°®Âþµº

Hamas said that the PA’s decision to suspend Al Jazeera was a "clear violation of the freedom of the press", and "oppressive behaviour" designed to keep people silent.

The Palestinian group also called the PA's decision "illegal" and an "insult" to the profession of journalism.

Hamas is a rival of Fatah, the group that controls the PA, and fought against it in Gaza in 2007, forcing Fatah out.

Likud MP Avichay Buaron said the announcement of former defence minister,ÌýYoav Gallant, came before he was forced out.

"The Likud faction would [have] declared him retired," had he not resigned, said Avichay Buaron, in a social media post.

Buaron said that Gallant had shown that he was "not committed to the Likud and the coalition", and called for him to leave the party - something Gallant said he would not be doing.

Gallant, wanted by the ICC for war crimes in Gaza, has gone against the party position on a number of occasions, including on the issue of whether ultra-Orthodox Jewish men should get exemptions from serving in the military.

Clashes have erupted in the village of Zububa, near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

Local sources said the Israeli military stormed the village and opened fire, leading to clashes with Palestinian residents.

No injuries have so far been reported.

Israel's formerÌýdefence minister Yoav Gallant, who was dismissed in November after spearheading the military campaign in Gaza for more than a year, announced that he would resign from parliament.

"I will submit my resignation to the speaker of the Knesset," Gallant said in a televised statement.

Minutes later his office released a photograph showing him submitting his resignation to the speaker of parliament.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sacked Gallant, saying there was a "breakdown in trust" amid disagreements between the two on several issues.

Both are wanted by the ICC for war crimes in Gaza.

The Palestinian Authority suspended the broadcast of Qatar’s Al-Jazeera TV temporarily over “inciting material,� official news agency WAFA reports.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) says that about 100,000 Palestinians have left the enclave since the war began, and 55,000 are presumed to have been killed by Israel – a number that includes 11,000 who are missing.

The PCBS says that a reduction of 160,000 puts Gaza’s population at 2.1 million people, almost half of whom are children under the age of 18.

"[Israel has] raged a brutal aggression against Gaza targeting all kinds of life there; humans, buildings and vital infrastructure … entire families were erased from the civil register," the PCBS said. "There are catastrophic human and material losses."

The bureau added that 22 percent of Palestinians in Gaza face catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity, including 3,500 children at risk of death due to malnutrition and lack of food.

Days of heavy rains have made life for displaced Palestinians living in makeshift tents even more dire, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

"Heavy rains flooded shelters in #Gaza’s Deir el-Balah doubling the misery for displaced people living [in] tents," the agency posted on X.

"Amid the ongoing war, severe storms are causing widespread flooding, leaving thousands in urgent need of safety and humanitarian aid."

The flooding comes as aid agencies warn of an ongoing humanitarian crisis and looming famine, with Israel repeatedly accused of preventing aid deliveries on the scale that is needed.

UNRWA said on Tuesday that "Blankets, mattresses and warm clothes are sitting outside Gaza waiting for approval to get in".

Heavy rains flooded shelters in ’s Deir al-Balah doubling the misery for displaced people living tents.

Amid the ongoing war, severe storms are causing widespread flooding, leaving thousands in urgent need of safety and humanitarian aid.

— UNRWA (@UNRWA)

Israeli settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem have intensified, drawing condemnation from Palestinian authorities.

The update from the Awqaf Ministry, as reported by the Anadolu news agency, comes after WAFA news agency reported that 632 Israelis had entered the compound today under police protection.

"The Israeli occupation forces and settlers escalated their attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque in December," the ministry said.

"These intrusions aim to create a new reality in the mosque by allowing settlers to perform Jewish religious rituals," it added.

The status quo has long been that only Muslims can pray in the Al-Aqsa compound in occupied East Jerusalem, which is known as Temple Mount to Jewish worshippers.ÌýHowever, some Jewish settler and ultranationalist groups conduct regular provocative tours of the complex, often with the protection of Israeli police.

Israel’s Chief RabbinateÌýprohibits entry for Jews to Al-AqsaÌýdue to the holiness of the site, a rule that is regularly violated by the Israeli far right.

On Sunday, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi entered the compound and performed rituals in one of the tunnels beneath the Western Wall, known as the al-Buraq Wall to Palestinians.

On Friday, the Israeli army abducted Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan hospital, along with several medical staff working in the hospital, as well the wounded and others present inside the building.

Abu Safiya's abduction came after the Israeli army stormed Kamal Adwan hospital to force those present inside to evacuate under the pretext of searching for members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other armed Palestinian factions.

Before the attack into the hospital, the Israeli army launched dozens of air and shelling strikes on the houses surrounding the hospital premises and also targeted parts of the building, killing a number of medical workers and patients as well as dozens of residents hiding inside their homes nearby, according to statements by officials in the Ministry of Health.

Read the full story here.

The population of Gaza has fallen 6% since the war with Israel began nearly 15 months ago as about 100,000 Palestinians left the enclave while more than 55,000 are presumed dead, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).

Around 45,500 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, have been killed since the war began but another 11,000 are missing, the bureau said, citing numbers from the Palestinian Health Ministry.

