Live blog: Israel proposes to Hamas 60-day truce in Gaza — report

Monday, January 22, 2024

2006 GMT — Israel has given resistance group Hamas a proposal through Qatari and Egyptian mediators that includes up to two months of a pause in the fighting as part of a multi-phase deal, Axios reported.

The deal would include the release of all remaining captives held in besieged Gaza, the report added, citing two Israeli officials.

"The Israeli officials said the proposal makes clear Israel will not agree to end the war and will not agree to release all 6,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons," the US news website reported.

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2200 GMT US, UK carry out fresh strikes in Yemen

Britain and the United States have carried out strikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa and other areas of the country, the official news agency of the Houthi group said.

"American-British forces are launching raids on the capital of Sanaa" and several other parts of Yemen, the Saba news agency said in an alert.

According to US officials, the US and UK used warship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets to take out Houthi missile storage sites and launchers.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing mission.

For months, the Houthis have attacked ships in the region's waterways that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. They say their attacks aim to end the Israeli air-and-ground invasion of besieged Gaza.

2100 GMT — Israel army says 200 soldiers killed in Gaza ground invasion

The Israeli military has said that 200 soldiers have been killed in besieged Gaza since its ground invasion in the blockaded territory began in late October.

"The number of fallen soldiers in Gaza since October 27 is 200," an army spokesperson told the AFP news agency.

2036 GMT — Israel killed 11,000 children in Gaza so far: Palestine

In the last 108 days of invasion, Israel has killed 11,000 children and 7,500 women in besieged Gaza, said Palestinian authorities in Gaza.

In the blockaded enclave, 7,000 people, 70 percent of whom are women and children, are still under debris or missing from Israeli attacks, they said, citing a host of new figures to try to convey the depth of loss and destruction suffered by besieged Gaza.

Pointing to the inhumane conditions in crowded shelters where displaced Palestinians seek refuge, the statement said 400,000 cases of infectious diseases and more than 8,000 cases of Hepatitis A have been detected as a result of Israel's expulsion.

1810 GMT — Arab League calls for 'binding' UNSC resolution on Gaza

The Arab League called on the UN Security Council to issue a "binding" resolution for halting a deadly Israeli offensive on Gaza.

The call came following an emergency meeting held by the Cairo-based body at the level of permanent delegates upon a request from Palestine to discuss ways of halting the Israeli war, which has killed more than 25,000 people since Oct. 7.

A resolution adopted by the pan-Arab organization called on the UN Security Council “to assume its responsibilities to maintain international peace and security, and to take a binding resolution to stop the widespread, systematic Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people.”

It also urged the US and countries "that pursue double standards and support the Israeli aggression within the Security Council, to follow positions consistent with international law to call for a complete and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza."

The Arab League called for obligating Israel "to stop its aggression against the Palestinian people, withdraw from the Gaza Strip, lift the siege and curb its plans and efforts aimed at forced displacement."

1851 GMT — Gaza experiencing ‘longest communications shutdown’ since Oct. 7: UN

Gaza is experiencing the “longest communications shutdown” since the outbreak of the war on Oct. 7, the UN refugee agency said..

"People are cut off from loved ones and the rest of the world, increasing the feeling of isolation," the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said in a statement. The shutdown "also impedes humanitarian response and restricts access to lifesaving information," it added.

Paltel Group, the provider of communications services in Gaza, announced another blackout in the Palestinian territory, the 10th since the outbreak of the conflict on Oct. 7.

1842 GMT — Isreal rejects ceasefire with Hezbollah

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that Tel Aviv will not ceasefire on the border with Lebanon until it guarantees a safe return of Israelis to their homes in northern Israel.

"Israel will not ceasefire until it can guarantee the safe return of the northern communities to their homes, following a change in the security situation along the border," Gallant said during a meeting with his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu in Tel Aviv.

"Even if Hezbollah ceases fire unilaterally, Israel will not ceasefire until it guarantees the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes," he added in statements carried by Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

1820 GMT — Yemen’s Houthis claim to attack US army cargo ship in Gulf of Aden

Yemen’s Houthi group claimed to have attacked a US army cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden.

In a statement, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said that OCEAN JAZZ ship was targeted with "appropriate naval missiles."

