Israel intensifies attacks on Gaza after ceasefire announced
Israel intensified strikes on Gaza hours after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced, residents and authorities in the Palestinian enclave have said, with dozens of people killed.
Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif, in northern Gaza, said it had been a “terrifying night”. In a post on X he wrote,
The pace of bombing has increased dramatically in recent hours, and with it the number of martyrs and wounded has increased to an unprecedented level.
He filmed himself at a makeshift morgue with bodies in the background, including those of several small children. “An hour ago, I was documenting the joy of the people of Gaza at the news of the ceasefire, but the Israeli occupation, as usual, continues to commit massacres,” he said.
Another Al Jazeera reporter Hossam Shabat, also reporting from northern Gaza, reported “intensive raids”, adding, “It’s as if we are living the first days of the Israeli aggression”.
Medics cited by Reuters said 32 people were killed late on Wednesday. Strikes continued into Thursday destroying houses in Rafah in southern Gaza, Nuseirat in central Gaza and in northern Gaza, residents said.
Israel’s military made no immediate comment and there were no reports of Hamas attacks on Israel after the ceasefire announcement.
In the occupied West Bank, where Israel has also intensified its attacks since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, six Palestinians were killed and another two critically injured on Wednesday evening by an Israeli airstrike on the Jenin refugee camp, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
“,”elementId”:”bef1748e-f13b-4ecc-be7c-9aa45e9a7bd2″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif, in northern Gaza, said it had been a “terrifying night”. In a post on X he wrote,
“,”elementId”:”cbea68d3-4c36-487a-98c6-a4c4bf9891ad”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”
\n
The pace of bombing has increased dramatically in recent hours, and with it the number of martyrs and wounded has increased to an unprecedented level.
\n
“,”elementId”:”d183a941-0b9c-43ce-92cd-9df4ac9f5b03″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
He filmed himself at a makeshift morgue with bodies in the background, including those of several small children. “An hour ago, I was documenting the joy of the people of Gaza at the news of the ceasefire, but the Israeli occupation, as usual, continues to commit massacres,” he said.
“,”elementId”:”23ff694c-44e7-4c71-8b3a-492dac1112e4″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Another Al Jazeera reporter Hossam Shabat, also reporting from northern Gaza, reported “intensive raids”, adding, “It’s as if we are living the first days of the Israeli aggression”.
“,”elementId”:”fb2a09ca-a119-4c27-9a52-33bd91adff6a”},{“displayCredit”:true,”_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement”,”role”:”inline”,”media”:{“allImages”:[{“index”:0,”fields”:{“height”:”1685″,”width”:”2809″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/2809.jpg”},{“index”:1,”fields”:{“isMaster”:”true”,”height”:”1685″,”width”:”2809″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg”},{“index”:2,”fields”:{“height”:”1200″,”width”:”2000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/2000.jpg”},{“index”:3,”fields”:{“height”:”600″,”width”:”1000″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/1000.jpg”},{“index”:4,”fields”:{“height”:”300″,”width”:”500″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/500.jpg”},{“index”:5,”fields”:{“height”:”84″,”width”:”140″},”mediaType”:”Image”,”mimeType”:”image/jpeg”,”url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/140.jpg”}]},”elementId”:”1335ac5f-8ba6-41b8-8b17-57f112d828e3″,”imageSources”:[{“weighting”:”inline”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=35b847a205a2053eade6815861bdf1ff”,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=a7f3a80ce83fe7e2878f557aaae739ad”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=69b7e1be7f57aad144041a148d3d08ca”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=a2e7cb5574a0bd7d505f5412a322d0d2″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=461e5158cc4245e194378cfd682055b1″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=55622dd005dd6843bd0a6399a4b9e529″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”thumbnail”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=fb6f08cc2c7fdf49825139c9ec16f3b0″,”width”:140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=2d86ef56d109d94913a14e9d9548c3cb”,”width”:280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=120&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=bc2c681f5720331ce35f660b9921b366″,”width”:120},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=120&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=c3e1f2697f9e35579211b0a34c932023″,”width”:240}]},{“weighting”:”supporting”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=380&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=fcd699502dff124e821a2a18436ceb87″,”width”:380},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=380&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=473a1116a60c13c3f7f73a677ab8a9ef”,”width”:760},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=c18806cb84bc82082a9139bd06bca1b5″,”width”:300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=994e0e46d3bb439c51da6d34b8f98b87″,”width”:600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=35b847a205a2053eade6815861bdf1ff”,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=a7f3a80ce83fe7e2878f557aaae739ad”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=69b7e1be7f57aad144041a148d3d08ca”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=a2e7cb5574a0bd7d505f5412a322d0d2″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=461e5158cc4245e194378cfd682055b1″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=55622dd005dd6843bd0a6399a4b9e529″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”showcase”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=860&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=9657a2f98e8ba412d4ec89fd2e3da622″,”width”:860},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=860&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=2203af45526dc5ff383008220706815c”,”width”:1720},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=780&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