Live blog: Over 300K displaced Palestinians return to North Gaza

Monday, January 27, 2025

1924 GMT — Over 300,000 displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the Gaza Media Office has said.

“More than 300,000 displaced people from the southern and central Gaza governorates returned to Gaza and Northern governorates today via the Rashid (west) and Salah al-Din (east) streets, after 470 days,” the office reported in a statement.

Hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians began returning to northern Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel.

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1905 GMT — Islamic Jihad releases video of Israeli woman hostage to be freed

Palestinian resistance group Islamic Jihad has released video footage of Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud who is due to be released on Thursday.

In the one-minute video, Yehud appears visibly distressed as she states her identity and the date of January 25, before calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do everything in his power to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza.

1857 GMT — Hezbollah rejects Israel's withdrawal deadline extension

Hezbollah's Secretary-General Naim Qassem has expressed that there is no justification for extending Israel's deadline to withdraw from South Lebanon.

Qassem made the statement during a televised address, saying that his group will not accept any further delay of the withdrawal process.

“The agreement's deadline expired on Sunday, and there is no reason for any extension,” Qassem said, referring to the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

1823 GMT — Lebanese army deploys units in border areas following Israeli withdrawal

The Lebanese army has said that it deployed units in Deir Mimas, a town in the Marjayoun district of southern Lebanon, and other border areas following the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The army stated that the units were stationed in Deir Mimas and other southern Litani border regions as part of an operation coordinated with the Five-Party Committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement, comprising Lebanon, Israel, the US, France, and UNIFIL.

The army emphasised its continued role in assisting residents returning to their villages and maintaining close coordination with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL to stabilise the area under UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

1810 GMT — Israel's far-right finance minister drops quit threat over ceasefire deal

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has withdrawn a threat to quit the government if Israel does not return to fighting in Gaza, several Israeli news sites have reported.

Earlier this month, Smotrich opposed a ceasefire deal that aims to secure the release of nearly 100 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails, arguing it endangered Israeli security and stopped Israel from achieving its war goals.

Hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and two other ministers from his nationalist-religious party resigned from Netanyahu's cabinet over the deal.

1737 GMT — US Senator calls Trump’s Gaza plan 'ethnic cleansing'

US Senator Bernie Sanders has denounced President Donald Trump's proposal to "clean out" Gaza by relocating millions of Palestinians, calling it "ethnic cleansing" and a war crime, urging all Americans to condemn it.

"There is a name for this — ethnic cleansing — and it’s a war crime. This outrageous idea should be condemned by every American," Sanders wrote on X in response to Trump's controversial remarks.

1627 GMT — Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo to discuss Gaza ceasefire

A delegation from the Palestinian group Hamas arrived in Cairo on Monday to discuss the implementation of a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza, the group said in a statement.

1622 GMT — Egyptian parliament rejects Palestinian resettlement after Trump’s call

The Egyptian Parliament has reiterated its rejection of any plans aimed at relocating the Palestinian people from their land, warning that such actions pose "a grave threat” to regional security and stability.

"We cannot overlook the significant danger posed by the proposals being circulated regarding the relocation of Palestinians from their land,” Parliament Speaker Hanafi Gebali told a parliamentary session.

"These ideas completely disregard the well-established fact that the Palestinian cause is not merely a population issue or a geographical dispute, but a cause of a people striving for their legitimate and historical rights," Gebali affirmed.

1608 GMT — Far-right Israeli minister backs Trump’s Palestinian resettlement plan

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said that he is collaborating with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on an action plan to implement US President Donald Trump's plan for resettling Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan.

“Encouraging migration is the only solution that will achieve peace, security, and alleviate the suffering of Gaza's residents in the long term,” Smotrich said during a meeting of the parliamentary bloc of his Religious Zionism Party.

1607 GMT — Lebanon reports 6 new Israeli breaches of ceasefire deal

Lebanese media reported six new Israeli violations of a ceasefire agreement on Monday, a day after 24 people were killed by Israeli army fire in southern Lebanon.

An Israeli reconnaissance drone dropped a grenade in the town of Bani Haiyyan, injuring one person, the state news agency NNA reported.

Another drone dropped a bomb as a municipal team was working to pav e a road in the same town, causing injuries, NNA said.

1603 GMT — Israeli fire kills 2, wounds 17 in Lebanon

Israeli fire has killed two people and wounded 17 in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said in a statement.

Israeli forces killed 22 people in south Lebanon on Sunday, as a deadline for their withdrawal passed and thousands of people tried to return to their homes in defiance of Israeli military orders, Lebanese authorities said.

Israel said on Friday the terms of the ceasefire deal that ended its war with Hezbollah had not been fully enforced by the Lebanese state, meaning Israeli troops would stay beyond Sunday, without saying for how long.

