Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas of backtracking on the ceasefire deal and stated that his Cabinet will not meet to approve the agreement until the group backs down from what his office called a “last-minute crisis”.
Netanyahu's office accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the truce in an attempt “to extort last minute concessions” on Thursday morning, but it did not elaborate. The Israeli Cabinet was set to ratify the deal later in the day.
A senior Hamas official subsequently came out to reiterate the Palestinian group’s commitment to the ceasefire and hostage release deal, which was announced on Wednesday after months of mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US.
The complex ceasefire accord, which is due to come into effect on Sunday, outlined an initial six-week halt to the 15 months of bloodshed that has devastated the Gaza Strip – leaving more than 46,000 Palestinians dead – and inflamed the Middle East.
The truce promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and will allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes.
US President Joe Biden said in Washington: “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.”
A senior Biden administration official credited the presence of president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, as being critical to reaching the agreement.
However, Israeli airstrikes continued throughout the night and early on Thursday, killing at least 46 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.
Meanwhile, Gaza militants fired a rocket into Israel on Thursday, the Israeli military said, causing no casualties.
Key Points
- Netanyahu claims Hamas is reneging on some of Gaza ceasefire agreements
- No cabinet meeting to approve deal until Hamas backs down on ‘last-minute crisis’, says Netanyahu’s office
- Senior Hamas official says group committed to ceasefire agreement announced by mediators
- Israeli strikes on Gaza continue despite ceasefire announcement
- In pictures: Palestinians celebrate following news of Gaza ceasefire
- In pictures: Israelis in Tel Aviv celebrate news ceasefire agreed
Jubilant celebrations turn to anxiousness in both Israel and Gaza
10:31
,
Chief international correspondent Bel Trew
Jubilant celebrations have turned to anxiousness in both Israel and Gaza after Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday morning that his cabinet has not yet convened to vote on the ceasefire.
Accusing Hamas of having “reneged” on parts of the deal, the Israeli prime minister poured cold water on the truce announced by both US President Joe Biden and the Qatari leadership on Wednesday.
This has sparked fear and confusion among families on both sides. In Gaza, where civilians are living in makeshift tents in the grips of one of the most acute humanitarian crises in the world, many fear a surge in Israeli airstrikes in the hours before the ceasefire is formally enforced – if it gets that far.
In Israel, several families of the hostages – hoping their loved ones will be among those coming home after over 466 days in captivity in Gaza – now fear that the truce could be scuppered before it is actually put in place.
Gil Dickmann, who has spent over a year campaigning for the release of his cousin Carmel Gat, compared the wait and the indecision to “psychological terror.” He understands how crucial every moment is. Carmel, who was abducted by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Beeri on October 7, was among those on the list to be released in the first phase of the deal. However, she was found shot dead by her captors in September, when the last attempt to get an agreement over the line failed at the eleventh hour.
“It’s very troubling – we’ve all learned to trust no one,” he told The Independent, adding that the families of the hostages had just sent messages confirming that the deal is not signed.
“Most of the families have just turned off their TVs and logged off social media.”
He said he didn’t think Netanyahu or Hamas would defy incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, whose inauguration on Monday has been seen as the driving force and cutoff point behind the deal.
“We trust Trump to not only make this deal start, like he so amazingly did, but to also carry it to the finish line—freeing all hostages and ending the war.”
Smoke plumes seen rising from explosions in Gaza Strip following announcement of truce
10:20
,
Tara Cobham
German vice chancellor calls for push to turn Israel-Hamas deal into reality
10:00
,
Tara Cobham
German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said efforts must be made to turn the deal between Israel and Hamas for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release into a reality, in a statement posted on social media on Thursday.
"Now everything must be done so that the deal becomes a reality. And so that it launches a peace process towards a two-state solution," Habeck wrote on X.
