Live blog: Israel kills four Palestinians in Gaza despite ceasefire

Sunday, February 9, 2025

1700 GMT — Four Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in Gaza despite a ceasefire agreement in the enclave, a medical source said.

The source said the bodies of three people were transferred to al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City after Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians east of the city.

Witnesses said Israeli forces stationed east of Gaza City opened fire on a group of Palestinians while returning to their areas east of Kuwait Roundabout near the city.

According to witnesses, the returning Palestinians were trying to check their areas after the army withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor, which separates northern Gaza from the south.

An elderly Palestinian woman was also killed by Israeli army fire in Al-Qarara, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the medical source said.

The Israeli army confirmed that its forces had opened fire on what it called “suspects” approaching their location near Nahal Oz east of Gaza City.

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1715 GMT — Nearly half of Americans reject Trump's Gaza 'takeover' proposal: Poll

Nearly half of Americans rejected US President Donald Trump's proposal to "take over" Gaza and relocate Palestinians to neighbouring countries, calling it a "bad idea," as did several major Arab, European, and other countries around the world.

According to a CBS News/YouGov poll conducted between February 5 and 7, in which 2,175 US adults were polled and released on Sunday, 47 percent of Americans believe the US proposal to "take over" Gaza is a "bad idea," with only 13 percent supporting it and 40 percent unsure or saying "it depends."

The poll also found that 34 percent of respondents had little or no knowledge of the proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, which has been nearly completely destroyed by brutal Israeli forces since October 7, 2023, killing nearly 48,200 people, the majority of whom are women and children.

1700 GMT — 5 Thai hostages released from Gaza return home

Five former Thai hostages released by Hamas arrived in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.

The former hostages were greeted by relatives at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the local Thai PBS reported.

Watchara Srioun, Pongsak Thaenna, Sathien Suwankham, Surasak Lamnao and Bannawat Saetao, who were working in Israel, have returned home, it said.

According to a Thai government official, approximately 30,000 Thais were working in Israel at the time of the war and were evacuated when the war with Hamas began in the first week of 2023.

1650 GMT — Withdrawal from Gaza corridor means loss of war achievements: Israeli analyst

Israel’s withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza marks a loss of the war achievements, an Israeli military analyst said.

The Israeli army withdrew its forces from the Netzarim Corridor, which separates northern Gaza from the south, early Sunday after more than a year and three months of occupation.

In an analysis published by Israeli Channel 14, Noam Amir said the withdrawal from the corridor will give Hamas freedom of movement throughout northern Gaza.

Amir described the Netzarim Corridor as a “vital buffer zone” between northern Gaza and the south and has strategic importance for Israel.

1640 GMT — Israeli army burns down homes in Lebanese town despite ceasefire

The Israeli army burnt down several homes and properties in the town of Kfarkela in southern Lebanon, in the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement, local media said.

The state news agency NNA did not provide any details about injures from the Israeli action.

1600 GMT — Israeli delegation arrived in Doha for Gaza ceasefire talks

The Israeli prime minister’s spokesman Omer Dostri said that an Israeli delegation had arrived in Qatar's Doha for talks on the Gaza ceasefire.

1500 GMT — Hamas accuses Israel of hindering delivery of humanitarian aid under Gaza ceasefire deal

Palestinian resistance group Hamas accused Israel of hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza under a ceasefire agreement.

“Twenty-two days from the ceasefire have passed, and the Israeli occupation still hinders the implementation of the humanitarian protocol, especially the entry of tents, fuel, and heavy machinery,” Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanoua said in a statement.

The spokesman called on mediators to pile pressure on Israel “to oblige it to strictly implement the ceasefire agreement, including the entry of urgent medical and relief supplies to save the lives of our people."

1400 GMT — Unborn child, 2 women killed by Israeli fire amid West Bank assault

Two Palestinian women were killed by Israeli army fire in the northern West Bank, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said an 8-month pregnant woman was killed and her husband seriously injured during an Israeli military raid on the Nur Shams refugee camp east of Tulkarem city.

The ministry said the woman’s unborn child also lost his life in the attack.

According to witnesses, Israeli forces opened fire on the family as they were displaced from the camp by the Israeli assault.

The ministry said a 21-year-old woman was also shot dead by Israeli forces in the same camp.

