Mental health burden in Gaza is ‘unimaginable’: WHO
Speaking from Gaza, Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization’s representative in the Palestinian territories, said health needs in the densely populated Strip were “immense” because of the “large-scale devastation of the health system”.
Just 57 of the 142 primary healthcare centres are operational, along with 11 field hospitals. Before the ceasefire, many attempts to deliver critical aid to Gaza were impeded because of strict restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities.
The flow of health aid has now begun to rise, Peeperkorn said. WHO has received 62 delivery trucks and 22 more were expected over the next two days. He said hospitals at least now had fuel to operate. Peeperkorn said the mental health burden in Gaza was “unimaginable”.
Only 480 patients have been medevaced since May 6. “If we continue at this pace we have, we will be busy for the next 15 years,” said Peeperkorn.
Growing danger to pregnant women, babies in Gaza
Israel’s 15-month war on Gaza, as well as severe restrictions it imposed on the flow of humanitarian aid and Israeli forces’ attacks on health facilities and targeting of healthcare workers, have led to “life-threatening danger” for pregnant women and babies, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a new report.
Despite the ongoing ceasefire, the precarious conditions under which women in Gaza are giving birth are unlikely to improve, the group noted in the report published this week.
Belkis Wille, HRW’s associate crisis, conflict and arms director, told Al Jazeera that “despite the fact that the ceasefire could provide an opportunity for the healthcare system in Gaza to begin to be restored, because of the laws coming into effect, banning the operations of UNRWA, the reality is that these coming weeks may lead to pregnant women and newborns suffering even more than they already have”.
Mother of released Israeli captive says daughter held in UNRWA facilities
Mandy Damari, the mother of released Israeli captive Emily Damari, says her daughter was held by Hamas inside UNRWA facilities in Gaza, prompting the UN agency to demand a probe to investigate the “grave” allegations.
Emily Damari, a British-Israeli dual national, was among the first captives to be released as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal. In a post on X thanking British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Mandy Damari said “Hamas held Emily in UNRWA facilities and denied her access to medical treatment after shooting her twice”.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees told Ynet News the claims were “very grave allegations” that must be investigated.
Released British-Israeli captive Emily Damari, right
Main events from January 31st
UNRWA ban to have ‘catastrophic consequences’
The full implementation of the Israeli legislation banning UNRWA from operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank would have “catastrophic consequences on the lives and the future of Palestinian refugees”, the agency says.
“In the absence of any durable solution, Palestine refugees would continue to depend on UNRWA for basic services, including health and education,” agency spokesperson Juliette Touma said in a press briefing.
“In Gaza, UNRWA continues to be the backbone of the international humanitarian response.”
Touma added the UN agency had not received any official communication from Israeli authorities on how the legislation would be implemented. The visas of foreign staff working for the agency expired, and they had “no alternative” but to leave.
Remaining UNRWA Palestinian staff are facing an exceptionally hostile environment as the disinformation campaign against the agency continues. More than 270 UNWRA team members were killed in Gaza during the war, Touma said.
Belize files application to join South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued a statement saying Belize submitted a formal bid to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, in a move that adds to international pressure on the Israeli government to end its atrocities in Gaza.
The Central American country joins a list of states accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention, which was established in the aftermath of the Holocaust and requires all countries to prevent the recurrence of such crimes.
South Africa brought its case against Israel in December 2023 and such cases can take years to conclude.
Gaza death toll rises
Hospitals in Gaza have received 27 bodies in the past 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.
At least one of those bodies were from a new Israeli strike, two others were of Palestinians who succumbed to their injuries after previous strikes, and 24 bodies were recovered from the rubble, the statement said.
The latest update brought the total death toll since October 7, 2023, to 47,487, the ministry said. Israel’s war on Gaza has also injured 111,588 Palestinians, it added.
Trump says for third time he is ‘confident’ Egypt, Jordan will take in Palestinians
We have been reporting on the US president’s proposal to “clean out” Palestinians from Gaza, and his call for Egypt and Jordan to take them in.
Trump has appeared undeterred by stern statements in recent days from Egypt and Jordan rejecting his plan, doubling down and insisting “they will do it”. Trump has now reiterated his confidence in Egypt and Jordan taking in Palestinian refugees for a third time when speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday.
“I heard somebody said they’re not going to, but I think they will. I feel confident they will,” he said.
