January 19, 2025 – Middle East ceasefire news
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Crowds in Gaza await Palestinian prisoners freed as part of Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal
03:21 – Source: CNN
• Israel says it has released 90 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal with Hamas. The news comes after the first Israeli hostages released under the long-awaited agreement arrived back in Israel.
• The three freed Israeli hostages — the first of 33 to be released by Hamas and its allies over the next six weeks — are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv. Their release sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv.
• Displaced Palestinians started returning to their homes in Gaza, which has been decimated over the past 15 months. One Gazan told CNN the moment was “bittersweet,” as 92% of homes in the enclave have been destroyed or damaged, according to the UN. Meanwhile, hundreds of aid trucks with desperately needed supplies entered Gaza.
• The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Our live coverage of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire has moved here.
The United Nations health agency welcomed the ceasefire and hostage release deal, but warned that Gaza’s “health challenges ahead are immense” as residents of the war-torn enclave face rising disease and malnutrition.
Israel’s 15-month military campaign in Gaza has pulverized neighborhoods, depleted food, water and fuel supplies, and decimated health care infrastructure, and aid groups are now scrambling to step up their response to the humanitarian catastrophe.
WHO warned that the number of Palestinians killed and wounded was likely much higher than the official count from the Ministry of Health, and said an estimated 30,000 people had sustained injuries that needed ongoing rehabilitation largely unavailable in Gaza.
“Transmission of infectious diseases has massively increased, malnutrition is rising, and the risk of famine persists. The breakdown of public order, exacerbated by armed gangs, raises further concerns,” the WHO said.
In response to the challenges outlined in the statement, WHO said it would work with its partners to implement a 60-day plan to restore and expand the health system in the strip.
“WHO calls on all parties to uphold their commitment to fully implement the ceasefire agreement and to continue working towards a political solution to address the protracted crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory, which is essential for lasting peace.”
Palestinian prisoners freed as part of the ceasefire-hostage release deal said Sunday they were held in horrific conditions in an Israeli jail in the occupied West Bank.
Buses carrying 90 freed Palestinians out of Ofer Prison were met by huge crowds, cheering and waving flags, with video showing jubilant scenes and emotional reunions as they hugged their families.
“I left hell and now I’m in heaven, we are out of hell,” freed inmate Abdelaziz Atawneh Atawneh told Reuters.
Israel is expected to free almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners over the next six weeks during the first phase of the ceasefire deal. Most of those released Sunday were women and teenagers.
“Freedom, freedom, we used to see the sky through small squares. I used to say I hope I will see the sky without these squares,” 18-year-old freed prisoner Rose Khwais told Reuters.
Khwais said Israeli prison guards treated Palestinian inmates “like animals.”
“They didn’t treat us well, there was no good food, no medical treatment. I had symptoms of a stroke, liquid around the heart, and also blood pressure (problems). I wasn’t afraid of the illnesses, I was worried that my family will know that I got sick.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked the Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for his role in helping mediate a ceasefire deal with Israel and Hamas during a call on Sunday.
The call came the same day as the first phase of the deal began with the release of three Israeli hostages – the first of the 33 to be released by Hamas and its allies over the next few weeks. In return, 90 Palestinian prisoners were released, the first of almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners to be freed under the long-awaited agreement.
Blinken spoke with the prime minister about the need for post-conflict planning in Gaza and said he hopes they can work to “build lasting peace in the region,” the State Department said.
In a separate call, Blinken spoke with Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. The two discussed steps toward regional security and Blinken thanked Safadi for Jordan’s role in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Jordan Corridor.
Hundreds of trucks carrying aid entered Gaza on the first day of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, according to the United Nations’ Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.
“At least 630 trucks with humanitarian aid entered Gaza on Sunday, with at least 300 of them going to the north. There is no time to lose,” Tom Fletcher said in a statement Sunday.
The ceasefire agreement allows for a dramatic uptick in humanitarian relief to enter Gaza. However, the UN has warned the increased aid allotment would be “only a start” in addressing the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the enclave, where Israeli strikes have laid waste to large swathes of territory and human rights groups have described “unspeakable” living conditions.