Zur Einigung zwischen Israel und der Hamas. pic.twitter.com/FMc4IkCNMR
— Robert Habeck (@roberthabeck) January 16, 2025
Watch: Israel continues attacks on Gaza despite ceasefire announcement
09:40
,
Tara Cobham
Senior Hamas official says group committed to ceasefire agreement announced by mediators
09:15
,
Tara Cobham
Palestinian group Hamas is committed to the ceasefire agreement announced by mediators on Wednesday, Senior group official Izzat el-Reshiq said on Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier accused Hamas of backtracking on some details of the ceasefire deal.
‘Happiness, sadness, grief and worry’ across Israel and Gaza following ceasefire deal agreement
09:12
,
Chief international correspondent Bel Trew, in Tel Aviv
Adigital clock that towers over “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv has been ticking for the last 466 days. It marks the seconds, minutes and days since families in Israel and beyond have been campaigning for the release of hundreds of their loved ones taken by the Hamas militant group into Gaza.
It is a clock that these families hope will finally come to a stop.
On Wednesday, mediators from the US and Qatar announced that they had reached a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, which will come into effect on Sunday. Negotiators hope it is the first step in ending the unprecedented bloodshed in Gaza, where Palestinians say Israel’s bombing has killed more than 46,000 people and laid waste to swathes of the Strip.
Chief international correspondent Bel Trew reports from Tel Aviv:
No cabinet meeting to approve deal until Hamas backs down on ‘last-minute crisis’, says Netanyahu’s office
09:10
,
Tara Cobham
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has said his Cabinet will not meet to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal until Hamas backs down from what it called a “last-minute crisis”.
Netanyahu's office accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt “to extort last minute concessions” but did not elaborate.
The Israeli Cabinet was set to ratify the deal on Thursday.
Netanyahu claims Hamas is reneging on some of Gaza ceasefire agreements
08:38
,
Chief international correspondent Bel Trew
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Hamas is reneging on some of the Gaza ceasefire agreements.
His office said the Israeli Cabinet will not meet to approve a deal on Thursday until the militant group backs down on what it called “an effort to extort last-minute concessions”.
Netanyahu’s comments come after the militant group reportedly accepted the deal on Wednesday.
The Israeli prime minister’s office announced on Thursday morning: “Hamas has reneged on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last-minute concessions.
“The Israeli Cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement.”
In pics: Israelis in Tel Aviv celebrate news that a ceasefire had been agreed
08:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
China says it welcomes Gaza ceasefire deal
08:08
,
Tara Cobham
China welcomes the Gaza ceasefire deal and hopes relevant parties can take it as an opportunity to promote de-escalation in the Middle East, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has said.
China also hoped the agreement will be effectively implemented so as to achieve a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, spokersperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday.
Negotiators reached a phased deal on Wednesday to end the fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The deal would take effect on Sunday and negotiators are working with Israel and Hamas on steps to implement it.
Guo said China will continue efforts to provide humanitarian relief and help in post-war reconstruction in Gaza.
Israel should bear the primary cost of rehabilitating Gaza, says non profit
08:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
An American non-profit working in the Middle East said Israel should bear the primary cost of reconstructing and rehabilitating the Gaza Strip as it was responsible for the devastation in the enclave.
“If the world again allows Israel to externalise the costs of its crimes in Gaza, nothing will dissuade it from repeating its belligerence and abuses,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now.
Raed Jarrar, the group’s advocacy director, added: “A ceasefire agreement does not mean that Israeli war criminals who orchestrated this genocide are off the hook, and we will continue to demand accountability for their crimes.”
“The international community should also hold US officials in the Biden administration accountable for aiding and abetting crimes against humanity with their ongoing support of Israel’s war machine.”
Hamas says ceasefire deal result of Palestinians’s ‘legendary resistance’
07:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Hamas hailed its ceasefire with Israel as the result of “the legendary resilience of our great Palestinian people and our valiant resistance in the Gaza Strip”.
“The agreement is a milestone in the conflict with the enemy, on the path to achieving our people’s goals of liberation and return,” the group said in a statement.
