Two Palestinians severely beaten by Israeli forces in West Bank

Israeli forces have raided multiple towns across the occupied West Bank, severely beating at least two Palestinians and arresting four more, according to the Wafa news agency.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society confirmed that its crews transported the injured Palestinians from the village of Jaba in Jenin governorate to a hospital after soldiers beat them. Forces also stormed multiple homes in Jaba and detained a large number of residents for field interrogations.

Meanwhile, in Kafr al-Labad village in Tulkarem governorate, Israeli soldiers arrested three men after raiding their homes.

In Beit Fajjar town in Bethlehem governorate, soldiers fanned out across multiple neighbourhoods to raid homes, making at least one arrest.

Israeli settlers destroy crops in West Bank’s Jordan Valley

Local sources have told the Wafa news agency that Israeli settlers destroyed crops across a large swath of agricultural land overnight.

They attacked “dozens of dunams” in al-Farisya village in the northern Jordan Valley, Wafa reported.

The northern Jordan Valley has seen an escalation in settler attacks in recent months. Last month, Israeli forces sent heavy reinforcements into the area and sealed off large parts of the Tubas governorate.

Israeli forces start demolishing 100 homes in Nur Shams camp

Israeli military bulldozers have commenced extensive demolition work in the occupied West Bank’s Nur Shams refugee camp, located in Tulkarem governorate, according to the Wafa news agency.

A photo published by Wafa showed bulldozers climbing up a hill in the al-Maslakh neighbourhood, surrounded by rubble and partially destroyed buildings.

During the demolition drive, 25 buildings with about 100 homes are likely to be demolished, local authorities said earlier this month.

Over the past year, Israel has demolished or damaged a total of approximately 1,500 homes across three West Bank refugee camps, forcing out 32,000 Palestinians. The campaign is part of Israel’s ongoing effort to illegally annex the West Bank, analysts say.

Nearly half of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails held without charge: Monitor

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) has issued a statement, saying 49 percent of the more than 9,300 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are being held without charge.

The watchdog said more than 3,350 prisoners are under administrative detention, in addition to 1,220 prisoners detained under Israel’s so-called “unlawful combatants” law, which allows the authorities to detain them indefinitely on security grounds without having to prove any allegations.

Israel’s Ben-Gvir says police will ‘thrash’ Palestinian children who throw stones

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has responded to reports of Palestinian children being detained for throwing stones by saying police will “thrash” offenders.

“If a minor throws a stone, he needs to be dealt with harshly. A stone is a stone; stones kill,” he told reporters, according to The Times of Israel. “Even a minor, if he throws a stone, they [law enforcement] will thrash him,” he said.

The comments were in response to reports of police arresting young Palestinian children during a raid on Tarabin al-Sana, a Bedouin town in the Negev region. Local media reported that children as young as eight were arrested following the incident. Police said they arrested 24 suspects, including four minors.

Israeli settlers storm Nablus town as soldiers raid West Bank

Israeli settlers cut down dozens of grapevines and destroyed water lines and a fence in the village of Duma, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

The owner of the land that was attacked told the Wafa news agency that settlers cut down about 50 grape seedlings, and that they had previously attacked the area several times.

Israeli soldiers also raided the town of Tuqu, southeast of Bethlehem, while settlers stormed the outskirts of the town on their tractors.

South of Hebron, soldiers accompanied by a bulldozer forced Palestinian vendors to remove their commercial kiosks at the entrance to the town of as-Samu. The video below shows a young Palestinian man being arrested in the town.

Teenager in ‘critical condition’ after beating by Israeli soldiers in West Bank

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office has provided further details about the beatings of the two young men earlier today by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

It said that 17-year-old Majed Salawdi was subjected to a “violent attack” in the village of Tal south of Nablus after his home was raided by Israeli forces who beat him before and after detaining him.