Fletcher called on countries “with influence over the parties to ensure that this lifesaving aid reaches those who need it most.”
The respite from violence in Gaza means that many Palestinians displaced during Israel’s war are returning home — but one Gazan told CNN the moment was “bittersweet” as so many houses have been reduced to rubble.
Almost all housing in Gaza has been destroyed or damaged during Israel’s war on Hamas, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Some 436,000 housing units — 92% of Gaza’s homes — have been affected, with 160,000 destroyed and 276,000 severely or partially damaged, OCHA said.
Additionally, more than 1.8 million people are in urgent need of emergency shelter and essential household items.
The UN said on its website that approximately 90% of the population across Gaza have been displaced, many of whom have been forced to move repeatedly, “some 10 times or more.”
Buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners out of Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank were met by huge crowds cheering and waving flags, according to a CNN team on the ground.
Moments earlier, Israeli forces had blocked access to roads leading to the prison and used tear gas and sound grenades in an attempt to disperse the crowds, the CNN team reported.
The CNN team also reported a heavy presence of Palestinian emergency teams.
Earlier, the Israel Prison Service said 90 Palestinian prisoners had been freed as part of the ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas.
The Israel Prison Service says 90 Palestinian prisoners have been freed as part of the ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas.
More to come…
US President-elect Donald Trump said at a rally in Washington, DC, on Sunday that the ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas “could only have happened as a result of our historic victory.”
“This week we achieved an epic ceasefire agreement as a first step toward lasting peace in the Middle East. And this agreement could only have happened as a result of our historic victory in November,” Trump said, adding, “I’m glad to report that the first hostages have just been released.”
The three freed Israeli hostages — the first of 33 to be released by Hamas and its allies over the next six weeks — are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv. In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
“Our incoming administration has achieved all of this in the Middle East in less than three months. Without being president, we’ve achieved more … than they’ve achieved in four years with being president,” Trump said, celebrating the work done by Steve Witkoff, the president-elect’s incoming envoy to the Middle East.
The cooperation between Trump’s and President Joe Biden’s teams in negotiating the deal was “almost unprecedented,” a senior Biden administration official said after the deal was clinched, made possible by a rare intersection of interests between bitter rivals who both saw an opening following Trump’s victory.
Israeli security forces have dropped more tear gas on crowds and members of the press awaiting the release of prisoners from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, according to a CNN team on the ground.
The team also reported the use of sound grenades near the prison, which is expected to release the prisoners soon as part of the ceasefire deal agreed with Israel.
CNN’s Nada Bashir said Israeli security forces had “mounted the hill” overlooking the prison and that “any civilians gathered to watch quickly dispersed” leaving only press teams in the area.
Later, at least four Israeli security forces personnel were seen on foot, targeting press teams on the hill with more tear gas and sound grenades, Bashir said.
The CNN team had to leave the area.
CNN has reached out to the Israel Police for comment.
Israeli drones dropped tear gas canisters on crowds near the Israeli-operated Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, where people are gathering ahead of the expected release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal.
“We saw at least two canisters being dropped targeting the crowds and press that had gathered on top of a hill overlooking Ofer Prison,” said CNN’s Nada Bashir, who is part of a team stationed near the prison in the city of Beitunia to cover the release.
A spokesperson for the Israeli police claimed to CNN that people “displaying Hamas flags” had gathered near the prison “and proceeded to throw stones at security forces. In response, the forces utilized crowd control measures to restore order and disperse the gathering.”
CNN’s team did not witness any Hamas flags being raised near the prison.
At least seven people were injured in the incident, the Palestine Red Crescent said in a statement on Sunday.
Some background: As part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, Israel is expected to release 90 prisoners and detainees tonight, following the release of three female Israeli hostages, according to a list released by the Palestinian Prisoners Society.
The 90 prisoners are to be released from the Ofer and Shikma facilities, according to the Israel Prison Service. Shikma prison is in Ashkelon, Israel.