Khalil al-Hayyah, the acting head of Hamas’s political bureau and chief negotiator, said the ceasefire deal represents a “new phase” which will focus on Gaza rebuilding and recovering.
“We are able - with god’s help first - and then with the help of our brothers, siblings, loved ones and supporters, to rebuild Gaza again, alleviate the pain, heal the wounds,” he said in a speech shared online by Hamas.
He also congratulated the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners who will be released in the first phase of the deal: “Our heroic prisoners have an appointment with the dawn of freedom.”
Everything we know about the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas
07:00
,
Alex Croft
Israel and Hamas have agreed a ceasefire deal in the Gaza war and to release some hostages after 15 months of conflict.
A week before US president-elect Donald Trump takes over from president Joe Biden, a breakthrough was achieved in talks in Doha, on a three-phase agreement that is due to come into effect on Sunday.
Both Mr Trump and Mr Biden claimed credit for the deal.
Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said measures would be taken in the coming days to enforce the agreement.
Barney Davis and Jane Dalton report:
Watch: Palestinians take to streets of Gaza’s Khan Younis to celebrate Hamas ceasefire
06:31
,
Alex Croft
US says 2 American hostages could be in first group freed from Gaza
06:15
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A senior Biden administration official said two Americans, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Keith Siegel, are expected to be released in the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire is set to begin Sunday and last for six weeks.
There is at least one other known living American captive in Gaza, an Israeli soldier named Edan Alexander, who will be released at a later date in the second phase of the agreement, the official told the Associated Press. It’s not clear how many of the hostages are still alive.
A year of war in Gaza: A timeline of key moments
06:01
,
Alex Croft
Just days before US president Joe Biden is set to leave office, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal after a last-minute “breakthrough” in talks.
An official close to the negotiations said a text for a ceasefire and release of hostages was presented by Qatar to both sides at talks in Doha.
In the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis large crowds of joyful Palestinians have taken to the streets, with people cheering and honking car horns.
Agreement was reached after the Qatari prime minister’s separately met Hamas negotiators Israeli negotiators in his office, source close to the negotiations told The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley.
Alexander Butler and Tom Watling report:
Comment | Peace has finally come to Gaza... but at a terrible price
05:30
,
Alex Croft
Great relief, then, at the Gaza ceasefire, such as it is – but also great sadness. There is no real reason why this deal, or something very much like it, couldn’t have been concluded when US president Joe Biden and his secretary of state Antony Blinken first put it on the table last May.
The “sticking points” that were obvious then haven’t materially altered in the many months since. But the price of delay has been paid by untold thousands of dead and injured civilians, the continuing pain of the hostages’ families, and the transformation of the poor but busy territory of Gaza into a desolate, uninhabitable moonscape.
The greatest of the tragedies have been inflicted on the children. It seems obvious that war crimes have been committed, just as surely as the series of events that triggered this particular phase in the Middle East, on 7 October 2023, amounted to a terrorist atrocity and an act of war.
Sean O’Grady writes:
Charity says world leaders must push for permanent end to the Gaza war
05:15
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Charity and rights groups have urged world leaders to push for a permanent end to Israel’s war in Gaza following the ceasefire announcement between Israel and Hamas to stop fighting and release hostages.
“Leaders must put an end to this nightmare and use this opportunity to push for a permanent ceasefire combined with a massive influx of humanitarian aid,” said Rose Caldwell, chief executive of Plan International UK.
“Gaza remains in the grip of a catastrophic hunger crisis, with children dying of starvation, dehydration and related diseases. Without immediate safe access and large-scale action, many thousands more could die.”
Rights group Project Hope said: “Even with a break in violence, we know people will continue to die from preventable causes unless there is a significant reduction in humanitarian aid restrictions, an increase in humanitarian access to all areas of Gaza, and a surge of humanitarian assistance, including specialty health workers to address the array of medical needs.”
