UNSC told 1 million children in Gaza in need of mental health support

The UN’s top humanitarian official Tom Fletcher told the Security Council that up to 1 million children in Gaza are in need of mental health support for anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts – after enduring nearly 15 months of Israeli bombardment.

While the briefing was on the plight of children in Gaza, Fletcher also turned his attention to the West Bank.

Fletcher told the UNSC that Israeli actions combined with restrictions put in place by the Palestinian Authority have left more than 2,000 families displaced in the Jenin refugee camp.

UN aid chief says Gaza’s children ‘are not collateral damage’

The UN’s humanitarian aid chief, Tom Fletcher, said the children of Gaza are “not collateral damage” and deserve “security, education and hope”.

Fletcher spoke on Thursday to the UN Security Council, in which he briefed the powerful world body on the dire plight of children in Gaza and conditions in the occupied West Bank, where Israel is intensifying military operations against Palestinian communities.

UN rights official expresses concern over potential Israeli settlement expansion

Speaking at a press briefing, UN human rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said the organisation is “concerned by repeated comments from some Israeli officials about plans to expand settlements further still”.

“We recall again that the transfer by Israel of its own civilian population into territories it occupies also amounts to a war crime,” he said.

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and oversees Israel’s administration of the occupied West Bank and its settlements, has repeatedly called for Israel to annex the territory.

Captives’ families call on European Parliament to cancel invitation to Israeli minister

Dozens of relatives of Israeli captives and victims of the October 7 attack by Hamas have urged the European Parliament (EP) to rescind an invitation to Amichai Chikli, the Israeli diaspora minister, to speak at a panel on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, according to the Israeli media.

A letter sent to the two members of the EU institution hosting the conference referred to the minister’s problematic record due to his opposition to a deal over the captives.

It also cited his backing for far-right European politicians, the reports on national media said.

“Minister Chikli’s record, especially his recent actions within the government, renders him an inappropriate representative for such an important occasion, dedicated to remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust and advancing the values of human dignity and justice,” the letter was quoted as saying.

Rubio reiterates Trump’s ‘steadfast support’ for Israel on call with Saar

The newly sworn-in US secretary of state spoke with Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Thursday and “congratulated” him on the “recently freed [captives] and the ceasefire agreement in Gaza”.

Rubio “pledged to work tirelessly to help free all remaining [captives] held in Gaza and welcomed continued flow of aid into Gaza”, according to a US State Department statement on their call.

He also “commended” Saar on Israel’s “successes against Hamas and [Hezbollah]”.

The conversation between Rubio and Saar closely echoed an earlier call on Wednesday between Rubio and Netanyahu, which was the first between the Israeli prime minister and a top Trump aide since the new administration took office on Monday.

Trump presidency gives Israel ‘historic opportunity’ for West Bank ‘annexation’

Israel’s intensified military incursions in the occupied West Bank, in parallel with escalating settler violence, represents its latest push to extend its grip further into Palestinian territory, says analyst Mohamad Elmasry.

“This is just more of the same,” Elmasry, a professor in the media studies programme at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera. “Israel has been saying for decades that they’re just fighting terrorism, but that’s kind of a smokescreen. What Israel wants to do and has been doing is expanding into the West Bank.

“There are more than 750,000 illegal Israeli settlers and it’s been policy of the Israeli state to expand, slowly but surely, into Palestinian territory,” Elmasry added.

The election of US President Donald Trump, who has appointed high-level diplomats that openly back Israel’s claims to the West Bank, now represents a “historic opportunity” for Israel to push their agenda further than before, he said.

“I think many Israelis, including the political elite, see the Trump administration as a historic opportunity to expand into the West Bank like they never have before and to annex as much of it as possible.”

 
US private security contractors to operate Gaza checkpoint: Reports

Armed US private security contractors will take up a monitoring role in Gaza, conducting vehicle checks as forcibly displaced Palestinians move from southern Gaza back to their homes in the north of the war-shattered territory, according to reports.

The New York Times and news site Axios reported on Thursday that the planned deployment of US private security is expected to begin in the coming days and is part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Axios said the contractors will “operate in Gaza as part of a multinational consortium” agreed under the ceasefire deal and will inspect vehicles at the Netzarim Corridor, which divides the Gaza Strip into two and is located just south of Gaza City.

“The consortium’s role is to oversee, manage, and secure a critical vehicle checkpoint along Salah al-Din Road, facilitating the safe return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza,” a source familiar with the issue told Axios.

“The consortium aims to ensure orderly vehicle movement while preventing the transport of weapons northward, in line with the ceasefire terms,” the source said.

Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon’s Naqoura leaves behind massive destruction

The Lebanese military has asked residents of the coastal town in the south of the country not to return home for their own safety, after Israeli forces departed the area and left a sea of devastation behind.