Israel holds at least 10,000 Palestinian prisoners, according to the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society, though that number does not include the unknown number of Palestinians Israel has taken captive in Gaza.
The prisoners held by Israel include 3,376 people, including 95 children and 22 women, held under administrative detention, meaning they have not faced public charges or been put on trial.
CNN’s Lauren Izso and Abeer Salman contributed to this report
were killed by Israeli special forces in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, on October 9, 2024.” onload=”this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)” onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”2000″ width=”3000″ loading=”lazy”>The three-phase deal between Israel and Hamas will require further negotiations following the first stage, meaning the ceasefire is not guaranteed to last beyond the first six weeks.
The deal also doesn’t address certain elements of the conflict in the Middle East, including the violence in the occupied West Bank, where 3.3 million Palestinians are living under Israeli military occupation.
More than 680 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces since the war began, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The October 7 attacks by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza sparked a surge in violence in the occupied territory that lies between Israel and Jordan.
Israel has launched a series of military raids and airstrikes in towns and villages in the occupied West Bank. Last August, Israel launched a large “counter-terror operation” in the areas of Jenin and Tulkarem, which it said was its most expansive in years.
Meanwhile, attacks on Palestinian communities by Israeli settlers, emboldened by their country’s offensive in Gaza and support from Israel’s right-wing government, have increased.
There have also been deadly attacks against settlers.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank, where more than 500,000 Jewish settlers currently live, are considered illegal under international law.
On Friday, the Israeli defense minister’s spokesperson said the country will release Jewish settlers held under administrative detention in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in response to the government potentially releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza agreement.
All three released Israeli hostages are in stable condition, staff at Sheba Medical Center said Sunday.
Pessach said medical professionals would continue to examine them for the next few days.
“We feel privileged to be the ones who get this tremendous honor to treat those hostages and we will continue to stay here and be prepared until the last hostage returns to Israel,” Pessach said.
Sefi Mendelovich, the deputy director-general of Israel’s Ministry of Health, praised the “meticulous planning” that went into preparing for receiving the hostages.
Mendelovich added that medical staff are monitoring for any health issues that could arise after the hostages’ 471 days in captivity.
The first CNN drone footage taken of Gaza since November 5, 2023, shows the massive scale of destruction caused by 15 months of war.
The footage, filmed Sunday on the first day of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, shows the flattened remains of hundreds of buildings in three areas of northern Gaza: Beit Hanoun, Jabalya and Beit Lahia.
The footage shows Palestinians – most on foot but some on bicycles and donkey-drawn carts – journeying through what remains of the streets, with destroyed buildings on all sides and smoke rising in the distance.
As the drone rises, the viewer gets a bird’s eye view of the extent of the destruction, which stretches out far into the distance.
In a report last week, the United Nations estimated Israeli airstrikes and military operations in Gaza had “damaged or destroyed around 60 per cent of buildings, including homes, schools and hospitals” and displaced about 90% of the population.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is underway in Gaza, bringing a reprieve for Palestinians in the enclave and allowing the first of 33 Israeli hostages to be freed.
Here are the latest developments:
• Ceasefire begins: The ceasefire in Gaza has been in effect since Sunday morning. It was delayed by nearly three hours after Israel said Hamas had failed to provide the names of the first three hostages set to be freed. Hamas blamed a “technical” hold up. At least 19 Palestinians were killed on Sunday before the truce began, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense.
• Hostages released: Hamas eventually said that Romi Gonen, 24; Doron Steinbrecher, 31; and dual UK-Israeli citizen Emily Damari, 28, were to be released. They were handed to staff with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza and swiftly transferred to Re’im in southern Israel.
• Hospital treatment: The three women – captive for 471 days – were said by Red Cross staff to be in good health, but are being treated at the Sheba Medical Center in the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Staff from the hospital and Israel’s health ministry will provide an update shortly.
• Palestinian prisoners: In exchange for the three freed hostages, Israel is set to release 90 Palestinian prisoners. Large crowds have gathered outside Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, awaiting their release.
