Saturday, January 18, 2025
11:15 GMT — The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said that 23 people were killed in the besieged enclave in the last 24 hours, taking the overall war death toll to 46,899 since October 2023.
The ministry said that at least 110,725 people have been wounded in more than 15 months of brutal Israeli war on Gaza.
More updates 👇
13:24 GMT — Qatar, UK discuss ensuring full implementation of Gaza ceasefire deal
Qatar and the UK held discussions regarding the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, including the prisoner exchange which is set to take effect Sunday morning.
The talks were held during a phone call between Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, according to the Qatar News Agency.
The two sides addressed measures to ensure the complete implementation of the ceasefire and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
Sheikh Mohammed expressed Qatar's hope that both parties would commit to the full execution of the agreement.
13:05 GMT — Yemen's Houthis say they will deal with Israel in case of any violations Gaza ceasefire deal
Yemen's Houthis said they will coordinate closely with the Palestinian resistance to deal with Israel in case of any violations of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the group's military spokesperson said.
12:54 GMT — Palestinian group warns of risks to Israeli hostages amid continued bombing of Gaza
The Al Quds Brigades has warned that ongoing Israeli air strikes in Gaza could result in the deaths of Israeli hostages held in the enclave.
In a statement, the Palestinian group urged the families of the hostages to demand that the Israeli army halt its bombardment emphasising the risk to the hostages during the final stages of preparations for their release under a prisoner exchange agreement.
“The intensity of Israeli bombing may leave families receiving their loved ones in coffins,” the group said, asserting that “the fate of the captives now lies solely in the hands of the Israeli army.”
12:42 GMT — Israel conducts strikes on 50 locations across Gaza
The Israeli army said it conducted strikes on 50 locations across Gaza, according to a statement by the army.
12:36 GMT — Israel must not be allowed to violate Gaza ceasefire: Turkish President Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticised Israel's history of ceasefire violations, urging the international community to prevent further breaches amid the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
"Israel, particularly (Premier Benjamin) Netanyahu, has a significant record of ceasefire violations, this should not be allowed this time (in Gaza)," Erdogan told his party’s provincial congress in Adana, southern Türkiye.
He condemned Israel's 467-day war in Gaza which caused more than 47,000 fatalities, saying: "Despite 467 days of genocide and massacres, Israel has failed to break the will of resistance of our brothers and sisters in Gaza."
Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to holding perpetrators of war crimes in Palestine accountable, adding that Türkiye will mobilise by all means to heal the wounds of Gaza during the ceasefire period.
11:08 GMT — Israeli hostages' families urge Netanyahu to start 2nd phase of negotiations immediately
The families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act immediately to secure the release of all hostages, according to a statement.
The committee of families in a statement also urged Netanyahu not to wait for 16 days after the implementation of the first phase of the agreement to begin negotiations on the remaining hostages.
“We urgently call for swift arrangements to ensure all phases of the deal are implemented, and emphasize that negotiations for the next phases must begin before day 16,” the statement noted.
10:55 GMT — Lebanon president says Israel must withdraw from south by January 26 deadline
Lebanon's new president said on Saturday Israel must withdraw from the country's south by the January 26 deadline set to fully implement the terms of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire agreed last year.
Joseph Aoun told visiting United Nations chief Antonio Guterres that it was necessary for "Israeli forces to withdraw from occupied territories in the south within the deadline set by the agreement reached on November 27," a statement from his office said, adding that he also warned against "continued Israeli violations" of the deal.
10:55 GMT — Prisoner exchange lists to be released before each swap: Gaza’s Prisoners Media Office
The Gaza-based Prisoners Media Office announced that the lists of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for release as part of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal will be published before each exchange day following an agreed-on mechanism with the Israeli side.
The office clarified that the Israeli publication of the list for the first phase of the prisoner exchange is an action solely related to the Israeli authorities.
It added that the release mechanism is connected to the number of prisoners to be freed and the categories they fall into. This process will continue throughout the first phase of the agreement, which lasts 42 days.