As such, the population of Gaza has declined by about 160,000 during the course of the war to 2.1 million, with more than a million or 47% of the total children under the age of 18, the PCBS said.

It added that Israel has 'raged a brutal aggression against Gaza targeting all kinds of life there; humans, buildings and vital infrastructure... entire families were erased from the civil register. There are catastrophic human and material losses.'

Tens of thousands of people marched ain Istanbul waving Turkish and Palestinian flags in solidarity for the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Israeli occupation forces arrest two Palestinian youths hours after detaining them at the entrance of the town of Idna, near Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen)

An Israeli drone has killed at least two Palestinians and injured others in an attack in the Al-Shujaiya neighbourhood in Gaza City.

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that a residential apartment block on Mushtaha Street was shelled by the drone on Wednesday.

In a separate attack, an unknown number of people were injured after being targeted by a drone in the Sheikh Radwan district in the west of the city.

I am grateful to be in Geneva, spending time with my family and celebrating the New Year after the mission to negotiate the release of our colleagues and the bombardment at Sana’a Airport by Israel as we attempted to leave . I am okay, but I have developed tinnitus…

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros)

More than 600 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.

Local sources reported that the settlers carried out provocative tours of the courtyard and performed Talmudic rituals, actions that violate the longstanding status quo, which traditionally restricts the site to Muslim prayers only.

These actions have sparked significant tensions, as Al-Aqsa remains one of the most sensitive religious sites in the region.

In addition to allowing the settlers' intrusion, Israeli police also blocked Palestinians from entering the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem, including access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called for urgent action to end what it describes as the 'ongoing genocide' in Gaza, following a new UN report that highlights Israeli attacks on Gaza’s healthcare system.

According to CAIR, this report serves as further evidence of the systemic violence being inflicted on Palestinians in the war-torn enclave.

'Every day, new evidence of the ongoing genocide in Gaza by the far-right Israeli government comes to light,' said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad in a statement.

The statement called on the international community, particularly the US government, to take 'concrete action' to stop what CAIR describes as 'Israel’s slaughter, forced starvation, mass destruction, and ethnic cleansing in Gaza'.

Tens of thousands of people gathered on Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on New Year’s Day on Wednesday to express solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Demonstrators waved Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanted 'Free Palestine' in the protest, organized by the National Will Platform, a coalition of more than 300 pro-Palestinian and Islamic groups.

Bilal Erdoğan, the son of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, addressed the crowd, urging support for Gaza and condemning Israel’s actions there. He referred to the recent ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad by rebel forces.

'Muslims in Syria were determined, patient and they achieved victory. After Syria, Gaza will emerge victoriously from the siege,' he said.

Drone video showed thousands of people filling the bridge and the adjacent Eminönü and Sirkeci districts.

Rescue teams are still searching for survivors after an Israeli airstrike targeted a home in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, killing at least 15 Palestinians, including children.

According to rescuers, 20 others were wounded in the attack, and the injured were transported to al-Ahli Arab Hospital for treatment.

The bombing, which occurred around 1am local time (23:00 GMT) on Tuesday, reduced the targeted house to a pile of rubble.

Mohammed, a rescuer, confirmed that victims were pulled from beneath the debris, their bodies scattered throughout the wreckage. As of now, search operations continue as first responders dig through the ruins in the hope of finding any survivors.

The Israeli forces have yet to comment on the rationale behind the strike, but local sources have indicated that no military targets were present in the area at the time. 
 

Israeli forces killed at least 1,091 Palestinian infants since the beginning of the ongoing military offensive on October 7, 2023.

Among them, 238 were born and killed during the current conflict. At least 17,400 children have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials.

This grim figure means that, on average, one child is killed every 30 minutes. Thousands more remain missing under the rubble, presumed dead, as Israeli airstrikes and ground operations continue to devastate residential areas.

At least 45,553 Palestinians have been killed and 108,379 wounded since Israel's military offensive in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, according to the latest figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry.

In the past 48 hours, Israeli forces have committed two 'massacres' against Palestinian families, resulting in 12 people killed and 41 injured in attacks on residential areas.

The victims were rushed to hospitals, which are already overwhelmed by the sheer number of casualties. Medical facilities across Gaza are struggling to provide care as supplies and staff are stretched thin amid the continued airstrikes and siege.

These latest killings are part of the broader devastation caused by Israel’s ongoing military campaign, which has left entire areas destroyed and civilians exposed to relentless bombardment.

The destruction of homes and infrastructure has made it even more difficult for people to flee to safety, and many families are being displaced or trapped in the rubble of their former homes.

Saudi Arabia launched a humanitarian air bridge to Syria, delivering food, shelter and medical supplies.

The air bridge, established by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), aims to 'alleviate the effects of the difficult conditions currently facing the Syrian people', the official Saudi Press Agency said.

Others, including the European Union and Ukraine, have also announced aid for Syria, where the United Nations said seven out of 10 people need support.

Riyadh's air bridge will 'be followed by another land bridge in the coming days,' said Abdullah al-Rabeeah, the head of KSrelief. .

