Hamas has delivered a list showing that 25 hostages are still alive out of the 33 who are supposed to be released in the first phase of the agreement, as reported by Sky News. The list appears to match the number of surviving hostages initially estimated by Israel.
According to a Gaza security official, more than 200,000 displaced persons returned on foot to northern Gaza within two hours of the crossing opening. Vehicle checkpoints were opened at 9:00 local time, two hours after the pedestrian crossings reopened, but delays are reported for vehicles. The Gaza government has deployed “more than 5,500” people to “facilitate the return of the displaced persons” to Gaza City and the north. According to government estimates, the population of Gaza City and the north will need 135,000 tents and trailers to return to their destroyed homes.
Palestinian displaced persons have begun to return to northern Gaza Strip this morning after new agreements with Israel. A Hamas Interior Ministry official reported this to Afp. “Displaced Palestinians have started flowing along Al Rashid road through the western part of Netzarim checkpoint towards Gaza City and the northern part” of the Gaza Strip, the official stated.
Hamas claims that the return of the Gazans to their homes is a victory against “displacement plans”. “The return of the displaced persons is a victory for our people and signals the failure and defeat of occupation and displacement plans,” Hamas stated as thousands of Gaza citizens streamed north after Israel stopped blocking their passage. Hamas ally, the Islamic Jihad, called it a “response to all those who dream of displacing our people”.
Beirut, 24 people killed by IDF since yesterday, including 6 women
The Lebanese Health Ministry has declared that 24 people, including six women, have been killed by IDF gunfire since violent clashes began yesterday. This was reported by Haaretz. Beirut states that 134 people have been injured and two individuals, including a child, were severely wounded today.
Media, Israel shoots at civilians in southern Lebanon
The Israeli army opened fire this morning on Lebanese civilians in southern Lebanon. This was reported by the Lebanese government news agency Nna. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, Israel killed 22 Lebanese civilians yesterday and injured around 120. Residents of the destroyed areas of southern Lebanon have been trying since yesterday to return to their homes and lands in line with the ceasefire agreement that required the withdrawal of Israeli troops by January 26. At Israel’s request, the new Israeli withdrawal date is set for February 18.
Tajani, ‘Italian carabinieri will soon leave for Rafah’
Italian carabinieri will soon depart to take part in the European military mission at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. This was stated by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council.
Ben Gvir, ‘Palestinian return to Gaza humiliating, total surrender’
The images emerging from Gaza of tens of thousands of Palestinians returning to the northern part of the Strip through the Netzarim corridor are “another humiliating part” of the “reckless” ceasefire-hostage release agreement, says Israeli far-right leader Itamar Ben Gvir, as reported by Times of Israel. “This is not ‘total victory’, this is total surrender,” he writes on X. The far-right politician, who resigned from the government in opposition to the hostage agreement, states that “the heroic IDF soldiers did not fight and sacrifice in the Strip” just for the Palestinians to return north. “We must go back to war and destroy!” he declares.
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