Trump’s proposal has been widely condemned, with critics labelling it an attempt at “ethnic cleansing”.
Arab FMs reject displacing Palestinians ‘under any circumstances’
The foreign ministers and officials from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League have made a joint statement on the proposal advanced by US President Donald Trump.
They rejected the transfer of Palestinians from their land “under any circumstances or justifications”, presenting a unified stance against Trump’s call for Egypt and Jordan to take in residents of Gaza.
The officials and ministers said they were looking forward to working with Trump’s administration to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, based on a two-state solution.
Palestinian pain does not register on the Israeli radar’
Israeli political commentator Ori Goldberg has spoken to Al Jazeera about the reaction in Israel to the release of the Palestinian prisoners.
“Palestinian pain does not register on the Israeli radar. Israelis don’t have the capacity to appreciate it, and a lot of us view Palestinian pain as Palestinians’ fault,” Goldberg said.
He added that “Israel does not acknowledge its actions in Gaza” and “does not see them as anything but by necessity, required by self-defence”.
Many Israelis are unlikely to see the scenes of joy in Gaza after the return of the Palestinian prisoners, “and even if they were, I doubt they regret there is anything but proof that if you make a wrong choice, you suffer the consequences”, Goldberg said.
He noted there is a sense of joy after the return of the captives, “but there is also a tremendous amount of frustration and anger that … can generally be defined as a sense that Israel’s war, which was defined as the most justified war Israel fought, has, after more than 15 months, come to absolutely nothing”.
Israeli army retracts claim on killing Qassam Brigades commander: Reports
The Israeli military has acknowledged that it did not kill the commander of the Shati Battalion of Hamas’s armed wing, Haitham Khuwajari, in December 2023, according to Israeli media.
The media reports quoted the military as saying in a statement that at the time it “assessed with high probability that he had been eliminated, leading to an official statement”.
The army reportedly added that a further review revealed that the intelligence assessment relied on was incorrect and he was not killed in the attack.
What we know about today’s exchange of captives and prisoners
Hamas and Israel are scheduled to conduct the next exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners later today, this is what we know:
An aerial view shows a Palestinian flag on a damaged building at the site of an exchange of captives for prisoners in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Thursday
Israeli military confirms two released captives have entered Israeli territory
The Israeli military and the Shin Bet internal security service have confirmed that Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas are now out of the Gaza Strip and are on the way to an initial reception point in southern Israel.
Ofer Kalderon, a captive held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, is released in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 1
The released captives will now undergo medical checks
We know that the 11th and 12th captives to be released of the 33 included in the framework of the deal have been taken away in Red Cross cars. The Israeli army met them, and they are making their way to an area called Reim, which is on the outskirts of Gaza. They will have these preliminary medical checkups to ensure they are well enough to travel.
I haven’t seen any helicopters yet, but they are usually taken by Israeli army helicopters and flown to a medical centre in Tel Aviv. They’ll meet with their initial, closest family members in Reim and then other family members and friends in the medical centre.
There have been scenes in what has become known as Hostage Square in Tel Aviv where people are celebrating their release.
‘Orderly, quiet and organised’: Hamas clearly learned lessons from previous captives’ release
Gershon Baskin, the Middle East director of the International Communities Organization, has told Al Jazeera that it is clear that the lessons from last Thursday’s captive release have been learned by Hamas.
“Today’s transfer of the two Israeli hostages has been orderly, quiet and organised,” Baskin, who was also a former hostage negotiator in Israel, said. He said the area in Khan Younis was cleared from civilians, the Hamas fighters had full control of the area and the release was done quickly.
Hundreds of fighters at Gaza’s port as third captive is released
Hundreds of masked Palestinian fighters of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, have been seen at Gaza City’s port, as the third Israeli captive has been released as part of the ceasefire deal.
A stage was set up beside the Mediterranean and the Red Cross vehicles were seen at the scene ready to receive captive Keith Siegel. Heavily armed fighters were seen controlling and monitoring the area with civilians kept away from the captive release site.
Hamas was apparently sending a message of show of force to the world with the number of fighters and their heavy gear on the ground.
Palestinian Hamas fighters release Keith Siegel, a captive held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, in Gaza City, on February 1
All three Israeli captives are in Tel Aviv
The three former captives – Keith Siegel, Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas – have now all arrived in Tel Aviv after being transported separately from the reception point in southern Israel by helicopter.
