Israel increases attacks on north Gaza, US says ceasefire 'possible this week'

Israeli forces kill scores of Palestinians in northern Gaza, while the Biden administration sees 'possibility of ceasefire' this week.
15 min read

Israeli forces targeted multiple locations across the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, killing at least 33 people since dawn, medical teams have said.

Palestinian have been killed in Jabalia and Shujaiya, as well as several neighbourhoods of Gaza City, including a school-turned-shelter.

Northern Gaza has been under attack and siege for more than 100 days, with the intensification of attacks beginning in early October.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration sees a possible Gaza truce as soon as this week, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan told Bloomberg News on Monday, adding that there were no guarantees that the parties would agree to such a deal.

Sullivan, speaking to Bloomberg in an interview, added that the Biden administration has been in contact with incoming President Donald Trump's team and has sought to have a united front on the issue ahead of Washington's January 20 transition of power.

"The pressure building here towards the end of President Biden's term has been considerable," Sullivan said. "It's there for the taking."

"The question is now: Can we all collectively seize the moment and make this happen," Sullivan added.

4:00 AM

The live blog has now ended and will be back tomorrow at 9am UK time. You can read more of Israel's war on Gaza here.

Israeli military says thinks intercepted Houthi missile
2:50 AM
The New Arab Staff

The Israeli military has said that it believes it has intercepted a missile fired from Yemen's Houthis, with the military's spokesperson's unit being quoted by Haaretz as saying "several attempts were made to intercept a missile that was launched from Yemen" and that it was "likely intercepted".

Israeli official reveals details of ceasefire deal
11:45 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

An Israeli official has briefed reporters on the proposed deal saying that its first stage would see 33 hostages set free, including children, women, including female soldiers, men above 50, and the wounded and sick.

On the 16th day from the deal taking effect, negotiations would start on a second stage during which the remaining living hostages - male soldiers and men of military age - would be released and the bodies of dead hostages returned.

The deal would see a phased troop withdrawal, with Israeli forces remaining in the border perimeter to defend Israeli border towns and villages. In addition, there would be security arrangements in the Philadelphi corridor, along the southern edge of Gaza, with Israel withdrawing from parts of it after the first few days of the deal.

Unarmed North Gaza residents would be allowed back, with a mechanism to ensure no weapons are moved there. Israeli troops will withdraw from the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza.

The Israeli official said Palestinian militants convicted of murder or deadly attacks would also be released but numbers would depend on the number of live hostages, which was still unknown, and they would not include fighters who took part in the 7 October, 2023, attack on Israel.

Israel's Channel 12 said Israeli government institutions had been told to prepare for the intake of weak and sick hostages.

(Reuters)

Israel refusing to hand over body of Yahya Sinwar
11:20 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israel is refusing to hand over the body of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as part a ceasefire deal and hostage exchange, an Israeli source told Haaretz.

 

Israeli army arrests 20 Palestinians near Jericho
9:45 PM
The New Arab Staff

The Israeli army has arrested 20 Palestinians in the village of Al-Zubeidat,, north of occupied West Bank city of Jericho, Palestinian news agency Wafa reports.

According to the agency the Israeli army stormed the village and arrested at least 20 people, although it is unknown where they've been taken to.

Netanyahu to meet Ben-Gvir over Gaza talks
9:15 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet far-right National Security Minister and leader of Otzma Yehudit Itamar Ben-Gvir to assess his reaction to a possible ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, according to the Times of Israel citing Israel's Hebrew language press.

Ben-Gvir is a longstanding opponent of any deal in Gaza, and has previously threatened to leave Israel's coalition government over a deal.

Biden: Gaza deal is on the brink of fruition
8:45 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

President Joe Biden said a deal that will secure the release of hostages and achieve a ceasefire in Gaza was on the brink of coming to fruition, adding that his administration was working urgently to close the agreement.

(Reuters)

Israel army says intercepted projectile launched from Yemen
8:20 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The Israeli military said it intercepted a projectile fired from Yemen on Monday before it entered Israeli territory, in the latest in a series of ongoing attacks.

"One projectile launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF (Israeli air force) prior to crossing into Israeli territory," the military said in a statement.

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed the attack on Monday evening, saying they had launched a "hypersonic missile" at a target in "occupied Jaffa" (Tel Aviv).

The rebels also said they had launched four drones towards the same region and pledged to continue their operations until "the end of the aggression against the Palestinians".

Hamas delegation says Gaza ceasefire talks progressing well
7:50 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

A Hamas delegation said on Monday that Gaza ceasefire talks were progressing well with the group dealing with developments in a positive manner, it said in a statement following a meeting with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Doha.

(Reuters)

Talks planned in Cairo on remaining Gaza ceasefire details
7:25 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Rounds of intensive talks are planned in Cairo to put the final touches on remaining details for a Gaza ceasefire deal, Egypt's state affiliated Al Qahera News TV quoted an informed source as saying on Monday.

(Reuters)

Gaza deal said to be 'closer than it's ever been'
7:00 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

 A round of Gaza ceasefire talks will be held in Doha on Tuesday morning to finalise remaining details related to the deal, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters on Monday.

A deal to end the Gaza war is "closer than it's ever been", the official said, adding that US President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, outgoing Biden administration envoy Brett McGurk and Israel's Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar were expected to attend.

(Reuters)

Gaza talks in advanced stages for release of 33 hostages
6:35 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Negotiations are in advanced stages for the release of up to 33 hostages as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, an Israeli official said on Monday.

"We are not sure if it is hours or days or more," the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said about the timing of a potential deal.