In spite of the danger, Mayor Abbas Awada returned to inspect the destruction, the AFP news agency reports.

“Naqoura has become a disaster zone of a town … the bare necessities of life are absent here,” he was quoted as saying, standing in front of the damaged town hall.

The mayor said he was worried that a lack of funds, after years of economic crisis, would hamper reconstruction. “We need at least three years to rebuild,” he said, as a small bulldozer worked to remove rubble near the municipal offices.

Lebanese soldiers deployed in coastal Naqoura after Israeli troops pulled out of the country’s southwest on January 6, but they remain in the southeast of the country.

_{Mayor Abbas Awada stands amid the destruction in Naqoura}

Israeli military reports more operations in southern Lebanon

The Israeli military says its forces continue to “conduct sweeps” in areas across southern Lebanon despite the deadline of the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah that requires Israel to stop its occupation.

The Israeli army said the aim is to “remove threats, while maintaining understandings between Israel and Lebanon” as the Lebanese government, Hezbollah and the UN call on it to leave south Lebanon.

Several underground Hezbollah bunkers were located and destroyed in the past week, according to the Israeli military, which added that it found a cache of weapons inside a mosque along with explosives.

This comes amid Israeli media reports that the country’s military intends to maintain its occupation of parts of Lebanese territory, and has informed the new US administration.

The 60 day implementation is maturing this Sunday.

Israeli army will not withdraw from Lebanon by 60-day ceasefire deadline: PM’s office

Israel’s military will not fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Monday, when the 60-day deadline set by the ceasefire agreement ends, according to a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office cited by Israeli army radio.

The military will not withdrawal by this date, the prime minister’s office said, because it claims Lebanon has not fully enforced its side of the agreement.

Yesterday, Hezbollah demanded that Israeli forces respect the terms of the November ceasefire deal, which calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon over a 60-day period.

But Israel’s military has said it will continue to “conduct sweeps” in areas across southern Lebanon to “remove threats” despite the deadline.

Storage space for aid ‘major problem’ in Gaza due to destruction of warehouses

So far, the many trucks that have been allowed into Gaza [during the ceasefire] have entered more central and southern parts of the enclave. For now, the trucks are going into warehouses scattered across the area here [Deir el-Balah], Khan Younis and the western part of Rafah city, in preparation for distribution points that are going to be set up in the coming days.

But finding enough places to keep the aid is very difficult and is becoming a major problem.

Let’s not forget the Israeli military not only destroyed homes and infrastructure in Gaza, but also many facilities, including warehouses and large storage sites. That’s why we’re seeing many of the trucks spend hours waiting for areas to be set up so they can unload.

However, some of the aid – the urgent assistance – is going directly to people inside their tent camps. The ceasefire has offered an opportunity for people [suffering from] famine … to receive much-needed aid.

We believe the trucks on the other side of the border will need to keep coming … in order to save what is left of people’s health and well being here.


_{Palestinians attempt to grab aid from a truck in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, January 23}

UNRWA delivers aid to battered tent camps

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), the largest aid group operating in Gaza, has been working around the clock to rush in desperately needed supplies during the ceasefire.

But its work could soon be severely restricted, as an Israeli ban on the group is set to come into effect. The consequences, the agency warns, “would be catastrophic”.

Watch UNRWA staff’s latest efforts to reach displaced people in Gaza:

More Gaza funding needed to maintain aid flows: UN official

Funding shortages may affect the UN’s ability to maintain aid flows at target levels throughout the Gaza ceasefire deal, according to the organisation’s humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory.

Muhannad Hadi told the Reuters news agency that he was “very happy” with how the first few days had gone, but flagged funding as a concern. Daily deliveries have surged tenfold since the Sunday ceasefire deal, according to UN data, surpassing the 600 trucks a day target.

“We need immediate funding to make sure that we continue providing the aid for the 42 days, but also after the 42 days, because we’re hopeful that we’ll go from phase one to phase two,” he said, after returning from Gaza earlier this week.

He described scenes of widespread joy and relief across the enclave, with many people smiling and eager to return to the remnants of their homes and find work.

“I’ve received clear messages from the people: they don’t want to continue depending on humanitarian aid. They want to rebuild their lives … We can’t afford to let them down.”

The UN is seeking $4.1bn for the occupied Palestinian territory this year, with nearly 90 percent set to go to Gaza and about 10 percent to the West Bank. It is currently 3.6 percent funded.

West Bank official warns of risk of Gaza ‘genocide’ repeated in Jenin

Jenin Deputy Governor Mansour al-Saadi said Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the refugee camp could be a “repetition of what happened in the northern Gaza Strip, a systematic campaign of extermination”.

Speaking to the Anadolu news agency, al-Saadi said Israeli forces have blockaded the four entrances to the city of Jenin and the camp, preventing entry and exit.