• Gazans return home: The truce – just the second in 15 months of fighting – has allowed many Palestinians displaced in Gaza to return home. CNN drone footage has shown people in Gaza walking along streets lined with rubble of destroyed buildings. Aerial shots show near-total desolation in the north of the strip.
• Humanitarian aid enters: As the ceasefire came into effect, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said it had 4,000 trucks of aid ready to enter Gaza. Trucks from the World Food Programme, another UN body, entered the enclave shortly after the truce began.
• What next?: The first phase of the deal will see the staggered release of 30 more Israeli hostages from Gaza. In return, Israel is expected to free almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. With the second and third phases of the truce uncertain, there are no guarantees that Israel will not resume its bombardment of Gaza.
On Sunday, the highly anticipated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect – just the second halt in fighting since Israel began its bombardment of Gaza after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.
Three hostages – held captive for 471 days – returned to Israel. Over the next six weeks, 30 more hostages are set to be freed, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel.
Since the truce went into effect, Palestinians have been seen celebrating throughout Gaza – much of which lies in total devastation after 15 months of near-constant Israeli bombings.
Israel’s longest war has so far failed to destroy its main enemy, Hamas, which, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself – and a failure for Israel.
Soon after a ceasefire came into effect on Sunday, masked gunmen emerged in vehicles, roaming the devastated streets of Gaza in celebration. Members of an elite unit wore their full uniforms at Al Saraya Square in Gaza City during the hostage transfer. It was Hamas’ reminder that its armed wing was still here 15 months after Israel set out to destroy them.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
After more than a year of fighting, Hamas and Israel in recent days reached a phased agreement that will see the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in addition to a 42-day ceasefire and the entry of aid. The deal also opens the door for further negotiations that could lead to a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire.
Read the full analysis here.
The father of Sagui Dekel-Chen, an Israeli-American being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, said on Sunday that “every minute is crucial” in the deal between Israel and Hamas.
Dekel-Chen’s name was included on the list of 33 hostages that Hamas is expected to release in the first phase of this deal. His father, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, told CBS that he has not received an update about his son in more than a year, when Hamas released a first wave of hostages.
“They were able to tell us about a lot of men who remained behind,” Jonathan Dekel-Chen said. “Many of those were subsequently executed by Hamas, and so every minute is crucial.”
Dekel-Chen, 36, is the father of three children, including a daughter who was born while he was held hostage.
“She only knows her dad as a poster on the wall and not the man himself,” Jonathan Dekel-Chen said.
Dekel-Chen’s father expressed his gratitude to US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump for their contributions to securing this deal.
“The Biden team absolutely did extraordinary work in getting the superstructure of this deal together,” he said. “However, it took a tweet and subsequent statements from President-elect Trump to get this home. And what we ask from President Trump and his team is keep their finger on this because it is the Middle East, it’s a volatile place. Things change in a moment.”
Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister who resigned over the ceasefire deal shortly before it came into effect, said the remaining hostages in Gaza should be freed “through the use of force.”
Ben Gvir welcomed the release of Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher, but likened the deal that secured their freedom to a “surrender.”
Ben Gvir resigned from the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier Sunday, along with two other ministers from the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party. The move is expected to seriously weaken Netanyahu’s coalition, but not necessarily to the point of collapse.
A spokesperson for Ben Gvir told CNN that his position as national security minister lasts for 48 hours after submitting his resignation.
Separately, Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s far-right minister of finance, said he was “filled with joy” at the return of the three hostages, despite also opposing the deal that brought them home. Like Ben Gvir, Smotrich has for months argued against any cessation of hostilities with Hamas in Gaza.
Smotrich has not resigned over the deal but has threatened to do so if Israel does not resume fighting after the first phase of the truce ends.
The three released hostages are at the Sheba Medical Center in the city of Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, the Israeli Health Ministry and the medical center said on Sunday night.
After an initial evaluation, representatives from the Ministry of Health and the hospital will address the media.