°®Âþµº

UNs World Food Programme accuses Israel of firing at Gaza convoy

The WFP revealed one of its clearly marked aid convoys was hit with at least 16 bullets, no staff was injured.
15 min read

The UN's World Food Programme on Monday accused Israel of firing on one of its aid convoys in the war-torn Gaza Strip, saying at least 16 bullets hit the clearly marked vehicles but no staff were injured.

Condemning the "horrifying" and "unacceptable" incident, the WFP called again for "all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilian lives, and allow safe passage for humanitarian aid."

The "clearly marked WFP convoy was shot at by Israeli forces near the Wadi Gaza checkpoint, putting the lives of our staff at tremendous risk and leaving the vehicles immobilized," the agency said in a statement.

"The convoy, consisting of three vehicles carrying eight staff members, came under hostile fire despite having received all of the necessary clearances from Israeli authorities. At least 16 bullets struck the vehicles," it added.

"Thankfully, no staff members were injured in this terrifying encounter."

12:10 AM

The live blog has now ended, thank you for following. We will be back at 9am for more updates.

Israeli forces seize 262 dunums of land in Jerusalem
12:01 AM
°®Âþµº Staff

Israeli forces seized 262 dunums (262,000 square metres) of land northeast of Jerusalem - the Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement.

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported the seizure as taking the land for a route to provide more links with the Qalandia Airport.

Second Israeli soldier confirmed dead in northern Gaza
11:39 PM
°®Âþµº Staff

A second Israeli soldier has been confirmed dead in an incident in north Gaza; this comes after a soldier was confirmed dead earlier.

Israel attacks kill 4 civilians, injure 13
11:01 PM
°®Âþµº Staff

An Israeli strike in the l-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip killed four civilians, including children and injured 13 others - according to Al-Awda Hospital in Al-Nuseirat.

OCHA concerned over death of babies in Gaza
10:35 PM
°®Âþµº Staff

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) shared a statement over the "preventable" death of the eighth child due to the cold in Gaza.

“This is the eighth such child death due to the cold in less than three weeks. These deaths were preventable had the items required to protect these children been accessible to their families," OCHA said in a statement.

“OCHA continues to receive daily reports of civilians being killed and injured across Gaza due to ongoing hostilities, which are also causing widespread destruction and displacement."

Israeli soldier killed in northern Gaza
10:05 PM
°®Âþµº Staff

An Israeli soldier was killed in North Gaza, the Israeli army announced.

The soldier was from the 932nd Battalion of the 933rd Nahal Brigade.

Erdogan: Ready to intervene to prevent any division of Syria
9:27 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday he would order an intervention to prevent any splintering of Syria, a warning aimed particularly at the country's Kurdish forces.

"We can not accept under any pretext that Syria be divided and if we notice the slightest risk we will take the necessary measures," the Turkish head of state said, adding that "we have the means".

Erdogan's warning is the latest aimed at the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces and to the United States, which backed the SDF's offensive against the Islamic State.

Saying there is no room for "terror" in Syria, Erdogan said that "should the risk present itself, we could intervene in one night".

Syrian finance minister says foreign debt is almost $23b
9:01 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Mohammed Abazeed, the finance minister in Syria's caretaker government, said on Monday that the country's foreign debt was around $20 billion to $23 billion, in comments in a televised interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera Mubasher TV.

(Reuters)

Syrian finance minister says deficit in 2025 budget $923m
8:26 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Mohammed Abazeed, the finance minister in Syria's caretaker government, said on Monday that the deficit in the 2025 budget issued by the former administration was around 12 trillion Syrian pounds ($923 million), the state news agency reported.

(Reuters)

US temporarily eases some Syria sanctions
8:01 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

The United States announced Monday that it was providing additional sanctions relief on some activities in Syria for the next six months to ease access to basic services following the fall of strongman Bashar al-Assad.

The US Treasury said it had issued a new general license to expand the allowed activities and transactions with Syria while Washington continues to monitor developments under the rebels who overthrew Assad last month.

The move was made "to help ensure that sanctions do not impede essential services and continuity of governance functions across Syria, including the provision of electricity, energy, water, and sanitation," the Treasury said in a statement.

Syria Druze rebels say ready to join a new national army
8:00 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Two rebel groups from Syria's Druze minority said on Monday they were ready to join a national army after opposition fighters toppled president Bashar al-Assad last month.

"We, the Men of Dignity movement and the Mountain Brigade, the two largest military factions in Sweida, announce our full readiness to merge into a military body... under the umbrella of a new national army whose goal is to protect Syria," the groups from south Syria's Sweida province said in a joint statement.