The boy was left bleeding in his underwear at the Awarta military checkpoint, and was found by another person who notified the family. He is now “in intensive care and in critical condition” at the hospital, the office said, adding that he has internal bleeding in the liver and spleen.

The monitor also released an image of the second young man, who was not identified, showing him lying on a hospital bed after being beaten by Israeli soldiers in the village of Jaba in Jenin.

Israeli forces wound two Palestinians during storming of Silwad

Israeli forces wounded a young man and injured a 15-year-old boy in the town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. According to Wafa, citing local sources, soldiers stormed the town and shot and wounded a young man before arresting him.

Israeli soldiers also assaulted Ibrahim Awni Faris, 15, beating him after he was detained during the storming of the town.

At the same time, Israeli military vehicles stormed the towns of Deir Jarir and Al-Mazra’a Al-Sharqiya, east and northeast of Ramallah.

Israeli forces detain seven people working for the Wafa news agency

Israeli forces have detained seven people working for the Palestinian news outlets, Wafa, near the town of Mikhmas, while they were going to the town of Hizma, northeast of Jerusalem, in the occupied West Bank this morning.

According to Wafa, those detained included the minister’s office director, Haitham al-Rifai, and colleagues in the General Administration of Financial and Administrative Affairs, Mo’men Nawahda, Omar Qandil, and Salah Abdel-Aal, and from the General Administration of Information, Majed Jadallah, and the driver, Abdel-Karim Abu Rujaila, and Arafat al-Barghouthi.

Israel has become notorious for its attacks on the media, both in terms of censorship and actual loss of life. Days ago, we cited a report that found these attacks extend even to family members of media workers, with more than 700 killed since the start of its genocidal war in Gaza in October 2023.

Israeli raids destroy building, excavator in southern Lebanon

An Israeli drone has dropped an explosive device on the village of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon, according to the National News Agency (NNA). The explosion, which occurred shortly after midnight, severely damaged an excavator, Lebanon’s state-run outlet said.

Separately, Israeli troops advanced into Lebanese territory and detonated an explosive device in a house in the village of Hula. NNA did not report any casualties.

Israeli army blows up last standing house in Lebanon border town

The Israeli army has used an explosive device to blow up the last standing house in Marwahin, a border town in southern Lebanon.

The county’s state-run National News Agency said the home belonged to Omar Dheeb al-Qassem and was the only one that hadn’t been damaged by a series of strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon that ended in a ceasefire in November 2024.

EXPOSED: Israel Behind Iran Protests?!

Media outlets from Israel are accusing Mossad agents of being provoceteurs in the civil unrest in Iran.

"A Farsi-language X account claiming to represent Israel’s Mossad encouraged protests in Iran on Monday and suggested that the Israeli spy agency has operatives involved in demonstrations on the ground. “Let’s come out to the streets together. The time has come. We are with you. Not just from afar and verbally. We are with you in the field as well,” the account, which Israeli media is treating as an official mouthpiece for the Mossad, said in Farsi."

Palestinians face 2026 with little hope amidst humanitarian crisis

When we hear people talking about expectations for 2026, they are painfully modest here. They’re not hoping for much, just stability and avoiding another catastrophe.

The year arrives not with hope or certainty. Everyone, including myself, was hoping this was going to be a better year, but it is not. It is not a good year for Palestinians here.

People are still struggling daily to secure necessities for themselves and their families. The questions they face are not about plans, but about survival: Where they will sleep, how they will stay warm, and how they will keep their children safe.

Now, they are being hit with new restrictions imposed by the Israeli military, including a decision to remove many of the organisations that form the backbone of survival here.

Heavy storms to batter Palestinian territory through Friday

The Palestinian Meteorological Department has warned of severe weather starting on Thursday, with heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail expected across the territories. Winds will gust up to 50km/h (31mph), with authorities warning of flash flooding in valleys and low-lying areas.

The forecast brings new concern for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians living in tents across Gaza, where recent winter storms have already devastated camps.