Kalderon and Bibas were taken to Sheba Hospital, while Siegel arrived at Sourasky Medical Centre, also known as the Ichilov Hospital.
Keith Siegel, left, accompanied by his wife Aviva, striped shirt, walk upon disembarking from a military helicopter at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichlov) on February 1
Release of Israeli captives ‘demonstrates triumph of human spirit’: Families’ forum
An Israeli campaign group representing the families of most of the captives says the release of the three Israelis today “brings a ray of light” after more than 15 months of captivity in Gaza.
“Their release today brings a ray of light in the darkness, offering hope and demonstrating the triumph of the human spirit,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement, after captives Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel and Ofer Kalderon were freed.
Activists who have been protesting weekly for the release of captives in Gaza celebrate the release of French Israeli Ofer Kalderon, Tel Aviv, February 1
Israeli society feels ‘opposite of triumphant’
Israeli analyst Ori Goldberg says the majority of the Israeli society does not see any achievement in the conflicts led by their country in Gaza and beyond.
“[Israel] fought an unprecedented campaign in Gaza and across the Middle East,” he told Al Jazeera from Tel Aviv. “What it has ended up achieving under conditions that were dictated by Israel is exactly bare minimum – nothing has been achieved and there is a lot of frustration,” he added.
Goldberg said “most of the Israelis of all political tribes have been defining the return of the hostages as the minimum upholding of the contract between the state and its citizens”.
“That is the bare minimum – protecting citizens and getting them back when they must,” the analyst added.
Israel demands mediators provide information on family of released captive
Israel has demanded information from mediators who brokered the ceasefire in Gaza about the fate of three family members of freed captive Yarden Bibas, who were captured on October 7, 2023.
“Yarden has returned home. But his wife Shiri and his children Ariel and Kfir have not. We have been searching for them for a long time, tracking their traces and investigating their fate,” Gal Hirsch, Israel’s captives coordinator, said in a statement.
Bibas’s son Kfir is two years old and is the youngest captive held in Gaza; his older brother Ariel is five years old.
“The Bibas family … has been living in constant fear for their lives for a long time … We continue to demand information about their condition from the mediators,” he said.
Hamas fighters escort Yarden Bibas on a stage before handing him over to a Red Cross team in Khan Younis on February 1, 2025, as part of the fourth captives-prisoner exchange
Jubilant scenes as released Palestinian prisoners arrive in Ramallah
A former Palestinian prisoner released by Israel flashes the V for victory sign upon his arrival in Ramallah on buses of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on February 1
Palestinian prisoner Hussam Shaheen is greeted as he is taken in an ambulance for a medical check after being released from an Israeli prison in the occupied West Bank, on Saturday, February 1
Emotional moments as Palestinian prisoners arrive in Khan Younis
Buses carrying about 150 Palestinian prisoners have arrived at the European Hospital in Khan Younis.
They are reuniting with their families. We could see them waving and speaking to their family members from the buses. They are incredibly overwhelmed and emotional and we can hear the celebrations by their families. The returned prisoners are expected to undergo a medical check.
Overwhelming, chaotic scenes are unfolding here for the families and the prisoners.
Freed Palestinian prisoners are greeted in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, February 1
Fast facts: Palestinians freed today
Palestinians gather in Gaza to welcome freed prisoners
Relatives gather in Khan Younis to welcome Palestinians released from Israeli prisons
Red Cross marks completion of fourth prisoners-for-captives swap under Gaza deal
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has issued a statement, summing up today’s completed tasks.
It confirmed that three captives were transferred out of Gaza to Israel and 183 Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel, including 175 transferred by ICRC to Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
“As more families anxiously await news of their loved ones, the ICRC continues to call for the continued implementation of the agreement to allow more families to be reunited,” the statement said.
“The ICRC remains prepared to facilitate further release operations in the coming weeks, and to continue to bring critically needed aid into Gaza,” it added.
Prisoners’ release ‘symbolic win’ for Palestinians
Sultan Barakat, a professor at Qatar’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University, says the release of Palestinian prisoners is a “symbolic win” rather than a victory for the Palestinians, primarily showing the inhumane conditions they live under.
“Israel can capture people in the West Bank and Gaza because they all live in a confinement area under the control of Israel,” he told Al Jazeera.
He discussed the way Palestinians “are arbitrarily rounded up, taken to prison and treated badly” by Israel. Barakat stressed that the release of prisoners also “shows the unity of the Palestinians in the face of occupation”.