1315 GMT — Over 20,000 Palestinians displaced by Israeli assault in Jenin

Israel has forcibly displaced more than 20,000 Palestinians from the Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank, a Palestinian official said.

"The (Israeli) occupation has entirely destroyed the Jenin refugee camp and forcibly displaced over 20,000 residents, leaving behind their homes, documents, and personal belongings," Jenin Deputy Governor Mansour al-Saadi told the Voice of Palestine radio.

The displaced residents are expected to seek shelter in other cities across the West Bank, as destruction caused by the Israeli assault makes their return impossible.

1230 GMT — 7 more bodies found in Gaza rubble as death toll approaches 48,200

Palestinian medics and rescue teams recovered seven more bodies from the rubble in Gaza, pushing the overall death toll from Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023 to 48,189, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said that the toll also included one Palestinian who was killed by Israeli fire.

According to the ministry, two injured people were also admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the number of the injured to 111,640 in the Israeli onslaught.

“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” the ministry said.

1215 GMT — Pregnant Palestinian woman killed by Israeli fire amid West Bank assault

An 8-month pregnant woman was killed by Israeli army fire in the northern occupied West Bank, the Health Ministry said.

Her husband was also seriously injured during an Israeli military raid on the Nur Shams refugee camp east of Tulkarem city, the ministry added in a statement.

The ministry said the woman’s fetus also lost his life in the attack.

According to witnesses, Israeli forces opened fire on the family as they were displaced from the camp by the Israeli assault.

1130 GMT — Israeli army expands assault in northern West Bank amid tension

The Israeli army expanded its assault in the northern West Bank, staging an incursion into the Nur Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarem city.

According to witnesses, Israeli troops forced several families out of their homes in the camp, converting them into military outposts.

The military offensive involved a large number of Israeli forces, reinforced with bulldozers, which entered the camp and imposed a blockade on it, they said.

Witnesses said that bulldozers began demolishing the entrance to the al-Maslakh neighborhood in the camp.

1100 GMT — Jordan condemns Netanyahu's ‘incendiary calls’ for establishing Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia

Jordan condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements about establishing a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia, deeming them "incendiary calls" and a “violation of international law.”

“The Israeli government continues its provocative policies and statements that undermine the sovereignty of nations and the principles of international law,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Sufian al-Qudah said in a statement.

He stressed Jordan's “absolute rejection of these provocative statements, which reflect an exclusionary and inciting ideology hostile to peace and contribute to further escalation in the region.”

The spokesman reaffirmed Jordan's “full solidarity with Saudi Arabia” and called on the international community to “condemn and denounce these irresponsible remarks.”

0717 GMT — Israeli army withdraws from Netzarim corridor in Gaza

The Israeli military has withdrawn from an area of Gaza known as the Netzarim corridor, Hamas has said, a move that was expected under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group.

An Israeli security source, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed the Israeli military was withdrawing from its positions in central Gaza.

Hamas has celebrated the withdrawal as a victory.

A satellite image also shows the Netzarim Corridor, an area of central Gaza being cleared by the Israeli military after invading and occupying it on August 20, 2024.

The Netzarim Corridor was set by the Israeli army to separate Gaza into northern and southern areas.

0729 GMT — Egypt to host emergency Arab summit on 27 February to discuss 'serious' Palestinian developments

Egypt will host an emergency Arab summit on 27 February to discuss what it described as "serious" developments for Palestinians, according to a statement from the Egyptian foreign ministry.

The summit comes amid regional and global condemnation of US President Donald Trump's suggestion to "take over Gaza " from Israel and create a "Riviera of the Middle East" after resettling Palestinians elsewhere.

0412 GMT — Saudi Arabia rejects remarks by Israel's Netanyahu about displacing Palestinians

Saudi Arabia has affirmed its categorical rejection of remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about displacing Palestinians from their land, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Israeli officials had suggested the establishment of a Palestinian state on Saudi territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to be joking this week when he responded to an interviewer on pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 who misspoke by saying "Saudi state" instead of "Palestinian state" before correcting himself.

While the Saudi statement mentioned Netanyahu's name, it did not directly refer to the comments about establishing a Palestinian state in Saudi territory.