Last month, families watched floodwaters destroy mattresses, blankets and other essential belongings, leaving them with nowhere dry to sleep. Aid groups have repeatedly called on Israeli authorities to lift restrictions on shelter equipment entering the territory.

Gaza death toll rises

At least one Palestinian has been killed and another was injured in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry. One body was also recovered from the rubble of previous Israeli attacks, the ministry said in a statement.

Israel has killed at least 416 Palestinians and injured 1,153 others since the October 10 ceasefire came into effect, the statement said. About 683 bodies have been recovered from the rubble during the truce period, it added.

The total death toll since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, now stands at 71,271, with 171,233 injured.

Child killed by Israeli forces in northern Gaza

A child has been killed by Israeli forces in the Jabalia an-Nazla area in northern Gaza, according to a source speaking from al-Shifa Hospital to our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic. The circumstances of the killing were not immediately clear.

Netanyahu attends Trump’s New Year’s bash at Mar-a-Lago

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the US for his fifth meeting with President Donald Trump in under a year, has been seen in a video attending a lavish New Year’s Eve party at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Other party attendees included Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr, Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani, and top members of Trump’s administration, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.

In their meeting on Monday, Trump and Netanyahu downplayed reports of tensions and heaped praise on each other. Trump called Netanyahu, who is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, a wartime “hero” and said he is “not concerned about anything that Israel’s doing”.

President Donald J Trump with First Lady Melania Trump Trump tonight at Mar-a-Lago for New Year’s Eve!! Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu also here! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!🇺🇸🇺🇸☀️☀️🎉🌴 pic.twitter.com/sttcrDrrCO

— Michael Solakiewicz (@michaelsolakie) January 1, 2026

Somaliland president to visit Israel, join Abraham Accords: Report

Israel’s public broadcaster reports that Somaliland President Abdirahman Cirro will visit Israel soon, though no date has been specified, and that he will join the Abraham Accords – a set of deals brokered by the United States to establish formal ties with Israel.

Israel recognised Somaliland last week, becoming the first UN member state to do so and ending more than 30 years of diplomatic isolation for the self-declared republic in northern Somalia.

The move has prompted an international backlash, with Somalia mobilising diplomatic support in response.

During a video call announcing the decision last week, Somaliland’s president accepted an invitation from the Israeli prime minister to visit Jerusalem.

Somaliland denies allegations of agreeing to host Israeli bases, forcibly displaced Palestinians for recognition

Somaliland’s Foreign Ministry has issued a statement, rejecting allegations by Somalia’s president that the breakaway region has agreed to host Israeli military bases and forcibly displaced Palestinians from Gaza in exchange for recognition by Israel.

In a post on X, Somaliland said its engagement with Israel was “purely diplomatic” and conducted “in full respect of international law”.

Israel and Somaliland announced mutual recognition last week, prompting widespread speculation about the terms of the agreement.

Somalia’s president told Al Jazeera that Somaliland had agreed to three conditions: the resettlement of Palestinians, the establishment of an Israeli military base on the Gulf of Aden coast, and Somaliland’s accession to the Abraham Accords to normalise ties with Israel.

The final condition – joining the Abraham Accords – has been confirmed by Israel’s prime minister. However, the first two claims have not been publicly acknowledged by either Somaliland or Israeli officials.

Somaliland said the claims were baseless and intended to mislead the international community.

Sure, it just happens to be that 'Somaliland' is on the Gulf of Aden (which leads to Israel) right across from the Houthis in Yemen.

UN slams Israel’s suspension of aid groups, calls move ‘outrageous’

The UN has described Israel’s suspension of a group of aid organisations as “outrageous”.

Ravina Shamdasani, the UN human rights spokesperson, said the move was the “latest in a pattern of unlawful restrictions” by Israeli authorities, as well as attacks on Israeli and Palestinian NGOs, amid broader access problems faced by the UN and other humanitarian groups.

Israel said the restrictions were imposed because the organisations failed to comply with its vetting procedures, which many aid groups have denied as arbitrary.

