Live blog: Israel's Netanyahu threatens to end truce, resume war on Gaza

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

1720 GMT — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to resume the war on Gaza unless its prisoners in Gaza are released.

The ceasefire has been called into question as Hamas claims Israel violated key provisions, prompting it to call off the release of three more hostages on Saturday.

US President Donald Trump has emboldened Israel to call for the release of remaining hostages, rather than the three scheduled to be freed in the next exchange.

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1719 GMT — Trump doubles down on Saturday deadline for Gaza prisoner release

US President Donald Trump reiterated his ultimatum for Hamas to release all prisoners from Gaza by Saturday or for the ceasefire with Israel to be cancelled.

"Yes," said Trump outside the White House after he was asked if the deadline he announced a day prior still held.

1705 GMT — US, Israel 'must do everything' to ensure continuation of Gaza truce

Germany has urged Israel and the US to do everything possible to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire deal in Gaza.

"The ceasefire is currently hanging by a thread," Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement, criticising Hamas for jeopardising the deal with recent statements.

"The Israeli government and the US must also do everything to ensure that we get into the second phase of the deal and to a perspective for real peace," said Baerbock.

1652 GMT — Israel beefs up troops around Gaza amid signs of faltering truce

An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the army to beef up troops in and around Gaza after Hamas threatened to call off a scheduled hostage release on Saturday.

The official said Netanyahu also ordered officials "to prepare for every scenario if Hamas doesn't release our hostages this Saturday."

The preparation plans come after Netanyahu met with his security cabinet for four hours to discuss Hamas' threat, which has put the fragile ceasefire agreement in danger.

1649 GMT — UN estimates over $53B for Gaza's recovery, reconstruction needs

A UN report has estimated that recovery and reconstruction needs in Gaza would amount to more than $53 billion, with short-term needs in the first three years reaching $20.568 billion.

"The report estimates the recovery and reconstruction needs in the short, medium and long term across Gaza at $53.142 billion. Of these, the near-term needs in the first three years are estimated to be around $20.568 billion," said the report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Highlighting the dire economic and humanitarian toll of the conflict, the report noted that Gaza's economy is projected to shrink 83 percent in 2024, with unemployment reaching 80 percent.

"In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, poverty is projected to have risen to 74.3 percent in 2024, up from 38.8 percent at the end of 2023," said the report.

1607 GMT — At least 118 Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza since ceasefire: official

At least 118 Palestinians have been killed and 822 others injured in Gaza since the start of a ceasefire agreement on Jan. 19, a local health official said.

"The toll includes those killed in direct attacks, succumbed to their injuries, or lost their lives in the explosion of unexploded ordnance," Gaza’s Health Ministry Director-General Munir al-Bursh said in a statement.

He noted that the victims included 92 people killed in direct attacks by Israeli forces since the ceasefire agreement.

1519 GMT — Houthis ready to launch attacks on Israel if war on Gaza resumes

Yemen's Houthis, who control most of western Yemen including the capital, are ready to mount attacks on Israel if it resumes its assault on Gaza and does not commit to the ceasefire deal, the group's leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi has said.

The Houthis had attacked Israeli and other vessels in the Red Sea, disturbing global shipping lanes, in what they said were acts of solidarity with Gaza's Palestinians during Israel's war with Hamas.

"Our hands are on the trigger and we are ready to immediately escalate against the Israeli enemy if it returns to escalation in Gaza," al-Houthi said in a televised speech.

1451 GMT — Egypt, Denmark call for full implementation of Gaza ceasefire deal

Egypt and Denmark have called for the full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and rebuilding the enclave without relocating its Palestinian residents.

This came during a phone call between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Sisi and Frederiksen underlined the "crucial need for the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement in its three phases, the exchange of hostages and detainees, as well as facilitating immediate and unfettered access for humanitarian aid into Gaza," the statement said.

1422 GMT — Abbas faces Palestinian backlash over overhaul of prisoner payments

President Mahmoud Abbas faced criticism from allies and foes alike over a decree overhauling payments to families of Palestinians killed or jailed by Israel, a move to satisfy a US demand that will likely deepen his unpopularity.

Palestinian Authority leader Abbas, 89, issued the decree on Monday overturning the system, long condemned by critics as rewarding attacks on Israel but viewed among Palestinians as a vital source of welfare for detainees' families.

The sudden announcement seems aimed at removing a potential source of tension with US President Donald Trump and an attempt to preserve the PA's role as Washington bolsters its pro-Israeli approach to the conflict, Palestinian analysts said.

"The goal is to try to open a good page with Trump at a time when Trump has completely turned his back on the Palestinians by calling for displacement" of Palestinians from Gaza, said Hani al-Masri, a Palestinian political analyst in Ramallah.

