Netanyahu Vowes Response to “Cruel and Malicious Violation” of Cease-Fire With Hamas
Israel says a body returned yesterday was not that of Shiri Bibas, as Hamas claimed (AP)
Hamas said it would “conduct a thorough review” of information about the body and that Bibas’ remains appear to have been mixed with those of other people in a bombed building (Reuters)
Separately, Arab leaders are meeting in Saudi Arabia today to discuss a plan for postwar Gaza (Le Monde)
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he will only “sit back and recommend” a Gaza takeover plan; this comes as Egypt and Jordan, who would accept the refugees from Gaza under President Trump’s proposed takeover plan, voiced opposition to the idea (Al Jazeera)
Hamas Returns Bodies of Four Hostages It Abducted From Israel in Its October 7, 2023 Attack
Israel’s military plans to confirm their identities, while Hamas said they were a mother and her two young children as well as an elderly peace activist; they are the first deceased hostages released as part of the ongoing truce deal (FT)
Three Killed by Israeli Forces in West Bank
Palestinian state news said Israeli soldiers attacked the Palestinians in their homes in the al-Faraa camp, while the Israeli military stated that the targets were “wanted terrorists;” the operation was part of Israel’s “Iron Wall” counterterrorism offensive (Reuters)
Israel Agrees to Start Negotiations on Second Phase of Gaza Cease-Fire and Hostage Release Deal
The announcement from Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’arcame as Hamas said it would release three living hostages ahead of schedule on Saturday, a move that mediators said was designed to get negotiations moving (WSJ)
Phase two talks were meant to begin on February 4—but the truce saw a near-breakdown earlier this month as both sides accused each other of violating its terms (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has swapped his lead negotiator for phase two, choosing close political ally and Israeli strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer instead of the head of the Mossad intelligence service, who led previous negotiation rounds (CNN)
A Hamas spokesperson said that in phase two, the group is ready to release all of its remaining hostages at once in exchange for a permanent truce and full withdrawal of Israeli forces (WaPo)
Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who said the UAE rejects the potential displacement of Palestinians from their land (Reuters)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Discusses Gaza With Netanyahu
After the conversation on Sunday, Netanyahu appeared to endorse U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to resettle Gazans and have the U.S. take over the territory (BBC)
Rubio discussed Gaza and other issues on Monday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, after which both affirmed their support for a cease-fire (NYT)
Palestinians and Arab countries continue to voice alarm about President Donald Trump’s proposal to expel Gazans, which international legal scholars say would be a war crime if enacted (NYT)
In response, Egypt is developing a plan to rebuild Gaza that would keep Palestinians living there, unnamed Egyptian, Arab, and Western officials told the Associated Press (AP)
Arab countries are planning to hold an emergency summit on Gaza on March 4 (Reuters)
Hamas Greenlights Saturday Hostage Release
The announcement walked back the group’s threat to pause the releases—which had prompted an Israeli threat to resume fighting; after talks with mediators, Hamas said it was in contact with Qatari leadership about increasing humanitarian supplies into Gaza (AP)
President Trump Gives Ultimatum to Hamas Over Postponed Hostage Release
Trump stated that he would like Hamas to release all of its currently held hostages by noon on February 15, or else he would support an end to the ceasefire and “let hell break out;” Trump added that Netanyahu could “override him on the issue” (Reuters)
Netanyahu Says Israel Will Resume Fighting in Gaza If Hamas Does Not Release Hostages by Saturday
Hamas had said Monday it would delay Saturday’s incremental release due to alleged Israeli violations of the truce (Times of Israel)
Separately, Trump met with Jordan’s king, who said he rejected the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza; Jordan agreed to accept two thousand sick children from the territory, and Trump suggested he was backing off a previous threat to withhold aid from Jordan (AP)
Hamas Announces Indefinite Postponement of Hostage Release to Israel
Hamas leadership cited Israeli violations of the ceasefire terms, namely a continuation of attacks on Palestinian civilians returning to the Gaza strip as well as the blocked entry of humanitarian aid; Israel claims that Hamas is responsible for violating the ceasefire deal, with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stating that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will be put on high alert and prepare for “any possible scenario in Gaza” (BBC)
Hamas originally planned to release the hostages on February 15 (Reuters)
Israeli Forces Begin Pulling Back From Netzarim Corridor, Which Bisects Gaza
The move is part of the ongoing cease-fire and hostage release agreement, which saw three Israeli hostages and 183 Palestinian prisoners freed on Saturday (WSJ;NYT)
An Israeli delegation arrived in Qatar for talks on the potential next phase of that deal, while Egypt said it will host a summit of Arab leaders this month regarding “new and dangerous developments in the Palestinian issue” (Reuters;NPR)