They added, however, that they would categorically reject "any factional or sectarian army used as a tool in the hands of the authorities to suppress the people, as was the case with Bashar al-Assad's army."

"We as military factions have no designs or roles in administrative or political affairs," they added, calling for "civil and political work in a participatory manner that places the human being at the centre of priorities".

US issues Syria-related general license
7:30 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

The United States on Monday issued a general license for Syria that authorizes transactions with government institutions and certain energy and personal remittance transactions, the Treasury Department website showed.

(Reuters) 

Blinken calls for push to get Gaza deal over 'finish line'
7:16 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Monday for a final push for a Gaza ceasefire before President Joe Biden leaves office after a Hamas official told Reuters the group had cleared a list of 34 captives as the first to go free under a truce.

"We very much want to bring this over the finish line in the next two weeks, the time we have remaining," Blinken told a news conference in South Korea when asked whether a ceasefire deal was close.

(Reuters)

US envoy expects 'all parties' to stay committed to truce
7:00 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Visiting US envoy, Amos Hochstein said Monday he expected all sides to respect a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in force since late November.

"I have no reason not to expect that all parties -- all parties -- will remain committed to implementing the agreement that they agreed to," he said after meeting Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, and following accusations from Israel and Hezbollah that each side was violating the deal.

Israel says Hamas knows 'exactly' where captives are after
6:45 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Israel said Monday that Hamas had yet to clarify whether 34 captives it said it was ready to free were dead or alive, throwing doubt on the group's assertion that it needed time to ascertain their fate.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer, however, rejected that assertion on Monday.

"They know precisely who is alive and who is dead. They know precisely where the hostages are," Mencer told journalists in an online briefing.

"Gaza is a very small place. Hamas know exactly where they are."

The offer from Hamas came as Israel continued to pound the Gaza Strip, where rescuers said 16 people were killed Monday.

US envoy says Israeli forces begin to withdraw from 2nd town
6:30 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Visiting US envoy Amos Hochstein said Israeli forces began withdrawing Monday from a south Lebanon border town more than halfway into a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

It is the second such pullout since a 27 November ceasefire, and came after United Nations peacekeepers and Lebanon's prime minister late last month had called on the Israeli army to speed up its withdrawal from Lebanon's south.

"The Israeli military started its withdrawal from Naqura... and back into Israel proper today, south of the Blue Line," Hochstein told reporters, referring to the UN-demarcated boundary between the two countries.

"These withdrawals will continue until all Israeli forces are out of Lebanon completely, and as the Lebanese army continues to deploy into the south and all the way to the Blue Line," he added after meeting with parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of the Hezbollah movement.

MENA
Live Story
Syria unable to import wheat or fuel due to US sanctions
5:47 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Syria is unable to make deals to import fuel, wheat or other key goods due to strict US sanctions on the country and despite many countries, including Gulf Arab states, wanting to do so, Syria's new trade minister said.

In an interview with Reuters at his office in Damascus, Maher Khalil al-Hasan said the country's new ruling administration had managed to scrape together enough wheat and fuel for a few months but the country faces a "catastrophe" if sanctions are not frozen of lifted soon.

Hasan is a member of the new Syrian caretaker government set up by Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham after it led an offensive that toppled former President Bashar al-Assad on December 8. The sanctions were imposed during Assad's rule, targeting his government and also state institutions.

 

Turkey 'ready to intervene' to prevent any division of Syria
4:48 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Monday that he would order an intervention to prevent any splintering of Syria.

"We can not accept under any pretext that Syria be divided and if we notice the slightest risk we will take the necessary measures," the Turkish head of state said, adding that "we have the means".

WFP condemns Israeli attack on its convoy in Gaza
4:10 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

The UN World Food Programme said on Monday that Israeli forces opened fire on its convoy in Gaza on January 5 in an incident it described as "horrifying".

The agency said that its convoy of three vehicles carrying eight staff members was struck by 16 bullets near the Wadi Gaza checkpoint, causing no injuries. The convoy was clearly marked and had received prior security clearances from Israeli authorities, the WFP statement said.

Germany calls for cool heads over Syria handshake snub
4:01 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Berlin on Monday advocated a pragmatic approach to Syria's transitional government after the new leader in Damascus declined to shake the hand of visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Baerbock and her French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot on Friday became the most senior Western figures to travel to the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last month.

But their meeting with new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa started off awkwardly when al-Sharaa shook hands with the French top diplomat on arrival but did not do so with Baerbock, instead greeting her by placing his hand on his chest and nodding.