1318 GMT — Jordan's king calls for Palestinian state ahead of Trump meeting

Ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, Jordan's King Abdullah II called for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Abdullah is set to meet the US president later on Tuesday for talks on regional developments, particularly the situation in the Palestinian territories.

The monarch met with US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz late on Monday, discussing bilateral relations and Palestinian-related developments.

According to a royal court statement, King Abdullah underlined the necessity of "achieving just and comprehensive peace based on a two-state solution." He also highlighted the "pivotal role" played by the US in advancing regional peace efforts.

1253 GMT — Elderly Israeli prisoner dead in Gaza

Israel has announced the death of an elderly Israeli prisoner in Gaza.

The Israeli military said it notified the family of Shlomo Mansour, 85 at the time of the attack, of his death based on "intelligence gathered in recent months".

1216 GMT — Aid flows into Gaza have risen since ceasefire: UN

UN humanitarian officials said aid flows into Gaza had increased significantly since a ceasefire deal took effect on January 19, including for items such as tents that had previously faced Israeli restrictions.

When asked about current aid deliveries into Gaza, UN humanitarian office (OCHA) spokesperson Jens Laerke told a Geneva press briefing: "We have been able to scale up humanitarian operations significantly with food, medical and shelter supplies and other aid during the ceasefire period."

1143 GMT — Israel builds new settlement in occupied West Bank amid escalation

Israel began to build a new settlement in the West Bank amid military escalation in the occupied territory, a Palestinian official said.

The Nahal Hilts settlement is being built on Palestinian land in the village of Battir in Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank, said Moayad Shaaban, who heads the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.

"Israel approved the construction of the new settlement in response to global recognition of the Palestinian state last year," he added in a statement.

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1123 GMT — Gaza death toll passes 48,200 as more bodies found in rubble

Palestinian medics and rescue teams retrieved eight more bodies from the rubble in Gaza, pushing the overall death toll from Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023 to 48,219, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said that the toll also included three Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the last 24 hours. According to the ministry, 10 injured people were also admitted to hospitals, taking the number of the injured to 111,665 in the Israeli onslaught.

1103 GMT — Israelis demonstrate in west Jerusalem to pressure government to complete Gaza deal

Relatives of Israeli captives in Gaza demonstrated in West Jerusalem to demand the government complete a prisoner exchange agreement with Palestinians.

Scores of Israelis blocked a main highway in the city ahead of a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday to discuss the fate of the Gaza ceasefire agreement with Hamas, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

A statement by the captives’ families accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “procrastinating and doing everything” to sabotage the agreement.

On Monday, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas said that it would delay the next hostage release in response to Israeli violations of the Gaza agreement.

0937 GMT — Trump’s Gaza ‘takeover’ plan breaches international law: experts

International law experts say US President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” Gaza and forcibly remove Palestinians violates international law.

Experts told Anadolu that Trump's proposal to expel Palestinians and place Gaza under US control continues a systematic policy of displacement dating back to 1948, and constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute.

0922 GMT — Israel must end its occupation of Palestinian lands, compensate for damage it caused: Turkish president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Israel must end its occupation of Palestinian lands and compensate for the damage it has caused.

"At the core of the problem is Israel's insistence on its policy of occupation, invasion and massacre. Just like in the previous ones, we saw that Israel did not keep its promises in the latest ceasefire agreement," Erdogan said at a joint news conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during his visit to Malaysia.


0833 GMT — Palestinians decry Trump’s Gaza plan as ‘declaration of war’

Palestinian groups have denounced US President Donald Trump's plan to take over Gaza and relocate its residents as a "declaration of war” aimed at uprooting Palestinians from their land.

"Trump's recent statements reflect the true face of the American-Zionist partnership in the aggression on our people," reads a statement by the Follow-up Committee of the National and Islamic Forces, an umbrella for most Palestinian groups.

The committee said Trump's plan serves as “a new declaration of war to uproot our people from Gaza."

0715 GMT — Israeli army escalates offensive in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army has expanded its offensive in the Jenin area in the occupied northern West Bank.

According to eyewitnesses, the Israeli army raided Jenin's eastern neighbourhood, deployed snipers on the rooftops of buildings, and embarked on destroying infrastructure and people's properties.

The Israeli army's bulldozers destroyed several vehicles and commercial shops in the eastern neighbourhood of Jenin, the eyewitnesses added.

Clashes were also heard between the Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters in the area, the witnesses also said.

0702 GMT — Hamas urges respect for agreements, dismisses Trump’s threats

A senior Hamas official has said that US President Donald Trump must remember that the only way to bring home Israeli captives is to respect the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

"Trump must remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties, and this is the only way to bring back the prisoners. The language of threats has no value and only complicates matters," senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

Trump has warned Palestinians that "hell will break loose" if Israeli hostages were not released on Saturday as scheduled under the ceasefire.