He warned that the ongoing demolition of buildings and houses in the centre of the camp indicates that Israeli forces plan to carry out a large-scale invasion.

Palestinians in occupied West Bank fear Israel will do ‘just as they did in Gaza'

In their thousands, Palestinians have been forced to leave their homes in the Jenin refugee camp. The Israeli military is intensifying its large-scale operation and its repercussions are being felt across the occupied West Bank. People here say Israeli forces want to raze these Palestinian towns to the ground just as they did in Gaza.

Israel denies issuing any forced evacuation orders. The Israeli military maintains that it is targeting the Jenin Battalion – an umbrella group of fighters from Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Fatah. But Palestinians here say the soldiers’ goal is clear: To instil fear and intimidation among the population.

Since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, Israeli forces have increased the size and frequency of their raids in the occupied West Bank, killing nearly 900 Palestinians and injuring thousands more. 

Israel says eliminating armed Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank is part of its over-arching goals for the war on Gaza. But UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese warns that Israel’s genocide won’t be confined to Gaza if this military offensive doesn’t end.

Netanyahu follows in Ariel Sharon’s footsteps from Jenin to Jabalia – Marwan Bishara

Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara has said the Israeli government is shifting its focus to the occupied West Bank, as a temporary ceasefire takes hold in Gaza.

Bishara emphasised that while Gaza has posed a strategic challenge for Israel, the West Bank represents a strategic reward.

Bishara suggests that operations in Jenin and the broader West Bank serve as a deflection from the Israeli government’s failures of October 7 and create an opportunity for Israel to advance annexation policies, particularly under a Trump administration more tolerant of such actions.

Qatar condemns Israeli attack, killing of civilians in Jenin

Qatar has expressed its “strong condemnation and denunciation” of Israel’s attack on Jenin in the occupied West Bank and the killing of civilians there, describing the violence as a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights”.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called on the international community “to assume its responsibilities in confronting these violations, and to work to ensure the full protection of civilians in accordance with the provisions of international law and relevant agreements”.

“The Ministry reiterates the State of Qatar’s firm position on the justice of the Palestinian cause, and the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, including the establishment of their independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” it added.

Israeli military, PA carry out raids across the occupied West Bank

Israeli military raids have been reported in several locations across the occupied West Bank over recent hours, including:

Israeli forces targeted with explosive device in Jenin

We have been reporting on the Israeli military’s ongoing operations in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp over recent days.

Our Al Jazeera Arabic colleagues now report that Palestinian fighters have targeted Israeli forces with an explosive device on Nazareth Street in the city of Jenin.

Armed clashes have also broken out between Palestinian fighters and Palestinian Authority security forces in the town of Yabad, west of Jenin, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

PA security forces reportedly severely beat a number of Palestinian fighters after arresting them.

Israeli forces launch arrest campaign across the West Bank

Israeli forces have arrested at least 15 people as part of a widespread campaign of arrests across the occupied West Bank over recent hours.

At least 10 Palestinians have been detained in occupied East Jerusalem, the Palestinian Information Center reports. Israeli forces have also carried out arrests in both Tulkarem and Jenin, it adds.

In the city of Nablus, Israeli forces have also arrested three Palestinians from the same family, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

_{Israeli soldiers with Palestinian men arrested during a military raid in Jenin on January 22}

34 people killed by Israeli forces in occupied West Bank so far this year: UN

The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has released a situational update on humanitarian conditions in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli military raids and settler attacks have ramped up in recent days.

You're Being LIED TO About Gaza Protests To Justify Repression

The SHOCKING evidence Starmer doesn't want you to see

Arms factories hit by pro-Palestine protests over the last 15 months were sending supplies to Israel, an investigation by Declassified has found. The revelation has been called a vindication by Palestine Action, the direct action group which has led efforts to shut down Israel’s war machine in the UK.

Several of the companies are associated with Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms manufacturer which produces many of the drones and missiles used to slaughter Palestinians. The information is contained within cargo documents obtained by Declassified and The Ditch. While it remains unclear precisely what was exported, the cargo handling locations combined with UK arms export data strongly suggest the shipments involved weapons parts.

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori told Declassified: “This revelation confirms that taking direct action against the Israeli weapons industry in Britain is a crucial element to resistance against colonialism and genocide”. She continued that the new information “not only exposes these death merchants, it vindicates those who’ve put their liberty on the line to shut them down”.

Dozens of Palestine Action activists have been arrested over the last 15 months, with many still being held on remand or serving prison sentences. More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to a study published in the Lancet, with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accusing Israel of genocide. An Elbit Systems UK spokesperson told Declassified that the company “and its subsidiaries comply with all relevant UK government regulations on export control”.

Which doesn't mean anything since the government is behind it...