=ff9a9bd5b1cae8d373db8fffa2d60966″,”width”:780},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=780&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=03427ba92ebfa68d27cbdd74ee40babb”,”width”:1560},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=35b847a205a2053eade6815861bdf1ff”,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=a7f3a80ce83fe7e2878f557aaae739ad”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=69b7e1be7f57aad144041a148d3d08ca”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=a2e7cb5574a0bd7d505f5412a322d0d2″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=461e5158cc4245e194378cfd682055b1″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=55622dd005dd6843bd0a6399a4b9e529″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”halfwidth”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=35b847a205a2053eade6815861bdf1ff”,”width”:620},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=a7f3a80ce83fe7e2878f557aaae739ad”,”width”:1240},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=605&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=69b7e1be7f57aad144041a148d3d08ca”,”width”:605},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=605&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=a2e7cb5574a0bd7d505f5412a322d0d2″,”width”:1210},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=445&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=461e5158cc4245e194378cfd682055b1″,”width”:445},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=445&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=55622dd005dd6843bd0a6399a4b9e529″,”width”:890}]},{“weighting”:”immersive”,”srcSet”:[{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=1900&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d71d5ed21151064c3f62d1f6e6dd2714″,”width”:1900},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=1900&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=76a60e7d7aec8b107487b9dd31d9c733″,”width”:3800},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=1300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=844e95a268f9c592323b412f884df9ab”,”width”:1300},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=1300&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=e55218be71f8b1f079494e8cb058c5b9″,”width”:2600},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=1140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=afbf73786c73ba6007e358858d0bae81″,”width”:1140},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=1140&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=41233f6d0af04543908f73b6ebb7aae8″,”width”:2280},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=980&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=f0a22db84cd163689a6820d9ecef2c92″,”width”:980},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=980&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=82ef9c3b8bfab940bc3947a556a374c5″,”width”:1960},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=740&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d46e85f7e11535600baee7417f619763″,”width”:740},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=740&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=2fb677aad7d4521491a9bf07a5333bd3″,”width”:1480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=660&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=172be8153c58980c34d125d2b66ec7ca”,”width”:660},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=660&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=6eefff3fb119feb696579ce43efa391a”,”width”:1320},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=480&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=11dded3bc4b25c19da5d4a37514119ac”,”width”:480},{“src”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e7e0ce9b54d19ae942fb8ed4fe20143c8e6a2c21/0_136_2809_1685/master/2809.jpg?width=480&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=c5fc591f341578b5ed2f666c09b1fa79″,”width”:960}]}],”data”:{“alt”:”A child wounded in an Israeli attack on tents sheltering displaced Palestinians is brought for treatment at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah, central Gaza on Thursday morning.”,”caption”:”A child wounded in an Israeli attack on tents sheltering displaced Palestinians is brought for treatment at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah, central Gaza on Thursday morning.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Medics cited by Reuters said 32 people were killed late on Wednesday. Strikes continued into Thursday destroying houses in Rafah in southern Gaza, Nuseirat in central Gaza and in northern Gaza, residents said.
“,”elementId”:”81327d8b-e0ca-4b04-a712-23fcbc13174c”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Israel’s military made no immediate comment and there were no reports of Hamas attacks on Israel after the ceasefire announcement.
“,”elementId”:”d8d65d1c-7904-4598-b543-ec4787465615″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
In the occupied West Bank, where Israel has also intensified its attacks since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, six Palestinians were killed and another two critically injured on Wednesday evening by an Israeli airstrike on the Jenin refugee camp, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
“,”elementId”:”00f24ed7-7ee6-4131-bbf8-692f4e641513″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:true,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1737002063000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”23.34 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1737003015000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”23.50 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1737003015000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”23.50 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”23.50″,”title”:”Israel intensifies attacks on Gaza after ceasefire announced”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Wed 15 Jan 2025 23.50 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Wed 15 Jan 2025 23.11 EST”},{“id”:”678871768f083454d1c6a90e”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Israel continued strikes on Gaza hours after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced, residents and authorities in the Palestinian territory said, as mediators sought to quell fighting ahead of the truce’s start on Sunday.