German media reacted with outrage to the incident, which the mass-circulation Bild daily labelled a "diplomatic scandal".

The foreign ministry's spokesman Christian Wagner on Monday said the declined handshake "simply shows who we are dealing with at the moment" at the helm of the war-scarred nation.

"We cannot just talk to people worldwide with whom we completely share all values and views," Wagner said.

"There are many questions about how developments in Syria will pan out, and Germany and Europe have an interest in accompanying the process and also making our expectations clear," he said.

Hochstein in Beirut to oversee ceasefire meeting
3:40 PM
°®Âþµº Staff

US Special EnvoyÌýAmos HochsteinÌýarrivedÌýin BeirutÌýon Monday after visiting Saudi Arabia, where he will co-chair a US-led monitoring committee meeting on Monday in the southern Ras Naqoura border area.

Read more here:
Ìý

MENA
Live Story
Four people kidnapped by Israeli army in southern Lebanon
3:33 PM
°®Âþµº Staff

Israeli forces have reportedly detained Lebanese and Syrian farmers and shepherds while they were working in the Majidiyeh plain in Hasbaya district, according to Lebanese media. 

The Israeli army later released two of them - A Syrian national and a ten-year old Lebanese girl, from the Abd al-Aal family originally from the village of Halta.

However, two others - the girl's brother and another citizen from the al-Mohammad family from the village of Wazzani - remain detained and have been taken to Israel.

UAE, Syria discuss building ties as new ministers visit
2:59 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Foreign ministers from the UAE and Syria's new government discussed strengthening relations at a meeting Monday during the first official Syrian visit to the Gulf country since the overthrow of president Bashar al-Assad.

The United Arab Emirates top diplomat Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Syria's new Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani "discussed ways to enhance the strong fraternal relations between the two countries," UAE's official WAM news agency reported.

The UAE had championed restoring ties with Assad in the years before his downfall, a stance that paved the way for his reintegration into the Arab League in 2023.

Sheikh Abdullah also "reiterated the UAE's firm position in supporting Syria's independence and sovereignty over all its territories".

The meetings in Abu Dhabi also included Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and intelligence chief Anas Khattab, according to WAM.

Their trip to the UAE comes after they visited its Gulf neighbours, Qatar on Sunday, and last week Saudi Arabia which was their first foreign stop.

Settlers block car of Palestinian minister in Masafer Yatta
2:37 PM
°®Âþµº Staff

Israeli settlers blocked the vehicle oflocal minister Sami Hijjawi, in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, Palestinian media said.

The Ministry of Local Government said on its website that the car was intercepted by settlers dressed in army uniform during his field visit to the Masafer Yatta area, and detained it along with the vehicles of the accompanying delegation.

‘Nablus, Jenin should look like Jabalia': Smotrich says on X
1:20 PM
°®Âþµº Staff

Extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that the village of Funduq, and the cities of Nablus and Jenin "should look like Jabalia", so that Kfar Saba does not become Kfar Aza, God forbidâ€, referring to a town in central Israel and a community near the  Gaza border that was impacted in the October 7, 2023 attacks.

He made the comments on X following a bus shooting attack earlier today that killed three Israelis near the Palestinian village of Funduq in the occupied West Bank.

Smotrich demanded Netanyahu should call an urgent cabinet meeting today "to discuss a change in perception and the true eradication of terrorism in Judea and Samaria [the occupied West Bank]".

Smotrich also proceeded to attack opposition MP Yair Lapid, accusing him of being "responsible" for the attack on Monday, after Lapid placed blame on Netanyahu's cabinet in a post on X prior.

In his post, Smotrich vowed to "dismantle the Palestinian Authority, the Oslo Accords" in response to the attack.

Iran 'main strategic, security challenge' in MidEast: Macron
1:01 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said Iran was the main strategic and security challenge in the Middle East, citing the acceleration of its nuclear programme and support for Russia's war against Ukraine.

"Iran is the main strategic and security challenge for France, the Europeans, the entire region and beyond," Macron said in a speech to ambassadors, adding the issue would be a key subject of discussion with the new administration of US president-elect Donald Trump.

Macron says West must be 'cautious' over new Syria rulers
12:11 PM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday the West must not be naive about the new authorities in Syria after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad and promised France would not abandon Kurdish fighters.

"We must regard the regime change in Syria without naivety," Macron said in a speech to French ambassadors after Islamist-led forces toppled Assad last month, adding France would not abandon "freedom fighters, like the Kurds" who are fighting extremist groups in Syria.