The Palestinian resistance group has postponed the release of hostages, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire's terms.

0433 GMT — Egypt calls for global approach to protect Palestinian rights

Egypt has called on the international community to adopt an approach that upholds the Palestinian people’s right to live peacefully on their land, warning that “ignoring international legitimacy in addressing regional crises risks dismantling the foundations of peace.”

Since Jan. 25, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested that Palestinians in Gaza should be taken in by regional Arab nations such as Egypt and Jordan, an idea rejected by Arab states and Palestinian leaders.

In a statement, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry highlighted the “critical and defining moment” that the Middle East is facing, emphasizing that the only way to address threats to regional and global stability stemming from Israel’s occupation and its recent assault on Gaza is for the international community to adopt a fair approach that respects the rights of all people in the region.

2253 GMT — Trump threatens to cancel Gaza truce if hostages aren't released

US President Donald Trump said he would cancel the Gaza ceasefire deal and let "all hell break loose" if all hostages aren't released by Saturday.

"But as far as I'm concerned, if all of the hostages aren't returned by Saturday 12 o'clock — I think it's an appropriate time — I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out," Trump said.

"We want them all back. I'm speaking for myself. Israel can override it, but for myself, Saturday at 12 o'clock — and if they're not here, all hell is going to break out."

0231 GMT — Saudi media continues to criticise Netanyahu sharply over his statements against kingdom

Official Saudi media condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his statements against the kingdom and criticised US President Donald Trump's plan to seize Gaza and forcibly displace Palestinians.

The Saudi Press Agency continued its second day of publishing condemnations from international organisations and Arab and Islamic countries regarding Netanyahu's statements.

Through televised reports and posts on X, Al-Ekhbariya TV harshly criticised Netanyahu and rejected Trump's plan to forcibly displace Palestinians.

0153 GMT — Israeli army wounds Palestinian, assaults elderly woman in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army shot and wounded a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem and assaulted an elderly woman and her sons in the town of Turmus Aya northeast of Ramallah, according to local reports.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a statement that its teams transported a Palestinian with gunshot wounds to both legs near the separation wall in Tulkarem.

Meanwhile, the official Palestinian radio station Voice of Palestine reported that the shooting occurred near the separation barrier close to the village of Zeita, north of Tulkarem.

0112 GMT — Palestinian official says Israeli killings, aid blockade threaten Gaza ceasefire

A Palestinian official warned that the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal is at risk of collapse.

"There is high risk of a collapse of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza due to three Israeli violations of the agreement," Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI), said on X.

He outlined the three key violations, starting with ongoing Israeli attacks targeting Palestinians in Gaza, which has left 25 dead since the ceasefire took effect on January 19.

The second violation, he said, is Israel's continued blockade of humanitarian aid, including its refusal to allow the entry of tents and shelters that were supposed to reach Gaza under the agreement.

"Thirdly, (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and the American President (Donald) Trump provoked all Palestinians with their repeated statements of their intentions of the total ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip, which was met with wide international rejection and condemnation," he said.

2312 GMT — Trump says could 'conceivably' withhold aid to Jordan, Egypt if they don't take in Palestinians

US President Donald Trump said he could "conceivably" halt aid to Jordan and Egypt if they refuse to take in Palestinians, after he floated a plan to uproot Palestinians from Gaza to the two countries and occupy the blockaded enclave.

The threat came after Egypt rejected "any compromise" that would infringe on Palestinians' rights, in a statement issued after Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his US counterpart in Washington.

2154 GMT — Hundreds of Israelis protest in Tel Aviv, demand completion of hostage deal

Hundreds of Israelis rallied in central Tel Aviv, demanding the government finalise a hostage exchange deal and implement a ceasefire in Gaza with Hamas.

The protest initially marked the birthday of hostage Alon Ohel, who remains captive in Gaza.

However, after Hamas announced it would suspend the release of the sixth batch of hostages — scheduled for Saturday — until Israel fully complies with the agreement, more demonstrators joined, pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to uphold the deal.

2235 GMT — Gaza calls for global pressure on Israel to implement humanitarian protocol in ceasefire deal

The Gaza Government's Media Office called on the international community to pressure Israel to implement the humanitarian protocol of its ceasefire agreement with Hamas, warning that continued delays could lead to a "catastrophic humanitarian crisis."

"Despite clear agreements under the humanitarian protocol of the ceasefire, Israel has repeatedly failed to honor its commitments," Ismail Al Thawabta, the director of the office, told Anadolu Agency.

This has resulted in severe shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies, endangering the lives of thousands of Palestinians, he said.

"The delay in the delivery of aid, including food and water, has caused a surge in malnutrition, especially among children," al Thawabta noted, adding "medical supplies are running out, threatening the lives of thousands of patients."

For our live updates from Monday, February 10, 2025, click here.