1557 GMT — UN experts slam Swiss arrest of pro-Palestinian US journalist

UN rights experts have decried the arrest in Switzerland at the weekend of a pro-Palestinian US journalist who raised concerns about waning freedom of speech in Europe.

Ali Abunimah, the executive director of online publication Electronic Intifada, was arrested on Saturday in Zurich, where he had been scheduled to speak at an event, the publication said.

Zurich police confirmed to AFP that Abunimah, 53, was arrested Saturday afternoon, suggesting in a press release that he had violated an entry ban.

It said "immigration law measures" would be examined.

1534 GMT — EU ministers agree to revive Rafah border mission

The European Union will restart a civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt at Rafah, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said.

“Everyone agrees that EUBAM Rafah can play a decisive role in supporting the ceasefire,” Kallas said.

“Today, EU Foreign Ministers agreed to redeploy it to the Rafah Crossing Point between Gaza and Egypt. This will allow a number of injured individuals to leave Gaza and receive medical care,” she added.

1507 GMT — Israel says 8 hostages due for release in first phase of truce are dead

Eight of the hostages due for release in the first phase of a truce deal between Israel and Hamas are dead, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer has said.

"The families have been informed of the situation of their relatives," Mencer told reporters, without providing the names of the deceased.

1506 GMT — Palestine rejects Trump's plan for alternative homeland

The Palestinian presidency has rejected plans aimed at creating an “alternative homeland” for Palestinians.

"Projects of resettlement and alternative homelands are unacceptable and only serve to reinforce instability and chaos in the region,” presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement.

“The alternative (option) is to achieve just peace based on international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative,” he added.

Abu Rudeineh said that the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza “reflects Palestinian steadfastness on their land.”

1444 GMT — UK rejects Trump’s Palestinian relocation plan in neighbouring countries

The UK has rebuffed US President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring countries.

Trump made his controversial proposal on Saturday, suggesting it was time to "clean out" besieged Gaza and relocate Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt.

"Palestinian civilians should be able to return to and rebuild their homes and their lives," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson said in a lobby briefing, dismissing Trump’s stance.

1440 GMT — Turkish, Jordanian foreign ministers discuss Gaza

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi have spoken over the phone and discussed the situation in Gaza, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

Safadi reiterated Jordan's support for the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

1432 GMT — Source close to Hezbollah says seven fighters in Israeli hands

A source close to Hezbollah said Monday that Israel's army detained seven fighters from the Lebanese group during more than a year of hostilities between the two sides before a November ceasefire.

"Seven fighters from Hezbollah were taken prisoner" by Israel before the November 27 truce went into effect, the source said, requesting anonymity as the matter is sensitive.

Four other people were apprehended by the Israeli military on Sunday in south Lebanon border villages, the source added, without identifying them as fighters.

1345 GMT — ‘Gazans need to stay in Gaza’: Spain

Spain’s foreign minister on Monday rejected US President Donald Trump’s idea to “clean out” Gaza and relocate its population to other Arab nations.

“Our position is clear: Gazans need to stay in Gaza. Gaza is part of the future Palestinian state, which needs to be controlled by a single government,” said Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, speaking in Brussels.

"As soon as possible, Gaza and the West Bank should be governed by a single national Palestinian authority," he continued.

1306 GMT — 24 killed, many injured by Israeli fire, deadline extended: Lebanon

The Lebanese Health Ministry has said that 24 people were killed by Israeli army forces as residents tried to return to their areas in southern Lebanon on Sunday.

A ministry statement added that six women were among the victims, while 134 other people were injured, including 14 women and 12 children.

Earlier reports put the death toll at 22 people and 124 others injured.

1258 GMT — Slovenia calls Trump's Gaza relocation plan 'unacceptable'

Slovenia's foreign minister has criticised US President Donald Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, describing the plan as "unacceptable."

"Slovenia's position is completely clear, we do not agree to forced expulsion," Tanja Fajon said during her doorstep remarks ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels

Underlining that Slovenia recognised Palestine as a sovereign and independent state, Fajon said Palestinians "have the right" to be in their own land.

"Any kind of forced resettlement in Jordan or Egypt, as both countries have repeatedly indicated in the past, is absolutely unacceptable," she said.

1250 GMT — Munich Security Conference chief criticises Trump's Gaza plan

The Munich Security Conference chief has criticised US President Donald Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, characterising the plan as a violation of international law.

“This proposal made by Trump has been rejected by everybody in the region, and so I don't see how this can fly if both the Jordanians and the Egyptians are against it,” Ambassador Christoph Heusgen told a group of international journalists in Berlin.