He said the attack was "in support of the oppressed Palestinian people and as part of the response to the American-British aggression against our country."

However, a US defence official told AFP: "We're not seeing that at all on our end and believe that statement to be untrue."

1817 GMT — US demands 'urgent' Israeli probe into Palestinian-American teen's death

The United States demanded Israel launch an "urgent investigation" into the death of a 17-year-old Palestinian-American killed by alleged Israeli fire in the West Bank last week.

"We continue to engage closely with the Government of Israel to ascertain as much information as possible and we have called for an urgent investigation to determine the circumstance of his death," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

1605 GMT — Israel to pull out combat forces from Gaza, move troops to West Bank: Report

Israel will pull out combat forces from Gaza and move part of the troops to the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli media.

"Army chief Herzi Halevi decided to pull out the combat forces from Gaza to be transferred to the West Bank to replace the regular forces there," the Wall news portal said.

No further details were provided regarding the decision and there was no confirmation yet from the Israeli army. Israeli media outlets said the move aims to give rest to Israeli forces in the West Bank amid rising tension in the occupied territory.

1458 GMT — UK, US announce sanctions to 'disrupt' financial networks of Hamas

The UK and US announced a new round of coordinated sanctions targeting key figures and entities involved in the leadership and financial operations of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Five key figures and an entity involved in the leadership and financial networks of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) were targeted under the UK's new sanctions, said an official statement by the British Foreign Office.

"These sanctions send a clear message to Hamas — the UK and our partners are committed to ensuring there is no hiding place for those financing terrorist activities," UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said after the decision.

1458 GMT — Health situation in Khan Younis is catastrophic: ministry

The health situation in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, has reached catastrophic levels under Israeli attacks, with many injured lying in hospital corridors, the Palestinian enclave's Health Ministry said.

"The health situation in Khan Younis is at an indescribable level of catastrophe. Many injured individuals are lying on the floors of Nasir Hospital," the ministry said in a written statement.

"The difficulty and delay in transporting the injured to Al Nasr Hospital are putting their lives in danger," added the statement, providing details on the difficulties faced by healthcare in the area.

It emphasised the significant challenges faced by health teams as they endeavoured to treat dozens of critically injured patients despite dire conditions, including shortages in medical supplies and drugs.

The Health Ministry had announced that, as a result of Israeli attacks targeting the areas where uprooted people took refuge, mass graves had been dug in the Al Nasr Hospital compound, where 40 people were buried.

1458 GMT — Britain "disappointed" by Netanyahu's stance on Palestinian statehood

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to a future sovereign Palestinian state is "disappointing", British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office said, reiterating British support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden have disagreed over the future creation of an independent Palestinian state, with Netanyahu saying at the weekend he would not compromise on "full Israeli security control of all territory west of the Jordan River".

Asked about Netanyahu's comments, Sunak's spokesman told reporters: "It's disappointing to hear this from the Israeli prime minister."

"The UK's position remains (that) a two-state solution, with a viable and sovereign Palestinian state living alongside a safe and secure Israel, is the best route to lasting peace," the spokesperson said.

1447 GMT — 2 more fighters killed in clashes with Israeli army: Lebanon’s Hezbollah

Lebanese group Hezbollah said that two more fighters had been killed in the ongoing border clashes with the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, bringing the group's death toll to 166 since Oct. 8.

The two fighters were identified as Samah Asaad Asaad (Abu Tarab) from the town of Kfarkela and Ali Said Yahya from Tayibe town in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah did not provide any details about the circumstances leading to their death, saying they were killed on the road to Jerusalem, a phrase used by the group for its fighters killed by Israel.

Earlier on Monday, Hezbollah said that it had repelled an attack by Israeli forces off the southern border.

1316 GMT — Families of Israeli hostages in Gaza storm Knesset panel to demand their release

Families of Israeli hostages in Gaza stormed a parliamentary committee session to demand a deal to secure their release.

"You won't sit here while they are dying there!" reads a sign held by relatives as they stormed a meeting of the Knesset's Finance Committee, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.