Israel Prepares for Removal of Palestinians From Gaza
Israel’s defense ministry announced its plans to facilitate the mass relocation of Palestinians, despite international condemnation of President Trump’s mass removal and reconstruction plan; Trump suggested that upon removal of Palestinians from Gaza, Israel would hand over the land, all without deploying U.S. troops (Time)
Egypt condemned any forced removal as a violation of international law, with Cairo warning that a U.S. takeover of Gaza could incite further instability across the region and threaten its peace treaty with Israel (AP News)
Trump Suggests United States Would “Take Over” Gaza
In what would be a shocking break from decades of U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the president further suggested that the nearly two-million-strong population of Palestinians in Gaza be permanently removed to other countries and refused to rule out deploying U.S. troops (Reuters;WaPo)
The comments came amid a White House visit from Netanyahu that was slated to focus on a cease-fire deal in the territory (NBC)
Earlier in the day, Trump said the United States would continue the Joe Biden administration’s policy of withholding funding for the UN agency that provides aid to Palestinian refugees (AP)
Trump defended his new proposal because much of the territory has been destroyed in the current war, but it flew against the stances of Palestinians and many U.S. Arab allies, and international law prohibits attempts to forcibly transfer populations (NYT)
Netanyahu said the idea was “worth paying attention to,” and Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, praised Trump for his “out of the box ideas” on Gaza, saying that the enclave “in its current form has no future” (NYT)
The Palestinian Authority rejected “all calls for displacement of Palestinian people from their homeland,” a senior advisor to its president said; Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey condemned Trump’s remarks and reiterated their support for a Palestinian state (NYT)
Netanyahu Becomes First Foreign Leader of Trump’s Second Term to Visit White House
The pair will discuss the next phase of the Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal; Trump has said he hopes to end the war, but some in Netanyahu’s coalition have pushed for it to continue (NPR)
Netanyahu Arrives in Washington for Talks on Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will discuss the second phase of the Gaza cease-fire and hostage deal in a meeting today with Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Netanyahu’s office said (NYT)
Hamas released three hostages and Israel released over 180 prisoners on Saturday (NYT)
U.S. Contractors to Staff Gaza Checkpoint During Truce
A U.S. security firm is hiring almost one hundred U.S. special forces veterans to assist in vehicle inspection in Gaza during the ongoing cease-fire, a company spokesperson told Reuters; an unnamed Palestinian official close to the talks said that U.S. contractors would be deployed away from Gaza residents (Reuters)
After yesterday’s hostage and prisoner exchange was completed, albeit delayed, the next stage of hostage releases is set for tomorrow (Times of Israel)
Latest Round of Hostage, Prisoner Releases Begin in Gaza, Israel
Hamas released three Israelis and five Thai nationals this morning in the day’s scheduled trade of hostages for 110 Palestinian prisoners (Times of Israel, CNN)
Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is in Israel to oversee the latest phase of the deal and made a rare visit to Gaza yesterday; the second, complex phase of the deal will confront questions over Gaza’s political outlook and the Palestinian Authority’s role (WaPo)
Netanyahu to Meet With Trump Envoy, Invited to White House
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet today with U.S. Mideast envoy Steven Witkoff, Netanyahu’s office said; the talks are expected to cover the unfolding Gaza cease-fire and hostage deal (NYT)
Israel Announces Indefinite Suspension of Collaboration With UNRWA
Israel’s envoy to the United Nations, Danny Daron, announced a ban on all activities with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Palestine (UNRWA), which calls for a cessation of UNRWA operations in Gaza by January 30 (Al Jazeera)
The move, which Washington has backed, comes as Jerusalem claims that Hamas is utilizing UNRWA sites to hold Israeli hostages (DW)
Palestinians Return to Northern Gaza After Truce Overcomes Strain
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning to northern Gaza today as part of the cease-fire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas (AP)
After extra mediation raised doubts of resolution yesterday, Hamas said it would release Arbel Yehud and other Israeli hostages this week, too (NYT)
Much of northern Gaza is now rubble, and aid groups urged the continued flow of humanitarian assistance to support returnees (UNICEF)
U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend downplayed the cease-fire’s commitment to Palestinian return, suggesting that “we just clean out” Gaza, and that Egypt and Jordan could accept its residents either temporarily or “long term” (WSJ)
That’s a sharp departure from most U.S. presidents, who have viewed Gaza as part of an eventual Palestinian state; Egypt and Jordan rejected Trump’s suggestion (NYT)
Head of UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees Warns Recent Israeli Laws Restricting Its Actions Could “Sabotage” Gaza Cease-fire
The ceasefire’s implementation hinges on aid entering the territory (NYT)