Hamas yet to give 'status of hostages' it says will release
11:58 AM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Israel said Monday that Hamas had not yet provided the status of the 34 hostages the group declared it was ready to release in the first phase of a potential exchange deal.

"As yet, Israel has not received any confirmation or comment by Hamas regarding the status of the hostages appearing on the list," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement after a Hamas official gave a list of captives the group was willing to free.

"The list of hostages... was not provided to Israel by Hamas but was originally given by Israel to the mediators in July 2024."

Late on Sunday, a senior Hamas official told AFP the group had agreed to release 34 hostages.

"Hamas has agreed to release 34 Israeli prisoners from a list presented by Israel as part of the first phase of a prisoner exchange deal," the official said.

Turkey says Syrian Kurdish fighters will be 'eliminated'
11:44 AM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Turkey said on Monday that it was "only a matter of time" before Syrian Kurdish fighters -- seen by the West as essential in the fight against Islamic State jihadists -- will be wiped out.

"Conditions in Syria have changed. We believe it's only a matter of time before PKK/YPG is eliminated," Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a news conference. Turkey sees the People's Protection Units (YPG) -- the main component of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) -- as a terror group linked to its outlawed domestic foe the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK

Death toll in Gaza rises to 45,854
10:51 AM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 45,854 Palestinians and wounded 109,139 since Oct. 7, 2023, the Palestinian enclave's health ministry said on Monday. 

Israel's brutal offensive in Gaza remains ongoing after 14 months [Getty]
Israel military says three projectiles fired from north Gaza
10:45 AM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

The Israeli military said it identified three projectiles fired from the northern Gaza Strip that crossed into Israel on Monday, the latest in a series of launches from the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

"One projectile was intercepted by the IAF (air force), one fell in Sderot and another projectile fell in an open area. No injuries were reported," the military said in a statement.

Satellite photos show Israeli destruction of south Gaza land
9:40 AM
°®Âþµº Staff

The Israeli military has reportedly stepped up the destruction of homes and agricultural lands in parts of southern Gaza, satellite imagery has shown.

The images, verified by Al-Jazeera's Sanad agency, taken between December 9 and January 1, show the destruction of buildings and structures and bulldozing of land and greenhouses in al-Mawasi, which is located the Tal as-Sultan neighbourhood.

The destruction carried out by the Israeli army extended 2.2km (1.4 miles) into the Gaza Strip from the Egyptian border, Sanad said.

Houthis claim missile launch against Israeli power station
9:05 AM
°®Âþµº Staff

Yemen's Houthi movement has claimed to have successfully targeted Israel's Orot Rabin Power Plant in Hadera, central Israel, with what it called a "Palestine 2" hypersonic ballistic missile.

The group said that the development "comes in response to the massacres against our brothers in Gaza… and within the framework of responding to the Israeli aggression against our country".

The latest follows Israel's large-scale attacks on Sanaa airport, ports and energy infrastructure in Yemen on December 26.

Israel arrests 10 Palestinians in West Bank amid raids
8:56 AM
°®Âþµº Staff

Israeli forces  have reportedly detained at least 10 Palestinians across the West Bank early on Monday, at or before dawn.

The army carried out raids in several homes in Nablus, al-Yamoun and Qalqilya.

Turkey probes opposition mayor's comments about Syrians
8:18 AM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Turkey has launched an investigation into an opposition mayor's comments about Syrians, including his claims that he unlawfully revoked some of their business licences in his northwestern district of Bolu.

Mayor Tanju Ozcan talked about the measures he said he took against Syrian residents of his district on a news programme that aired on Saturday, including the removal of Arabic language business signs and the revocations of business licenses.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on Sunday that the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office "opened an investigation into the Bolu Mayor over his remarks regarding Syrians in our country." He did not specify the remarks being probed.
 

In recent years, Syrians have faced bouts of anti-migrant sentiment and violence in Turkey, which hosts around three million Syrian refugees.

Three Israelis killed in northern West Bank attack: media
8:06 AM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Israeli media said on Monday that a shooting attack on a bus has killed three Israelis in the occupied West Bank.

Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said at least six others were wounded in the incident on Monday.

New Syria FM al-Shaibani begins first visit to UAE
8:05 AM
°®Âþµº Staff & Agencies

Syria's new foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani landed in the United Arab Emirates Monday on his first visit to the country since rebels toppled president Bashar al-Assad last month, official news agency SANA said.

"Shaibani, accompanied by defence minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and intelligence chief Anas Khattab arrive in the United Arab Emirates," SANA said, a day after they visited its Gulf neighbour Qatar.

Ìý