1309 GMT — Hamas has not made a solid deal offer: Netanyahu

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back after speculation that a new release of Gaza hostages was in the works, saying Israel was taking an unspecified initiative in the absence of an offer by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

"There is no real proposal by Hamas. It's not true," a statement from Netanyahu's office quoted him as telling representatives of hostage families after some relatives stormed a committee session in parliament, demanding a release deal.

"I am saying this as clearly as I can because there are so many incorrect statements which are certainly agonising for you," Netanyahu added. "Conversely, there is an initiative on our part, on which I shall not elaborate."

1300 GMT — Israeli newspaper calls for investigation into killing of 3 hostages by poison gas in Gaza

An Israeli newspaper called for an independent investigation into the killing of three hostages with poison gas in Gaza.

Sergeant Ron Sherman,19, was captured by Hamas during a cross-border attack on Oct. 7.

In mid-December, the Israeli army said that it had recovered the body of Sherman and two other hostages from a tunnel in Jabalia in northern Gaza.

Hamas said the three were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza.

One month after recovering their bodies, the Israeli army gave the families of the three hostages the pathology report and a report on how the bodies were found, without specifying if the army used poison gas during their attacks in Gaza.

"All these questions must be investigated by an outside body – one that will receive all the necessary information from the army and the government and present its conclusions to the public," Haaretz newspaper said.

Sherman’s mother has openly accused the army of intentionally killing her son.

1255 GMT — EU pushes for Palestinian statehood

European Union foreign ministers argued that the creation of a Palestinian state is the only credible way to achieve peace in the Middle East, and they expressed concern about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s clear rejection of the idea.

“The declarations of Benjamin Netanyahu are worrying. There will be a need for a Palestinian state with security guarantees for all,” French Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Sejourne told reporters in Brussels, where the EU ministers met to discuss the war in Gaza.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Jordan's foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, also were in Belgium's capital for the discussion. The issue of Gaza’s future also has set Israel in opposition to the United States and its Arab allies as they work to mediate an end to the fighting in the besieged Palestinian territory.

1140 GMT — Israel attacks schools sheltering 30,000 displaced Palestinians

Israeli forces have attacked two universities and three schools sheltering 30,000 displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis city in southern Gaza, with air strikes and artillery shelling, killing and injuring several people.

The army targeted five shelters in Khan Younis that housed 30,000 displaced people, the government media office in Gaza said in a statement.

The Israeli army used reconnaissance planes and artillery shells to attack Al Aqsa University, University College of Applied Sciences, Khaledia School, Al Mawasi School, and Industry School in Khan Younis, the statement said.

The shelling claimed the lives of several people and injured others who sought refuge in shelters that Israel claimed are safe, it added.

1041 GMT — Israeli strikes kill 190 more Palestinians in Gaza in 24 hours

At least 190 people have been killed and 340 others injured in Gaza in the last 24 hours, bringing the total Palestinian death toll from Israel's deadly assault on the besieged enclave since October 7 to 25,295, the Health Ministry in the territory said.

A ministry statement said 63,000 others have been injured in the offensive during the same period.

"Many people are still trapped under rubble as rescuers are unable to reach them," it added.

1015 GMT — Israeli army detains 25 more Palestinians in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army has rounded up 25 more Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners' affairs groups.

The detentions took place in several areas in the occupied territory, including Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilya, Nablus, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Al Khalil and Jericho, the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.

According to the statement, at least 6,195 Palestinians have been detained by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since October 7.

1011 GMT — Hezbollah reports one more militant killed in clashes with Israeli army

One of Lebanon's Hezbollah militants has been killed in the ongoing border clashes with the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, bringing the group's death toll to 165 since October 8.

The fighter was identified as Samah Asaad Asaad (Abu Tarab) from the town of Kfarkela in southern Lebanon.

Earlier on Monday, Hezbollah said that it had repelled an attack by Israeli forces off the southern border. There was no comment yet from Israel on the developments.

0918 GMT — Germany calls for 'urgent humanitarian pauses' in Gaza

Germany has called for "urgent humanitarian pauses" in Gaza to allow unhindered humanitarian access for the Palestinian people.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock reiterated her government's strong support for Israel's war on Gaza but also said they expect measures to be taken to minimise the suffering of Palestinian civilians.