0317 GMT — Pakistani-Iranian top diplomats reject Trump's Gaza plan

Top diplomats from Pakistan and Iran discussed the situation in the Middle East with a focus on Palestine's Gaza, rejecting US President Donald Trump's proposal to displace Palestinians as "troubling" and "unjust," according to a statement from Islamabad's Foreign Ministry.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to discuss the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.

Commenting on Trump's proposal, Dar, who holds the portfolio of the deputy prime minister, emphasised that Palestinian land belongs to the Palestinian people and the only viable and just option is a two-state solution, under UN Security Council resolutions.

0255 GMT — Forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza 'not consistent with international law': Australia

The forcible displacement of Palestinians from besieged Gaza is 'not consistent with international law,' an Australian official said, adding that Canberra would continue to support the two-state solution, local broadcaster SBS News reported.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher made the remarks while responding to questions about President Donald Trump's plan for the US to "take over" Gaza.

Asked whether the policy would be aligned with international law, Gallagher said: "If you're talking forced displacement ... that is not consistent with international law."

0138 GMT — Hamas delegation in Tehran meets top Iranian officials

A Hamas delegation led by Mohammad Ismail Darwish, the head of Hamas' leadership council, met senior Iranian officials in Tehran.

The delegation met Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, according to a statement from the Palestinian resistance group.

The delegation, which also included Hamas' Tehran representative Khaled al Qaddoumi, discussed the ceasefire in besieged Gaza.

0154 GMT — Released five Thai workers arrive in Bangkok

Five Thai workers released from besieged Gaza arrived in Bangkok.

Sarusak Rumnao, 32; Watchara Sriaoun, 33; Sathian Suwannakham, 35; Pongsak Thaenna, 36; and Bannawat Saethao, 27, were freed on January 30 as part of an exchange arrangement.

They were embraced by family members in the arrivals hall at Suvarnabhumi airport.

2149 GMT — Israel displaces 400 Palestinians in West Bank refugee camp

A Palestinian official confirmed that 400 Palestinians have been displaced from the Al Faraa refugee camp in southern Tubas in the northern occupied West Bank on the seventh day of an Israeli assault on the camp.

Tubas and Northern Jordan Valley Governor Ahmed Al Asad told Anadolu Agency that "About 400 Palestinians from Al Faraa camp have been displaced so far amid the ongoing Israeli military operation."

"The occupation forces have designated what they call a safe passage, set up a military checkpoint at the camp's entrance, and are calling citizens in groups," he said.

"Each group consists of five people, and they are subjected to searches, their IDs are checked, and some are arrested. Today, they even opened fire and injured one displaced person."

2116 GMT — Israel to withdraw from Gaza's Netzarim Corridor: report

The Israeli army will completely withdraw overnight from its last positions in the Netzarim Corridor, which separates the northern besieged Gaza from the south, according to Israeli media.

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the army "is set to complete its withdrawal from its last positions along the Netzarim Corridor overnight into Sunday, marking the full military pullback from northern Gaza."

There has been no official comment by the Israeli army regarding the development.

2052 GMT — Arab League announces talks for Arab summit to discuss Palestinian issue

The Arab League revealed that communications are currently underway to hold an Arab summit to discuss the Palestinian issue.

It was communicated by Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, during a telephone interview on the Al-Qahera News Channel, following Bahrain's announcement of support for the proposal to hold an emergency Arab summit in Cairo to reject the resettlement of Palestinians.

Zaki explained that "there are current communications to hold an Arab summit to discuss the Palestinian issue, but the date has not yet been set."

2000 GMT — Palestine warns against Israel's continued 'ethnic cleansing' in West Bank

Palestine warned of Israel's ongoing "ethnic cleansing" in the northern occupied West Bank and called for a "firm" international response to force Israel to stop its crimes in refugee camps.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry issued a statement warning "against the continued Israeli occupation forces committing the crime of ethnic cleansing and enforcing forced deportation and displacement of our people from the camps in northern the West Bank, emptying them of their residents, as is the case in the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Faraa camps, in a blatant violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and the Geneva Conventions."

The Israeli government makes use of calls to expel our people from the Gaza Strip to deepen and expand their displacement from West Bank camps, altering their characteristics and reality, it added.

For our live updates from Saturday, February 8, 2025, click here.