“They say Gaza is the home of the Palestinians, and they want to stay there, and they have every right to stay there, because this is according to international law,” Heusgen said, in response to a question by Anadolu reporter.

1150 GMT — Israeli drone strike kills two Palestinians in occupied West Bank

A Palestinian was killed and another injured in an Israeli drone strike in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem, the Health Ministry has said.

A ministry statement said the casualties occurred in the attack that targeted the Nur Shams refugee camp in eastern Tulkarem.

Witnesses said the drone hit a vehicle in the camp, leaving it in flames.

1148 GMT — Hamas hands over list of 25 Israeli captives set for release

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has handed over to mediators a list showing that 25 Israeli hostages are still alive, out of 33 scheduled for release, an official of the group told Reuters.

He said Israel had received the list from the mediators of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

1131 GMT — Israeli prime minister to visit US this weekend despite ICC arrest warrant

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to fly to Washington this weekend to meet US President Donald Trump, despite an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Israeli media has said.

Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant face arrest warrants issued by The Hague-bas ed court in November last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Under the ICC's Rome Statute, 124 state parties are obliged to comply with the court's arrest warrants, including detaining high-profile individuals like Netanyahu. The US is not a party to the ICC statute.

1124 GMT — Return of displaced Palestinians shows Israel's ethnic cleansing failure: politician

A Palestinian politician has hailed the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza as proof of the failure of Israel’s ethnic cleansing plans in the enclave.

Hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians began to return to northern Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel.

"Our heroic people foiled the ethnic cleansing plot in the Gaza Strip with the return of hundreds of thousands to northern Gaza, including Gaza City, despite the massive destruction and genocide committed by the (Israeli) occupation," Mustafa Barghouti, the head of the National Initiative Movement, said in a statement.

1051 GMT — Palestinians must not be expelled from Gaza: Berlin

The Palestinian population must not be expelled from Gaza, the German foreign ministry has said after US President Donald Trump said Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians.

Asked for a reaction to Trump's comments, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Berlin shared the view of "the European Union, our Arab partners, the United Nations ... that the Palestinian population must not be expelled from Gaza and Gaza must not be permanently occupied or recolonised by Israel."

Jordan is already home to several million Palestinians, while tens of thousands live in Egypt.

1041 GMT — Jordan renews rejection of ‘alternative homeland’ for Palestinians

Jordan has renewed its rejection of Palestinian resettlement after US President Donald Trump called to “clean out” Gaza.

"All talk about an alternative homeland … is unacceptable. We do not accept it, we have not accepted it, and we will continue to confront it with all our capabilities," Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told parliament.

Quoting King Abdullah II, Safadi said: “Jordan is for Jordanians, Palestine is for Palestinians, and the solution to the Palestinian issue is on Palestinian soil.”

0958 GMT — First Qatari aid shipment enters Gaza via Erez as displaced return north

The first shipment of Qatari humanitarian aid entered Gaza via the Erez (Beit Hanoun) crossing as thousands of Palestinians began to return to the north of the enclave, the Qatari Foreign Ministry has said.

A ministry statement said the shipment was allowed into the enclave through the terminal at the northern edge of Gaza from Jordan.

The aid comes within Qatar’s support for the Palestinian people “during the difficult humanitarian circumstances they are currently facing,” it noted. According to the ministry, the volume of the Qatari humanitarian aid amounted to 2,600 tons.

0922 GMT — Israel’s Ben-Gvir slams return of displaced Gazans as ‘total surrender’

Israel's Former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has condemned the return of thousands of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza as “total surrender.”

“This is not what ‘total victory’ looks like — this is what total surrender looks like,” Ben-Gvir wrote on his X account.

Ben-Gvir, who resigned from the government in opposition to the deal, said the return of the displaced Palestinians is “another humiliating part” of what he called the “reckless” Gaza deal.

“We must return to war — and destroy!” said Ben-Gvir, the leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit Party.

0825 GMT — Israel presses Jenin raids as Palestinians return to north Gaza

The Israeli army has continued its offensive in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp for the seventh day.

Witnesses said the Israeli army was still cordoning off the refugee camp from all directions, and clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters along with sounds of explosions were reported.

The Israeli army also continued to demolish homes in the camp, sources said.

Mohammad Jarrar, the mayor of Jenin said some 15,000 people were forced to flee their homes and areas in the camp due to Israeli attacks.

0648 GMT — Hamas says return to northern Gaza victory for our people, defeat to Israeli expulsion plan

As displaced Palestinians began returning to their homes in northern Gaza, for the first time since Israel launched a war in October 2023 on the enclave, Hamas said the return was a victory for their people and a defeat for Israel and its expulsion plans.