Trump claims credit for ceasefire agreement
05:00
,
Alex Croft
President-elect Donald Trump has claimed credit for the ceasefire agreement made between Israel and Hamas, hailing it as an “epic ceasefire agreement”.
He wrote on Truth Social: “This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies. I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.
“With this deal in place, my National Security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven. We will continue promoting PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH throughout the region, as we build upon the momentum of this ceasefire to further expand the Historic Abraham Accords. This is only the beginning of great things to come for America, and indeed, the World!
“We have achieved so much without even being in the White House. Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my Administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more Victories for the United States!”
Second-biggest militant group says ceasefire deal ‘honourable’
04:45
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second-biggest militant group in Gaza, said the ceasefire deal to temporarily stop the fighting was “honourable.”
Hamas needed Islamic Jihad’s support for the deal in order to avoid a potential disruption in the process, according to reports.
“Today, our people and their resistance imposed an honourable agreement to stop the aggression,” Islamic Jihad said in a statement.
Live: View of Gaza's Khan Younis after ceasefire deal reached
04:40
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
UN: We will deliver as much aid as conditions allow
04:30
,
Alex Croft
The United Nations will only deliver as much humanitarian aid as “the conditions on the ground allow”, a UN aid spokesperson said after news emerged of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
“The removal of the various impediments the U.N. has been facing during the last year, which include restrictions on the entry of goods; the lack of safety and security; the breakdown of law and order; and the lack of fuel, is a must,” said Eri Kaneko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The UN and its partners have been working to develop a coordinated plan to scale up the Gaza aid operation, Ms Kaneko added.
Israeli strikes on Gaza continue despite ceasefire announcement
04:12
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israel intensified strikes on Gaza hours after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced, residents and authorities in the Strip said.
Heavy Israeli bombardment, especially in Gaza City, killed 32 people last night, medics in the Hamas-run enclave said. The strikes continued early this morning and destroyed 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.
Keir Starmer: Ceasefire is ‘long-overdue’ after ‘devastating bloodshed’
04:02
,
Alex Croft
UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has also been speaking after news emerged of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
“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,” Mr Starmer said. “They have borne the brunt of this conflict – triggered by the brutal terrorists of Hamas, who committed the deadliest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust on October 7th, 2023.
“The hostages, who were brutally ripped from their homes on that day and held captive in unimaginable conditions ever since, can now finally return to their families. But we should also use this moment to pay tribute to those who won’t make it home – including the British people who were murdered by Hamas. We will continue to mourn and remember them.
“For the innocent Palestinians whose homes turned into a warzone overnight and the many who have lost their lives, this ceasefire must allow for a huge surge in humanitarian aid, which is so desperately needed to end the suffering in Gaza.
“And then our attention must turn to how we secure a permanently better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people – grounded in a two-state solution that will guarantee security and stability for Israel, alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine state.”
Netanyahu says Gaza ceasefire deal is not complete
03:31
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a ceasefire agreement with Hamas is still not complete and the final details are being worked out.
Netanyahu’s statement comes hours after the US and Qatar announced the deal, which would pause the devastating 15-month war in Gaza and clear the way for dozens of hostages to go home.
He said that Hamas was objecting to a part of the agreement that gave Israel the ability to veto the release of certain Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas was trying to dictate which Palestinian prisoners would be released, Netanyahu said. He said he told Israeli negotiators to stand firm on the earlier agreement.
‘Palestinians have gone through hell’ - Biden
03:29
,
Alex Croft
US president Joe Biden has said the Palestinian people have “gone through hell” in the past 15 months, soon after a ceasefire deal was confirmed between Israel and Hamas.
Speaking outside The White House, he said: “The Palestinian people have gone through hell. Too many innocent people have died. Too many communities have been destroyed. With this deal, the people of Gaza can finally recover and rebuild.”