“,”elementId”:”2b56fa86-a404-43b8-999f-574c6155e941″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Israel’s military made no immediate comment and there were no reports of Hamas attacks on Israel after the ceasefire announcement.
“,”elementId”:”df3fd3f7-c27f-426a-8243-1bb12da3fc82″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The complex ceasefire accord between Israel and militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, emerged on Wednesday after months of mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US, and 15 months of bloodshed that devastated the coastal territory and inflamed the Middle East.
“,”elementId”:”34affe5c-f84f-4664-a5f8-0b5df07760bc”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands have been killed. Hostages taken by Hamas would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
“,”elementId”:”2ff1208d-5363-4e88-b171-4c1b1a4c5013″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Donald Trump and Joe Biden for “advancing” the ceasefire agreement, but did not explicitly say whether he has accepted it, saying he would issue a formal response only “after the final details of the agreement, which are currently being worked on, are completed.”
“,”elementId”:”44bf385a-b726-473e-839f-f267aba8362d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The accord was expected to win approval despite opposition from some hardliners in Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government.
“,”elementId”:”d81bed54-77e4-48f3-93ce-e3694ead7e94″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
While people celebrated the pact in Gaza and Israel, Israel’s military escalated attacks after the announcement, the Palestinian civil emergency service and residents said.
“,”elementId”:”6f4eecbc-7e4f-4577-92f6-e7c040d2cc28″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Heavy Israeli bombardment, especially in Gaza City, killed 32 people late on Wednesday, medics said. The strikes continued early on Thursday and destroyed houses in Rafah in southern Gaza, Nuseirat in central Gaza and in northern Gaza, residents said.
“,”elementId”:”ae3e7e0e-6552-4d9e-bab1-f7db7ec1fbc8″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
In other developments:
“,”elementId”:”17b25dcb-2187-46e9-af2a-bd7835af891b”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
- \n
- \n
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, thanked US president-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden for their “assistance” in advancing the ceasefire and hostages release deal. In a series of posts on X, Netanyahu’s office said he spoke this evening with Trump and thanked him “for helping Israel bring an end to the suffering of dozens of hostages and their families.” Netanyahu then spoke with Biden and thanked him for his assistance in advancing the hostages deal.
- \n
Israel’s security cabinet will meet at 11am local time (9am GMT) on Thursday to approve the deal, local media reported. The Israeli government will vote on the deal on Thursday, with a majority of ministers expected to approve the deal, a government official told Reuters.
- \n
Both Biden and Trump were quick to claim credit. Biden opened his final address to the nation by referencing the deal. “This plan was developed and negotiated by my team and will be largely implemented by the incoming administration,” he said. Trump said the “epic” agreement could have only happened as a result of his “historic” election victory.
- \n
The UN rights chief, Volker Türk, welcomed news of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, saying it held he promise of “huge relief after so much unbearable pain and misery”.
- \n
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, has issued a statement calling the news of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal “long overdue” and urging a “huge surge” in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory. “After months of devastating bloodshed and countless lives lost, this is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for,” he said.
- \n
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, which is set to be begin on Sunday and will last 42 days, will see the exchange of hostages detained by Hamas and Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons.
- \n
Other aspects of the deal include the return of Palestinians, who have been forcibly displaced by Israeli forces, to their homes across the Gaza Strip. The deal will also see the facilitation of travel of people wounded by Israeli attacks and sick people in order to receive treatment, as well as the positioning of Israeli forces across the Gaza border.
- \n
Biden confirmed that Americans will be part of the hostage release. “This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity,” Biden said.
- \n
Egypt is “preparing to bring in the largest possible amount of aid to the Gaza Strip,” according to state media reports. Coordination was under way to “open the Palestinian Rafah crossing to allow the entry of international aid” into Gaza, Egyptian state media reported.
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
“,”elementId”:”1b9fbdc8-357d-4663-841b-7d9d953620c8″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1737000683000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”23.11 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1737000637000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”23.10 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1737000683000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”23.11 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”23.11″,”title”:”Opening summary”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Wed 15 Jan 2025 23.50 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Wed 15 Jan 2025 23.11 EST”}],”filterKeyEvents”:false,”id”:”key-events-carousel-mobile”,”absoluteServerTimes”:false,”renderingTarget”:”Web”}”>
Key events
Hamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire deal, pausing the war in Gaza and designed to broker an end to the brutal 15-month conflict. The agreement is set to be officially accepted by Israel after a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
The announcement on Wednesday night from Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, was made after weeks of negotiations in the Qatari capital, Doha. There were intensified efforts in recent days to hammer out the final details after increased pressure on Israel to reach a deal from the US president-elect, Donald Trump, which Sheikh Mohammed acknowledged in his media conference.