"The return of the displaced is a victory for our people and a declaration of the failure and defeat of the (Israeli) occupation and its displacement plans," senior leader Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement.

"The return of our displaced people to their homes proves once again the failure of the occupation in achieving its aggressive goals of displacing our people and breaking their resolute will," he added.

0335 GMT — Trump, Starmer discuss Gaza

US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke on Sunday in a wide-ranging conversation on Gaza.

Starmer praised Trump for his "role in securing the landmark ceasefire and hostages deal in Gaza," as the pair discussed the "importance of working together for security in the Middle East," according to a readout of the call from Downing Street.

Trump meanwhile welcomed the release of British-Israeli dual national Emily Damari who was freed a week ago by Hamas.

0128 GMT — Thousands of Palestinians start returning to northern Gaza

Thousands of Palestinians forcibly displaced by Israel's war started returning to northern Gaza on foot through coastal Al-Rashid Street as part of the ceasefire deal.

Thousands of Palestinians headed north after waiting for days to cross. Associated Press reporters saw people crossing the Netzarim corridor shortly after the checkpoints were scheduled to open.

2218 GMT — Israel to allow Palestinians into northern Gaza starting Monday

Qatar has said that Israel will allow displaced Palestinians to return from southern Gaza to its northern regions starting on Monday morning.

“Starting tomorrow morning, Monday, Israeli authorities will allow displaced residents in Gaza to return from the southern areas to the northern regions of the (Gaza) Strip,” Majid Al-Ansari, the spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said in a statement.

“As part of ongoing efforts led by mediators, an agreement has been reached between the two parties under which Hamas will hand over the (Israeli) hostage Arbel Yehud and two other hostages by next Friday. Additionally, Hamas will release three more hostages on Saturday,” added Al-Ansari.

0128 GMT — Egypt announces launch of largest aid convoy to Gaza

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has announced the launch of the largest humanitarian aid convoy for Palestinians in Gaza.

In a speech during a conference in the Asmarat area of Cairo, Madbouly said the convoy was launched "in implementation of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's directives and in response to the call of humanity to support our Palestinian brothers in Gaza," according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

The convoy consists of 305 trucks carrying more than 4,200 tons of aid and 11 ambulances to support Gaza under the slogan "Together for Humanity,” the statement added.

0118 GMT — Al Quds Brigades say they have taken steps to remove Israeli pretexts for blocking return of displaced Palestinians

The Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, has said that they have taken steps to eliminate Israeli pretexts to obstruct the return of forcibly displaced Palestinians from southern Gaza to the north.

Israel “deliberately disrupts the lives of our people and takes away their joy. We have taken the necessary measures to remove the excuses fabricated by the enemy to block the return of our people to northern Gaza,” the brigades said in a statement on Telegram.

"The mediators (Egypt and Qatar) have received guarantees confirming that the Zionist captive Arbel Yehud is alive and in good health,” they added.

2311 GMT — Israeli minister forced to cancel Brussels visit due to security warnings

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested that Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli cancel a trip to the European Parliament in Brussels due to security warnings.

"Due to specific security warnings and based on the recommendation of security agencies, Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli was asked to cancel his scheduled trip to the European Parliament in Brussels," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

​​​​​​Neither the minister nor Netanyahu’s office specified the exact date of the trip.

2242 GMT — US Defence Secretary Hegseth holds first call with Israel's Netanyahu

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth held an introductory call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Department of Defence has said in a statement, adding that Hegseth stressed that Washington is fully committed to ensuring Israel has the capabilities it needs to defend itself.

"Both leaders discussed the importance of advancing mutual security interests and priorities, especially in the face of persistent threats," the statement read.

2230 GMT — Lebanon confirms adhering to truce with Israel until Feb. 18

Lebanon has confirmed it will continue to adhere to the ceasefire agreement with Israel until Feb.18, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement.

2225 GMT — Hamas hands over information about captives to be released in first phase of Gaza ceasefire

Hamas has said that it handed over to the mediators the required information regarding the list of Israeli captives who will be released during the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

2215 GMT — Israel confirms hostage Yehud, soldier Berger to be released by Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that civilian Arbel Yehud, soldier Agam Berger and another hostage will be released by Hamas.

He also said in a post on X that Israel will allow displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza starting on Monday morning.

2214 GMT — White House says ceasefire agreement between Lebanon, Israel to continue until Feb 18

The White House has said in a statement that the arrangement between Lebanon and Israel would continue to be in effect until Feb 18, after Israel said on Friday it would keep troops in the south beyond the Sunday deadline set out in a US-brokered ceasefire that halted last year's conflict with Hezbollah.

The White House also said the governments of Lebanon, Israel and the United States would begin negotiations for "the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023."

For our live updates from Sunday January 26, 2025, click here.