"We urgently need humanitarian pauses to alleviate the situation in Gaza, to alleviate the incredible suffering, especially for children. We also need humanitarian pauses in Gaza to finally free the hostages still held by Hamas," she told reporters in Brussels, ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

0820 GMT — EU presses Israel on two-state solution after war in Gaza

The EU's foreign policy chief has insisted on an eventual two-state solution as he told Israel it couldn't build peace "only by military means" ahead of talks with Israeli and Palestinian top diplomats.

Josep Borrell repeated the condemnation from the United Nations of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "unacceptable" rejection of calls for a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza.

"What we want to do is to build a two-state solution. So let's talk about it," Borrell said.

He told Israel that "peace and stability cannot be built only by military means".

0743 GMT — Lost contact with teams in Khan Younis: Palestinian Red Crescent

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has said that it has lost contact with its teams in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, due to the ground invasion by Israeli forces in the area.

"Israeli tanks near PRCS Al Amal Hospital, and we have completely lost contact with our teams due to the ground invasion," it said on X.

0740 GMT — Saudi Arabia won't recognise Israel without path to Palestinian state: top diplomat

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says the kingdom will not normalise relations with Israel or contribute to Gaza's reconstruction without a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan's remarks in an interview with CNN broadcast were some of the most direct yet from Saudi officials. It puts them at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has rejected Palestinian statehood and described plans for open-ended occupation over Gaza.

The dispute over Gaza’s future — coming as the war still rages with no end in sight — pits the United States and its Arab allies against Israel and poses a major obstacle to any plans for postwar governance or reconstruction in Gaza.

0724 GMT — Israel cannot build peace 'only by military means': Borrell

The EU's foreign policy chief has insisted on a two-state solution as he told Israel it couldn't build peace "only by military means" ahead of talks with Israeli and Palestinian top diplomats.

"Which are the other solutions they have in mind? To make all the Palestinians leave? To kill off them?" Josep Borrell told journalists.

0201 GMT — EU foreign ministers to meet Israeli, Palestinian counterparts

EU foreign ministers held separate talks with their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts on the prospects for lasting peace after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a future two-state solution.

The bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell risked incurring Israel's wrath by accusing it earlier of having "created" and "financed" Hamas to undermine the prospect of a possible Palestinian state.

Borrell insisted the only way to get an enduring peace in the region was for a two-state solution to "be imposed from outside."

0140 GMT — Hamas says it avoided civilians in its October 7 attacks

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas published a 16-page report highlighting the motives behind its October 7 cross-border attack on Israel and its connection to the Palestinian cause while also countering Israeli allegations.

The report, titled "Our Narrative…Operation Al Aqsa Flood” and aimed at refuting Israel's claims, said Operation Al Aqsa Flood was a necessary step and a natural reaction against Israel's plans to eliminate the Palestinian cause, seize lands, Judaize the Palestinian lands, and establish complete control over Al Aqsa Mosque and holy sites.

During the operation, "some faults" may have arisen in its implementation due to the swift breakdown of the Israeli security and military system, leading to chaos along the border areas with Gaza, the report noted.

The report dismisses Israeli claims that the Qassam Brigades targeted civilians on October 7, labelling them as complete lies and fabrications without independent verification.

0013 GMT — Lebanon's Hezbollah targets Israeli soldiers who were ‘planning attack’

The Lebanese group Hezbollah said they targeted Israeli soldiers with missiles as they prepared for an attack on Lebanon.

According to a Hezbollah statement, the soldiers were preparing for an attack on Lebanese territory from an Israeli military post when they were targeted with missiles near its southern border region.

The attack reportedly resulted in a precise hit, causing casualties and injuries on the Israeli side.

Tensions have escalated along Lebanon’s border with Israel amid exchanges of cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

2300 GMT — US exploits events in Red Sea to fabricate international crisis: Houthis

The US exploits events in the Red Sea to fabricate an international crisis and blame the Houthis for its consequences, the official spokesman for the Yemen-based group said.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam said on X that there are "American attempts to mislead public opinion about what is happening in the Red Sea."

"In the face of these attempts, we reiterate our confirmation that the target (of the group's operations) is Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine," he said.

"We urge all countries to be reassured by the Yemeni position and not allow themselves to be victims of American deception."

For our live updates from Sunday, January 21, click here.