Watch: Blinken presents post-war plan for Gaza at Atlantic Council
03:00
,
Alex Croft
Comment | A ceasefire in Gaza is a victory for Netanyahu – and Hamas
02:32
,
Alex Croft
The ceasefire in Gaza is riddled with tripwires that look almost deliberately designed to fail. It is a tactical muddle that will bring brief respite – and serves only the long-term strategies of Israel’s prime minister and his enemies in Hamas.
Gaza’s militant leadership launched their campaign of atrocity and murder on 7 October 2023, knowing that any Israeli government – but especially one led by Benjamin Netanyahu, who’s in political hoc to the Israeli far right – would respond with staggering violence.
Yahya Sinwar, then the leader of the militant group that rules Gaza, is reported to have considered the tens of thousands of Gazans killed by Israel to be “necessary sacrifices”. He’s now among the dead, but would no doubt feel nothing for the 46,700 others who have perished – according to the Palestinian health ministry – under Israel’s air, land and sea attacks.
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
In pictures: Palestinians celebrate following news of Gaza ceasefire
02:01
,
Alex Croft
Full report: Israel and Hamas agree historic Gaza ceasefire deal after 15 months of war
01:30
,
Alex Croft
Israel and Hamas have agreed a historic ceasefire to end 15 months of war in Gaza, a conflict in which almost 50,000 people have been killed and which has threatened to draw in the whole of the Middle East.
A truce and hostage deal was reached after the prime minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, met Hamas negotiators and then separately the Israelis. Qatar has been a key mediator in seeking to end the conflict. President-elect Donald Trump was quick to hail the end of the war, writing on Truth Social: “We have a deal for the hostages.”
The Qatari prime minister later confirmed the deal in a delayed press conference. He revealed that it would go into effect on Sunday and said its success would rely on Israel and Hamas “acting in good faith in order to ensure that this agreement does not collapse”.
The Independent’s chief international correspondent Bel Trew and world affairs editor Sam Kiley report:
Father of Israeli-American hostage in Gaza ‘in the dark’ despite ceasefire deal with Hamas
00:57
,
Alex Croft
The father of one of the approximately 100 hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas is still “in the dark” about the fate of his son, despite Israel and the militant group reaching a ceasefire and prisoner release deal to bring about the end of the brutal conflict.
Sagui Dekel-Chen was kidnapped from Nir Oz kibbutz during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that kicked off the conflict.
His father, Hebrew University of Jerusalem history professor Jonathan Dekel-Chen, told The Independent he still has very little information about the fate of his son.
“I’m a parent of a hostage who is completely in the dark,” he said. “We don’t have solid information about Sagui or any of the other hostages, who is alive or who is not.”
Josh Marcus reports:
Biden notes that he ‘introduced’ Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal after Trump claims credit
00:22
,
Alex Croft
Hamas and Israel have reached a ceasefire deal brokered by the United States with the aid of the Egyptian and Qatari governments, ending 15 months of violence that began with the October 7, 2023, terror attacks, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking from the White House not long after news of the agreement became public, Biden said it was “a very good afternoon” because he could announce the deal had finally been reached. The inking of a ceasefire deal brings to a halt more than a year of war in Gaza, during which the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 100,000 wounded.
Our White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports:
‘Happiness, sadness, grief and worry’ across Israel and Gaza following ceasefire deal agreement
00:00
,
Alex Croft
A digital clock that towers over “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv has been ticking for the last 466 days. It marks the seconds, minutes, and days since families in Israel and beyond have been campaigning for the release of hundreds of their loved ones taken by the Hamas militant group into Gaza.
It is a clock that these families hope will finally come to a stop.
On Wednesday, mediators from the US and Qatar announced that they had reached a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, which would come into effect on Sunday. Negotiators hope it is the first step in ending the unprecedented bloodshed in Gaza, where Palestinians say Israel’s bombing has killed over 46,000 people and laid waste to swathes of the Strip.
Our chief international correspondent Bel Trew writes:
‘The scars will be long lasting’ - David Miliband of International Rescue Committee
Wednesday 15 January 2025 23:47
,
Alex Croft
The “scars of this war will be long-lasting”, said president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) David Miliband.
