement, said in a statement.
1051 GMT — Palestinians must not be expelled from Gaza: Berlin
The Palestinian population must not be expelled from Gaza, the German foreign ministry has said after US President Donald Trump said Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians.
Asked for a reaction to Trump's comments, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Berlin shared the view of "the European Union, our Arab partners, the United Nations ... that the Palestinian population must not be expelled from Gaza and Gaza must not be permanently occupied or recolonised by Israel."
Jordan is already home to several million Palestinians, while tens of thousands live in Egypt.
1041 GMT — Jordan renews rejection of ‘alternative homeland’ for Palestinians
Jordan has renewed its rejection of Palestinian resettlement after US President Donald Trump called to “clean out” Gaza.
"All talk about an alternative homeland … is unacceptable. We do not accept it, we have not accepted it, and we will continue to confront it with all our capabilities," Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told parliament.
Quoting King Abdullah II, Safadi said: “Jordan is for Jordanians, Palestine is for Palestinians, and the solution to the Palestinian issue is on Palestinian soil.”
10:25 GMT — Israel presses Jenin raids as Palestinians return to north Gaza
The Israeli army has continued its offensive in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp for the seventh day.
Witnesses said the Israeli army was still cordoning off the refugee camp from all directions, and clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters along with sounds of explosions were reported.
The Israeli army also continued to demolish homes in the camp, sources said.
09:48 GMT — Hamas says return to northern Gaza victory for our people, defeat to Israeli expulsion plan
As displaced Palestinians began returning to their homes in northern Gaza, for the first time since Israel launched a war in October 2023 on the enclave, Hamas said the return was a victory for their people and a defeat for Israel and its expulsion plans.
"The return of the displaced is a victory for our people and a declaration of the failure and defeat of the (Israeli) occupation and its displacement plans," senior leader Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement.
"The return of our displaced people to their homes proves once again the failure of the occupation in achieving its aggressive goals of displacing our people and breaking their resolute will," he added.
08:35 GMT — Trump, Starmer discuss Gaza
US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke on Sunday in a wide-ranging conversation on Gaza.
Starmer praised Trump for his "role in securing the landmark ceasefire and hostages deal in Gaza," as the pair discussed the "importance of working together for security in the Middle East," according to a readout of the call from Downing Street.
Trump meanwhile welcomed the release of British-Israeli dual national Emily Damari who was freed a week ago by Hamas.
07:28 GMT — Thousands of Palestinians start returning to northern Gaza
Thousands of Palestinians forcibly displaced by Israel's war started returning to northern Gaza on foot through coastal Al-Rashid Street as part of the ceasefire deal.
Thousands of Palestinians headed north after waiting for days to cross. Associated Press reporters saw people crossing the Netzarim corridor shortly after the checkpoints were scheduled to open.
06:58 GMT — Israel to allow Palestinians into northern Gaza starting Monday
Qatar has said that Israel will allow displaced Palestinians to return from southern Gaza to its northern regions starting on Monday morning.
“Starting tomorrow morning, Monday, Israeli authorities will allow displaced residents in Gaza to return from the southern areas to the northern regions of the (Gaza) Strip,” Majid Al-Ansari, the spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said in a statement.
“As part of ongoing efforts led by mediators, an agreement has been reached between the two parties under which Hamas will hand over the (Israeli) hostage Arbel Yehud and two other hostages by next Friday. Additionally, Hamas will release three more hostages on Saturday,” added Al-Ansari.
06:18 GMT — Egypt announces launch of largest aid convoy to Gaza
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has announced the launch of the largest humanitarian aid convoy for Palestinians in Gaza.
In a speech during a conference in the Asmarat area of Cairo, Madbouly said the convoy was launched "in implementation of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's directives and in response to the call of humanity to support our Palestinian brothers in Gaza," according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.
The convoy consists of 305 trucks carrying more than 4,200 tons of aid and 11 ambulances to support Gaza under the slogan "Together for Humanity,” the statement added.
05:18 GMT — Al Quds Brigades say they have taken steps to remove Israeli pretexts for blocking return of displaced Palestinians
The Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, has said that they have taken steps to eliminate Israeli pretexts to obstruct the return of forcibly displaced Palestinians from southern Gaza to the north.
Israel “deliberately disrupts the lives of our people and takes away their joy. We have taken the necessary measures to remove the excuses fabricated by the enemy to block the return of our people to northern Gaza,” the brigades said in a statement on Telegram.
"The mediators (Egypt and Qatar) have received guarantees confirming that the Zionist captive Arbel Yehud is alive and in good health,” they added.
04:11 GMT — Israeli minister forced to cancel Brussels visit due to security warnings
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested that Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli cancel a trip to the European Parliament in Brussels due to security warnings.
"Due to specific security warnings and based on the recommendation of security agencies, Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli was asked to cancel his scheduled trip to the European Parliament in Brussels," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
Neither the minister nor Netanyahu’s office specified the exact date of the trip.
03:42 GMT — US Defence Secretary Hegseth holds first call with Israel's Netanyahu
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth held an introductory call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Department of Defence has said in a statement, adding that Hegseth stressed that Washington is fully committed to ensuring Israel has the capabilities it needs to defend itself.
"Both leaders discussed the importance of advancing mutual security interests and priorities, especially in the face of persistent threats," the statement read.
03:22 GMT — Lebanon confirms adhering to truce with Israel until Feb. 18
Lebanon has confirmed it will continue to adhere to the ceasefire agreement with Israel until Feb.18, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement.
03:00 GMT — Hamas hands over information about captives to be released in first phase of Gaza ceasefire
Hamas has said that it handed over to the mediators the required information regarding the list of Israeli captives who will be released during the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
02:25 GMT — Israel confirms hostage Yehud, soldier Berger to be released by Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that civilian Arbel Yehud, soldier Agam Berger and another hostage will be released by Hamas.
He also said in a post on X that Israel will allow displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza starting on Monday morning.
02:00 GMT — White House says ceasefire agreement between Lebanon, Israel to continue until Feb 18
The White House has said in a statement that the arrangement between Lebanon and Israel would continue to be in effect until Feb 18, after Israel said on Friday it would keep troops in the south beyond the Sunday deadline set out in a US-brokered ceasefire that halted last year's conflict with Hezbollah.
The White House also said the governments of Lebanon, Israel and the United States would begin negotiations for "the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023."
For our live updates from Sunday January 26, 2025, click here.