Syria has been devastated by 13 years of civil war as well as Western sanctions targeting the government of deposed president Bashar al-Assad.

Millions have been displaced while the economy and civil infrastructure are in tatters, with a World Health Organisation analyst saying last week that approximately half of the country's hospitals are out of service.

Israeli drones are flying at low altitudes over the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen)

Israeli forces have attacked the vicinity of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.

This latest attack follows a raid on the hospital last week, where Israel forcibly evacuated patients and staff, and arrested the hospital’s director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safia. His current whereabouts remain unknown.

The raid and subsequent bombing are part of Israel’s broader strategy of targeting civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, despite international calls to protect such sites under international humanitarian law.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that key sections of the facility, including the operating and surgery departments, laboratories, ambulance units, and maintenance services, have been completely destroyed by the fire.

With vital medical resources now decimated, the hospital is unable to provide adequate care to the growing number of casualties, as Gaza’s healthcare system struggles to cope with the overwhelming demand.

Newly appointed Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shiban said on social media on Tuesday that he had received a phone call from his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, in which they discussed the importance of both countries in bringing peace to the region.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Abdelatty stressed his country's support for the Syrian people and its legitimate aspirations, calling on all parties to "preserve Syria's national institutions, its unity and sovereignty."

Egypt's top diplomat also emphasised the importance that 'the political process adopts an inclusive approach' for all Syrian national parties, reflecting the societal, religious, and ethnic diversity within Syria.

Both ministers agreed to stay in contact.

Syria's minister of information in the country's transitional government vowed to work towards a free press and committed to 'freedom of expression', after decades of control under the former rulers.

Mohamed al-Omar told AFP that the government is 'working to consolidate freedoms of the press and expression that were severely restricted' in areas controlled by the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad. 

Israeli forces have arrested at least 22 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank.

The arrests took place in various locations, including Hebron, Salfit, Tubas, and Bethlehem, Wafa news agency reports.

According to Addameer, the Palestinian Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, the total number of Palestinian political prisoners currently held in Israeli prisons and detention centres has now reached 10,300.

Among them are 345 children and 89 women, highlighting the widespread nature of Israel’s detention policies.

Currently, 3,428 Palestinians are being held under this controversial measure, often based on undisclosed evidence. These detentions are renewable every three to six months, leaving detainees in legal limbo with no clear timeline for their release.

Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have reportedly reached an impasse, with both sides unable to reach an agreement on key conditions.

Discussions had focused around a 60-day ceasefire during which 30 Israeli hostages held in Gaza would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, alongside increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.

However, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the talks have now stalled due to fundamental disagreements between the two sides.

Israel’s Demand for Living Hostages Only
Israel has reportedly insisted that any hostage exchange should include only living captives, refusing to approve the release of certain Palestinian prisoners sought by Hamas.

This demand has become a major obstacle in the negotiations, with Israel standing firm on the condition that it will not free certain individuals deemed critical to its national security.

On the other side, Hamas is pressing for the ceasefire to be a step towards a long-term peace, insisting that it must serve as a pathway to an end to the war—a position that Israel has rejected.

The World Health Organisation said 55 patients and 72 caregivers were evacuated from the Gaza Strip to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday for specialised medical treatment.

'Patients included those suffering from autoimmune and blood diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, eye and renal issues, trauma injuries, neurological disorder, and skin diseases,' the WHO said.

'More than 12,000 patients still need medical evacuation outside Gaza,' the UN health agency added.

Israel's military said two projectiles were fired from Gaza on Wednesday in the first minutes of the new year, one of which was intercepted while the other landed in an open area.

Alert sirens sounded around midnight (2200 GMT) in the western Negev, the Israeli military said, and 'two projectiles were identified crossing from the central Gaza Strip into Israeli territory'.

'One projectile was successfully intercepted and the second projectile fell in an open area,' Israeli forces said on Telegram.

It comes as Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 17 Palestinians in the northern Jabalia area on New Year's Day. 

The death toll has now risen to over 45,541 Palestinians killed, with more than 108,000 wounded.

The United Nations has warned that Israel's bombardment of hospitals has left Gaza's healthcare system on the verge of total collapse. 

Medical teams in Gaza are struggling to treat the increasing number of casualties, with limited supplies and the ongoing destruction of medical facilities. 

The UN has criticised Israel's targeting of hospitals, calling the justifications for these attacks, which claim Hamas uses medical sites as military bases, 'vague' and unsupported by credible evidence. 

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deepened further with severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall, particularly affecting the northern and central parts of the Strip. 

The Palestinian Civil Defence has reported widespread damage to makeshift shelters in Khan Younis, Deir Al-Balah and Gaza City. Over 1,500 tents in refugee camps have become unusable, leaving displaced families exposed to the cold and vulnerable disease. 

Floodwaters have reached depths of up to 30cm, destroying personal belongings and making already precarious living conditions even more unbearable. 

The death toll from Israel's early morning airstrikes on northern Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp and the central Bureij camp has risen to 17 Palestinians. 

According to local health authorities, Israeli forces targeted residential buildings in the camps, which have been under siege since 6 October.