“This ceasefire is essential and overdue. Too many lives have already been lost and ruined over the last 15 months of the conflict. The needs are immense, and need urgent attention,” he said in a statement.
“IRC teams on the ground have done outstanding work in the most difficult conditions. Many of these colleagues were displaced in makeshift shelters themselves.
“The scars of this war will be long-lasting, but a surge of aid is desperately needed to provide immediate relief to civilians. This will take flexible funding and the free flow of aid and aid workers. Done right, it can lay the foundations for the even harder work of development and peace.”
Ceasefire is ‘huge relief’, says UN human rights commissioner
Wednesday 15 January 2025 23:13
,
Alex Croft
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas comes as a “huge relief after so much unbearable pain and misery over the past 15 months,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Wednesday.
“I urge parties to the conflict and all countries with influence to do everything in their powers to ensure the success of next stages of the ceasefire, including the release of all hostages and to end the war in its entirety,” he added.
“My thoughts, right now, are with those who have suffered so much unbearable pain and misery over the past 15 months, and I hope for everyone’s sake that no one will ever have to go through this again.
“Food, water, medicine, shelter and protection are the top priorities. We have no time to lose,” he added.
‘We welcome ceasefire, but the catastrophe persists’ - Israeli rights group
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:41
,
Alex Croft
Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has welcomed the ceasefire deal - but says “the catastrophe persists” with many in Gaza remaining “destitute, starving and homeless”.
“A ceasefire is only the first step, and one that should have happened long ago,” the group said. “There is a real concern that Israel will resume fighting after the first phase of the deal is complete.
The international community must ensure Israel stops the war “completely and permanently”, B’Tselem said.
“Israeli decision-makers responsible for serious violations of the laws of war and for crimes against humanity must be held accountable, and all Israeli violence against the Palestinian people in the entire area between the Jordan and the Mediterranean must cease.
“The only way to break the cycle of bloodshed is to end the occupation, oppression, and apartheid regime and ensure the human rights of everyone living in this space.”
Ceasefire came because we shifted approach - Biden administration official
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:20
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Andrew Feinberg, White House Correspondent
The US shifted its approach towards the Middle East in September, a senior official from the Biden administration has said.
Israel decided to focus on Lebanon rather than on a hostage deal in Gaza, the official said. As long as the former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah remained in power, Israel was “never going to get a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza”, they added.
They described Israel’s campaign in Lebanon as “extraordinarily successful”, describing the “new political configuration” in Lebanon as “extraordinary”.
“On November 27 the Lebanon ceasefire went into effect. That led to December, which we returned to the table for the ceasefire hostage release talks in Gaza and a significantly changed equation in the Middle East,” the official added.
Gaza ceasefire must trigger massive aid expansion - Norwegian Refugee Council
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:02
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Bel Trew, Chief International Correspondent
The Gaza ceasefire must lead to a lasting truce and prompt a huge aid expansion, the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland said.
“At long last we have a deal that must end the 15 months of relentless death, destruction, displacement, detention, and the holding of hostages.
“We call on the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and other nations to make sure Israel does keep all crossings open, enabling a sustained flow of aid that can alleviate further suffering.
“These hostilities have destabilised the Middle East and exposed millions of civilians to unrelenting violence. The Gaza ceasefire must not only introduce a lasting cessation of hostilities, but a firm commitment to international law, including accountability for war crimes.
“To end the cycle of violence, the international community must address the root causes of this decades-long conflict and pursue a just resolution in alignment with international law.”
Islamic Relief: ‘The big test is what happens next’
Wednesday 15 January 2025 21:54
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Bel Trew, Chief International Correspondent
Islamic Relief has welcomed a “rare moment of hope” after “15 months of unprecedented and relentless atrocities”.
But it says that the “big test will be what happens next, whether it is adhered to, and whether a temporary pause becomes permanent”.
“For almost 500 days Israel has carried ou