“The prisoners are not all necessarily Hamas sympathisers – some were at odds with Hamas for a long time,” the academic said. “But they are united in their refusal of occupation and standing up to Israel,” he added.
Several Palestinian prisoners may have been deported
We are getting reports from Israeli media that seven released Palestinian prisoners have been deported. However, we haven’t received any video or pictures, so we’re just waiting to verify that.
In Ramallah, we know that 10 of those former prisoners have now been taken to hospital. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says many of those were beaten about a week before they were released, and some of them have broken ribs.
The released prisoners are being greeted by friends and family but there is concern about many prisoners who have been released in the past few weeks, particularly for scabies and other skin diseases.
The Israeli captives are also being checked in hospitals, but it seems they are in good health.
Israel’s deportation of Palestinian prisoners part of ‘broader colonial policy’
Basil Farraj, an assistant professor at Birzeit University in the occupied West Bank and an expert on political prisoners, has spoken to Al Jazeera about Israel’s decision to deport some of the Palestinians set to be released.
“We’ve seen Palestinian prisoners being deported to Egypt, and it’s not clear yet [whether this is] just a transitory phase,” he said. Farraj said this tactic is a way for Israel “to take revenge” on the prisoners and their families by denying them the joy of reuniting.
“This is part of a broader colonial policy of deporting Palestinians”, he said, adding that it is a way of “criminalising their resistance”.
Farraj said some of the families of prisoners released during previous exchanges and deported to Egypt have been denied the ability to leave Palestinian territory by the Israeli authorities.
This means the released prisoners are not able to see their relatives and is a continuation of Israel’s “policy of dividing Palestinians”.
Red Cross expresses ‘outrage’ over treatment of Palestinian prisoners: Report
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz, quoting a security source, is reporting that the Red Cross has expressed “outrage” at how the Israel Prison Service handled the Palestinian prisoners being released from Ketziot Prison today.
Haaretz said the Red Cross alleged that the prisoners were led handcuffed with their hands above their heads and bracelets with the inscription “Eternity does not forget”.
The newspaper quoted the Israel Prison Service spokesman as saying that “the prison fighters are dealing with the worst of Israel’s enemies, and until the last moment on Israeli soil, they will be treated under prison-like rule. We will not compromise on the security of our people.”
Signs of starvation, infections and injuries from beatings among those freed: Palestinian Prisoner’s Society
The NGO has released a statement in which it says, “Once again, every time prisoners are released, we find the prisoners’ bodies reflecting the level of crimes committed against them, including torture that is unprecedented in its level after October 7.”
It added that many of the people released by Israel show signs of starvation and infections, including scabies.
They also show signs of having been subjected to severe beatings, which, according to their testimonies, continued for days and resulted in rib fractures.
Palestinian prisoners are greeted as they exit a Red Cross bus after being released in the West Bank city of Ramallah
Palestinian prisoners transferred to hospitals due to Israeli ‘torture’: Hamas
The prisoners released today are at medical facilities in Gaza “to receive treatment for the abuse and torture that they were subjected to” in Israeli prisons, a statement by the Palestinian group says.
This “confirms the ugliness of what the prisoners are subjected to in the jails” of Israel, it added.
Hamas’s statement continued: “These horrific and ongoing violations against our heroic prisoners constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
It called on the international community, the United Nations and human rights organisations to stop Israel and hold perpetrators accountable.
Freed prisoners report lack of medical treatment in Israeli prisons
Palestinian prisoners released under the Gaza ceasefire agreement with Israel have returned home with stories of mistreatment and lack of medical care in Israeli prisons, including for skin diseases, such as scabies.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), scabies is a parasitic infection caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin and lay eggs. This process triggers an allergic reaction, resulting in an intense itch and a rash.
Scabies is highly contagious and is spread through direct, prolonged, skin-to-skin contact, or indirectly by people sharing items of clothing, towels or bedding.
Those in institutional settings, such as prisons, are much more at risk, particularly in situations of overcrowding. The condition is treated with topical creams or oral medication.
There is currently little information about the number of freed prisoners who are affected, but so far those reporting symptoms are Palestinian teenagers who were arrested as children by Israeli forces.
Rida Obeid, 18, shows the parts of his body affected by scabies at his home in the village of al-Issawiya, a suburb of occupied East Jerusalem, on Friday, a day after his release from an Israeli prison
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