The suspension affects international aid groups, including ActionAid and Doctors Without Borders.

UN chief condemns Israeli law blocking UNRWA utilities

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Israel’s adoption of amendments to a law targeting UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

The amendments, passed by the Knesset on December 29, seek to cut electricity and water to UNRWA facilities.

Guterres said the law violates UNRWA’s international legal protections and called for its immediate repeal, stressing that UNRWA property is “inviolable” under UN conventions.

Israeli rights groups condemn NGO deregistration

Nineteen Israeli human rights organisations have condemned an Israeli government decision to deregister dozens of international humanitarian groups operating in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The groups, united under The Platform coalition, issued a joint statement on Wednesday criticising measures that restrict access to life-saving assistance in Gaza and the West Bank. The deregistration of 37 NGOs comes as humanitarian access has been severely constrained since October 2023, with essential aid including food, medicine and hygiene items delayed or denied.

“The new registration framework violates core humanitarian principles of independence and neutrality,” the statement said, adding that it “weaponizes bureaucracy” and “institutionalizes barriers” forcing vital organisations to suspend operations.

The groups called on Israel to “immediately halt deregistration proceedings” and allow international organisations to operate safely, saying ensuring humanitarian aid access “is a legal obligation, not a discretionary choice”.

B’Tselem joins the Statement by 19 Israel-based human rights organizations on the deregistration of INGOs:

“The deregistration of 37 INGOs undermines principled humanitarian action, endangers staff and communities, and compromises effective aid delivery."

"Ensuring access to… pic.twitter.com/wXWSjEESdD

— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) January 1, 2026

Ex-UN official calls Israel’s request for staff names ‘nonsense’

Martin Griffiths, a former UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, has said Israeli authorities’ requesting the names of humanitarian workers is not a new issue, following Israel’s announcement that it was banning a group of international organisations on the basis that they were not complying with its measures.

But Griffiths added in an interview with Al Jazeera that humanitarian organisations tend not to comply, dismissing the request as “nonsense” that was newly introduced.

He said the dilemma is that organisations that don’t comply will be banned and cannot serve people who are in need, creating tension between operational and principled imperatives of humanitarian organisations.

Griffiths warned that providing the names would set a precedent that other governments in conflict zones might begin introducing too.

‘People need more services, not less’ in Gaza, warns MSF

Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians could lose access to essential medical care as Israel’s revocation of licences comes into effect.

“The Palestinian health system is decimated, essential infrastructure is destroyed, and people struggle to meet basic needs. People need more services, not less. If MSF and other INGOs lose access, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be cut off from essential care. We currently support one in five hospital beds and the delivery of one in three births in Gaza,” MSF said in a post on X.

“In 2025 alone, we provided nearly 800,000 outpatient consultations, treated over 100,000 trauma cases, performed 22,700 surgeries, assisted more than 10,000 births, and distributed nearly 700 million litres of water,” it added.

As of 31 December 2025, MSF is still awaiting renewal of its registration to operate in Gaza and the West Bank under new Israeli requirements, including staff lists.
The Palestinian health system is decimated, essential infrastructure is destroyed, and people struggle to meet…

— MSF International (@MSF) January 1, 2026

Thousands march in Turkiye’s Istanbul in solidarity with Gaza

Thousands of protesters have marched through the Turkish city of Istanbul in support of Gaza. A demonstration in support of Gaza also took place last year, organised by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son, Bilal Erdogan.

Sinem Koseoglu, Al Jazeera’s Turkiye correspondent reporting from Istanbul, said football clubs have also been calling on their supporters to join the demonstrations.

She added that Palestine is an issue that draws support across the country’s political spectrum, from the ruling AK Party to major opposition parties. “Today people are trying to show their support on the very first day of the new year,” she said.