10:48 GMT — 73% of Israelis support ceasefire, prisoner exchange deal with Hamas: Poll
A recent poll published revealed that 73 percent of Israelis support the prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.
The survey, conducted by the Israeli daily Maariv in partnership with the Lazar Research Center, was carried out on January 15-16, showed overwhelming support for the deal among the Israeli public.
The survey found that 45 percent strongly support the agreement, while 28% somewhat support it, bringing the total approval to 73 percent. Only 19 percent of Israelis oppose the deal and 8 percent remain neutral on the matter.
10:38 GMT — Hamas says Israel 'failed to achieve its aggressive goals' in Gaza
Palestinian resistance group Hamas said that Israel had "failed to achieve its aggressive goals" in Gaza, a day before the start of a ceasefire and prisoner swap deal it agreed with Israel.
Israel "only succeeded in committing war crimes that disgrace the dignity of humanity," the group said in a statement.
08:50 GMT — Sirens sound in Jerusalem, blasts heard: AFP journalists
Explosions were heard over Jerusalem after sirens blared across the city and central Israel, AFP journalists reported, while the Israeli military said a projectile had been launched from Yemen.
Sirens and explosions were heard over Jerusalem at around 10:20 am (08:20 GMT) on Saturday, shortly after sirens sounded across central Israel in response to the projectile launched from Yemen, the military said in a statement.
Minutes later, the military said it had intercepted the projectile launched from Yemen.
08:45 GMT — Israel wipes out Palestinian family, raising death toll to 122 since announcement of ceasefire deal
Five Palestinians, including women and children, were killed and several others injured when Israeli forces bombed a tent sheltering displaced civilians west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Medical sources told Anadolu Agency that the victims were from a single family and their killings occurred after an Israeli helicopter targeted the tent in the Al-Mawasi area, northwest of Khan Younis.
The death toll in Gaza rose to 122 Palestinians, including 33 children and 33 women, since the announcement of a ceasefire agreement on Wednesday, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense Department.
08:40 GMT — Gaza Interior Ministry to deploy forces across region as ceasefire begins
The Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza announced on Saturday that its forces will begin deploying across Gaza on Sunday in line with the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed that the Interior Ministry forces, under the administration of the Palestinian group Hamas, will spread throughout Gaza provinces and begin their duties in service of the people as soon as the ceasefire takes effect.
The ministry emphasised that despite the severe toll, the ongoing war had taken on its leadership and personnel, it remained “steadfast in its efforts to prevent chaos and preserve the resilience of the population in the face of Israeli aggression.”
02:00 GMT — Israeli government approves Gaza truce and prisoner swap deal
The Israeli government has approved a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap deal with Hamas, marking a significant development which is expected to pause Israel's genocidal war on the besieged Palestinian enclave.
TRT World's Mohammad Al-Kassim reporting from occupied East Jerusalem late on Friday said the vast majority of the Israeli ministers backed the Gaza truce deal and left the meeting.
"This has been a hard fought deal for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who earlier in the day had to sit in the security cabinet and also try to convince his security cabinet to support and back this deal, which they did," Al-Kassim said.
Later, PM Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the government ratified the deal, after a cabinet meeting that lasted more than six hours and ended in the early hours of Saturday.
Reports said 24 ministers voted in favour and eight voted against it.
02:00 GMT — Palestine's leaders in West Bank say ready to govern Gaza
Palestine's leaders who administer parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank have said they are ready "to assume full responsibility" in Gaza, according to a statement reported by the official WAFA news agency.
President Mahmoud Abbas' office said the Palestinian Authority's administrative and security agencies had finished preparations to restore critical services in Gaza, which has been governed by Hamas.
But there's still no plan for who will govern Gaza after Israel's genocidal war.
Israel has said it will work with local Palestinians who are not affiliated with Hamas or the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. But it's unclear if such partners exist.
The Palestinian Authority controlled Gaza before Hamas expelled it in 2007, a year after winning an landslide victory in Palestinian elections.
For our live updates from Friday, January 17, 2025, click here.