UNRWA’s head, Philippe Lazzarini, met with EU officials in Brussels, seeking support for reversing the laws; legal action against them has been filed at the International Court of Justice and Israel’s High Court (FT)
Israel Announces ‘Extensive’ New Military Operation in West Bank
Israel’s military has increased its operations in the West Bank as the cease-fire in Gaza continues to hold, with Prime Minister Benjamin Nentanyahu announcing an “extensive and significant” new campaign there aimed at “eradicating terrorism” (NYT)
Ten people were killed and at least forty wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said; Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that the West Bank had become a part of Israel’s “war goals,” reflecting concerns about Hamas efforts to fortify fighters there after the group’s strength was diminished in Gaza (CNN)
The military push in the city of Jenin came after Israeli settler groups attacked Palestinians in the West Bank Monday, the same day U.S. President Donald Trump removed sanctions imposed in 2024 on dozens of individuals and settler groups accused of violence (The Guardian)
Since the Gaza cease-fire took effect, violence in the West Bank has risen, the UN Human Rights Office in Ramallah said (United Nations)
The Palestinian Authority has waged its own crackdown against militants in the territory for weeks (FT)
Hundreds of Aid Trucks Surge Into Gaza in Cease-Fire
More than nine hundred aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on the second day of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire, the UN humanitarian office said (Reuters)
They followed 630 aid trucks that entered Sunday, the highest on a single day since the war began (NYT)
Some 92 percent of homes in Gaza were destroyed or damaged and 90 percent of the population was displaced, with 1.8 million people in urgent need of shelter and essentials, the UN said (CNN)
Israel released ninety Palestinian prisoners and Hamas freed three Israeli hostages over the weekend (CNN)
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they would limit their attacks on international shipping to only target Israeli-registered vessels, the Financial Times reported (FT)
Cease-Fire Deal Moves to Israel’s Cabinet for Approval
Many Israelis, Palestinians, and global observers celebrated yesterday’s announcement that Israel and Hamas had reached a complex cease-fire and hostage release agreement, even as political hurdles remained to its full implementation; the deal followed intensive diplomacy by the United States—both the outgoing and incoming administrations—Egypt, and Qatar (Reuters)
Israel’s cabinet delayed a vote today that is required for the deal to move forward; if approved, the first stage of the cease-fire could be set in motion as soon as Sunday (CNN)
Leaders from around the world voiced hope that the cease-fire could move forward and that humanitarian aid could surge into Gaza (ABC)
A White House spokesperson said the Joe Biden administration is confident the deal will commence on Sunday despite the delay in the Israeli government (NYT)
While the details of the agreement are still subject to final approval, drafts that have been widely reported in the media feature a first six-week phase in which Hamas would release thirty-three hostages, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinians, Israeli forces would begin to withdraw from population centers in Gaza, and humanitarian aid would surge into the enclave (CNN)
Blinken Describes Most Detailed Postwar Gaza Vision Yet
As Israel and Hamas reportedly drew closer to a cease-fire deal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a speech yesterday described an immediate phase in which the Palestinian Authority (PA) worked together with international partners and eventually took on governance responsibilities for a “fully reformed PA administration;” Biden’s team will hand the proposal to the Trump administration (CNN)
Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire and Hostage Deal Reaches ‘Final Stages,’ Qatar Says
Israel and Hamas are at their closest point in months to reaching a truce and hostage release agreement, Qatar’s foreign ministry said today; officials from both sides have acknowledged progress toward a deal as talks continue in Doha with mediation by Qatar along with the United States and Egypt (WaPo)
Previous potential deals have collapsed multiple times in the course of more than fifteen months of fighting (AP)
Envoys for both U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump have pressed for the current agreement in recent days (NPR)
The draft deal resembles a three-phase agreement detailed by Biden in May, the Associated Press reported based on a copy of the draft verified by unnamed Egyptian and Hamas officials; it would reportedly begin with a six-week period that includes the gradual release of thirty-three Hamas-held hostages and potentially hundreds of Palestinian women and children detained by Israel (AP)
In this first phase, Israel would begin to withdraw from Gaza’s population centers, and displaced Palestinians could return to their homes (Axios)
The details of the subsequent phases still need to be negotiated during the first one (BBC)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting today with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—who voiced opposition to the cease-fire—in a test of Netanyahu’s ability to hold his governing coalition together if the deal moves forward (CNN)
An unnamed Israeli official told CNN that Israel had “made all the compromises that are needed” for a deal, while two unnamed officials involved in the talks told the Associated Press that Hamas had accepted the draft (CNN)