_{A drone view shows people gathering over the Galata Bridge in solidarity with Palestinians on New Year’s Day in Istanbul, Turkiye, January 1}

Bedouins in Israel protest against discrimination, police raids


_{Israelis from the Bedouin community protest against discrimination and police raids, in the Negev Desert in southern Israel, January 1, 2025}

2026 must be a year to ‘end suffering, rebuild’ Gaza: Media Office

Gaza’s Government Media Office has outlined its priorities for the “next phase” in the war-battered enclave, calling for an immediate end to Israeli “aggression and genocide” and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

In a New Year statement, the office urged the permanent opening of all crossing points to allow humanitarian aid, the launch of a “genuine reconstruction process” – including for Gaza’s “exhausted health sector” – the provision of basic needs for displaced people and their safe return home.

It also stressed that aid agencies must be able to operate “without obstacles” and that Israel be held “accountable for its crimes under international law”.

“Despite the magnitude of the tragedy, our Palestinian people remain steadfast in their right to life, freedom and dignity,” said the media office statement.

“They affirm that 2026 must be a year to end the suffering, not perpetuate it; a year to rebuild what the occupation has destroyed, not to entrench the ongoing catastrophe.”

Israel to reopen Rafah crossing after US pressure: Israeli media

Israel is preparing to reopen the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt in both directions after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns from a visit to the United States, according to Israeli media.

Israel’s Kan 11 news reported on Wednesday that the expected decision comes as a result of pressure from US President Donald Trump.

For Palestinians in Gaza, the Rafah crossing had long been the only connection to the outside world. That was until May 2024, when Israeli forces occupied the Palestinian side of the crossing, destroying its buildings, preventing travel and causing a severe humanitarian crisis, especially for patients.

It marked the first time in 20 years that Israeli forces directly controlled the border crossing, as they deployed soldiers in a military buffer zone all across the Philadelphi Corridor, where they remain today.

It should have been opened months ago, and Israel will find more excuses and restrictions to make it one way only.

Man killed by Israeli gunfire near occupied West Bank’s Nablus: Report

Israeli forces have shot and killed a young man in the village of al-Lubban Asharqiya, near the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency. Wafa identified the man as 26-year-old Khattab Mohammad Sarhan Daraghmeh.

Israeli forces also shot another man while raiding the village, said Wafa, adding that he has been hospitalised in Salfit.

Israel’s military admits killing man in West Bank village, claims victim threw stones

Israel’s military has acknowledged its forces shot and killed a man during an overnight raid in the village of al-Lubban Asharqiya in the occupied West Bank, claiming they fired shots after he and several others threw stones at them.

Israeli gunfire hit two other people, said the military, adding that none of its forces were injured.

Israeli forces round up dozens, demolish home in latest West Bank raids: Report

Israeli forces have carried out a familiar wave of raids in the occupied West Bank. According to the Wafa news agency, they:

Israeli forces demolish two homes near occupied West Bank’s Jericho: Report

Israeli forces have used bulldozers to demolish two houses near Jericho in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency. Additionally, Israel issued a demolition notice for another house in the area, according to security sources cited by the agency.

The report follows separate mass demolitions in the West Bank’s Nur Shams camp, where Israeli bulldozers tore through residential blocks and flattened homes housing about 100 families yesterday.

Israeli forces storm Jalazone refugee camp near occupied West Bank’s Ramallah

Israeli forces have raided the Jalazone refugee camp, north of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency. Local sources told Wafa that Israeli military jeeps entered several neighbourhoods in the camp and patrolled its streets.

Earlier at dawn, Israeli forces had stormed the camp and arrested nine Palestinians.

Israeli forces bulldoze agricultural road near Salfit: Report

Israeli forces are using bulldozers to tear up an agricultural road in the Palestinian village of Yasouf, near Salfit in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.

A photo shared by the agency appears to show two Israeli military vehicles cutting off access to the road as the bulldozer begins the demolition. The destruction of the road will block dozens of local farmers from accessing farmland, Wafa quoted the village council head, Wael Abu Madi, as saying.