“The two belligerents in the Gaza Strip have reached a deal on the prisoner and the hostage swap, and [the mediators] announce a ceasefire in the hopes of reaching a permanent ceasefire between the two sides,” he said.
“Both parties should commit totally to all three phrases [of the agreement] to steer away from further bloodshed and steer away escalation in the region.” Sheikh Mohammed added: “We hope this will be the end of a dark chapter of war.”
Immediately afterwards, the US president, Joe Biden, said that his administration negotiated the deal but that Trump’s team will soon be charged with making sure it is implemented. The incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, joined the White House’s Middle East adviser Brett McGurk as the talks came to fruition in Doha, Biden said.
“For the past few days, we have been speaking as one team,” Biden said.
Late on Wednesday, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke separately to Biden and Trump to thank them for helping to secure the deal, his office said.
“The prime minister thanked president-elect Trump for his help in advancing the release of the hostages,” Netanyahu’s office said in a first acknowledgment of a deal, adding that the two agreed to meet “soon” in Washington. The statement said Netanyahu then spoke with Biden.
Opening summary
Israel continued strikes on Gaza hours after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced, residents and authorities in the Palestinian territory said, as mediators sought to quell fighting ahead of the truce’s start on Sunday.
Israel’s military made no immediate comment and there were no reports of Hamas attacks on Israel after the ceasefire announcement.
The complex ceasefire accord between Israel and militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, emerged on Wednesday after months of mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US, and 15 months of bloodshed that devastated the coastal territory and inflamed the Middle East.
The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands have been killed. Hostages taken by Hamas would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Donald Trump and Joe Biden for “advancing” the ceasefire agreement, but did not explicitly say whether he has accepted it, saying he would issue a formal response only “after the final details of the agreement, which are currently being worked on, are completed.”
The accord was expected to win approval despite opposition from some hardliners in Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government.
While people celebrated the pact in Gaza and Israel, Israel’s military escalated attacks after the announcement, the Palestinian civil emergency service and residents said.
Heavy Israeli bombardment, especially in Gaza City, killed 32 people late on Wednesday, medics said. The strikes continued early on Thursday and destroyed houses in Rafah in southern Gaza, Nuseirat in central Gaza and in northern Gaza, residents said.
In other developments:
-
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, thanked US president-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden for their “assistance” in advancing the ceasefire and hostages release deal. In a series of posts on X, Netanyahu’s office said he spoke this evening with Trump and thanked him “for helping Israel bring an end to the suffering of dozens of hostages and their families.” Netanyahu then spoke with Biden and thanked him for his assistance in advancing the hostages deal.
-
Israel’s security cabinet will meet at 11am local time (9am GMT) on Thursday to approve the deal, local media reported. The Israeli government will vote on the deal on Thursday, with a majority of ministers expected to approve the deal, a government official told Reuters.
-
Both Biden and Trump were quick to claim credit. Biden opened his final address to the nation by referencing the deal. “This plan was developed and negotiated by my team and will be largely implemented by the incoming administration,” he said. Trump said the “epic” agreement could have only happened as a result of his “historic” election victory.
-
The UN rights chief, Volker Türk, welcomed news of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, saying it held he promise of “huge relief after so much unbearable pain and misery”.
-
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, has issued a statement calling the news of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal “long overdue” and urging a “huge surge” in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory. “After months of devastating bloodshed and countless lives lost, this is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for,” he said.
-
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, which is set to be begin on Sunday and will last 42 days, will see the exchange of hostages detained by Hamas and Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons.
-
Other aspects of the deal include the return of Palestinians, who have been forcibly displaced by Israeli forces, to their homes across the Gaza Strip. The deal will also see the facilitation of travel of people wounded by Israeli attacks and sick people in order to receive treatment, as well as the positioning of Israeli forces across the Gaza border.
-
Biden confirmed that Americans will be part of the hostage release. “This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity,” Biden said.
-
Egypt is “preparing to bring in the largest possible amount of aid to the Gaza Strip,” according to state media reports. Coordination was under way to “open the Palestinian Rafah crossing to allow the entry of international aid” into Gaza, Egyptian state media reported.