(Reuters)

Gaza war talks on are 'on cup of an agreement': White House
6:13 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Negotiators for a truce in the Gaza war are on the cusp of reaching an agreement and the White House is in touch with President-elect Donald Trump's team on the talks, said a top aide to President Joe Biden.

Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said the U.S. president would soon speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi about the negotiations.

Sullivan said it remained to be seen whether a deal would actually be reached. 

Israeli army says 5 soldiers killed in combat in north Gaza
5:40 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The Israeli military said five of its soldiers were killed in fighting in northern Gaza on Monday, while eight others were wounded.

The deaths bring the Israeli military's losses to 408 in the Gaza military campaign since it began a ground offensive against Hamas in the Palestinian territory on October 27, 2023.

Qatar ruler meets with Hamas over Gaza ceasefire talks: emir
5:31 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Qatar's ruler met with a delegation from the Palestinian group Hamas on Monday to discuss a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza, his office said in a statement.

"Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received today at his office in Lusail Palace the delegation of... Hamas for the ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip," the statement said, adding that the delegation was led by Hamas's lead negotiator Khalil al-Hayya.

 

Israel army says intercepted projectile launched from Yemen
5:18 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The Israeli military said it intercepted a projectile fired from Yemen on Monday before it crossed into Israeli territory, in the latest in a series of ongoing attacks.

"One projectile launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF (Israeli air force) prior to crossing into Israeli territory," the military said in a statement.

Earlier on Monday the military said it had also intercepted a drone in southern Israel that was launched from Yemen.

Since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who control swathes of Yemen have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel in what they say is a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.

In retaliation, Israel has struck Houthi targets several times inside Yemen, including in the rebel-controlled capital Sanaa.

UK FM Lammy meets with Israeli counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas
5:08 PM
The New Arab Staff

The UK's foreign  secretary, David Lammy, met with Israeli and Palestinian officials on Monday, where he stressed the "need for an immediate ceasefire with all hostages immediately released and all restrictions on aid to Gaza lifted," he said on X.

Lammy urged Israel to "not endanger UNRWA's ability to operate", while speaking with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa'ar.

The UK FM also said London supports the Palestinian Authority as they "implement much-needed reforms".

"We will so all we can to bring this conflict to an end and support a path to a two-state solution," he added.

"An empowered PA is vital to achieving this".

Lebanon's president names ICJ judge Nawaf Salam PM
4:59 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday picked Nawaf Salam, the presiding judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, as prime minister following consultations with lawmakers, the presidency said.

"The president of the republic called on Judge Nawaf Salam to task him with forming a government, knowing that he is currently abroad. It has been decided he will return tomorrow," it sai

Nawaf Salam, a Harvard-educated judge, is the president of the ICJ [Getty]
Hezbollah says opponents are working to 'exclude group'
3:46 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Mohammed Raad said on Monday the Iran-backed group's opponents were seeking its fragmentation and exclusion from power in Lebanon.

Speaking at the presidential palace after Hezbollah lawmakers had met with President Joseph Aoun, Raad said his group had "extended its hand" by helping to secure Aoun's election as Lebanon's president last week, only to find the "hand cut off".

Earlier on Monday Lebanese lawmakers backed Nawaf Salam, head of the International Court of Justice, to be the country's new prime minister, a move that reflected the weakened position of Hezbollah, which had wanted incumbent Najib Mikati to keep the job.

Israel detains Palestine TV crew for two hours in West Bank
3:29 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli soldiers reportedly detained the crew from the Palestine TV channel for two hours in the village of Haris, west of Salfit, in the occupied West Bank, Wafa says.

The Israeli forces stormed the building where the TV correspondent Mohammed Ashtiyeh and cameraman Jamal Hassan were working "and prevented them from filming"

 

Lebanon president, US general discuss Hezbollah-Israel truce
2:43 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Lebanon's president and a top US general discussed on Monday the implementation of a fragile truce between Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israel in the south of the country, the presidency said.

President Joseph Aoun and the head of US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, met as a January 26 deadline to fully implement the terms of the ceasefire approached.

Kurilla and Aoun spoke about "the situation in the south and the stages of implementing the Israeli withdrawal from the south," the presidency said.

Under the November 27 ceasefire accord, the Lebanese army has 60 days to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south of Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws.

At the same time, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in the country's south.

Hamas says progress made after talks over ceasefire issues
2:03 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Hamas said on Monday that talks over some core issues for a ceasefire deal in Gaza have made progress, an official in the Palestinian group told Reuters.

"The negotiation over some core issues made progress and we are working to conclude what remains soon," added the official who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Lebanon: Salam wins backing of enough MPs to be named PM
1:52 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The head of the International Court of Justice, Nawaf Salam, secured the support of enough lawmakers to be designated Lebanon's next prime minister on Monday, political sources said.

The designation of Salam would mark a blow to the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, which had wanted the incumbent Najib Mikati to remain in the post.

President Joseph Aoun is required to nominate the candidate with the greatest support among lawmakers

Hezb delays Aoun meeting, likely tensions over PM choice
1:32 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

 The Iran-backed Hezbollah group postponed an appointment with President Joseph Aoun on Monday at which it was due to communicate its preference for the post of prime minister, political sources said, indicating tensions in the process.

The Shi'ite group and its ally the Shia Amal Movement had been due to tell Aoun they wanted caretaker Prime Minister Nabib Mikati to stay in the post, which is reserved for a Sunni Muslim in Lebanon's sectarian political system.

But the two Shi'ite groups delayed their meeting as it became clear that another candidate, International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam, looked set to emerge from the process with the most support among lawmakers, the sources said.

Aoun is required to designate the candidate with the greatest support among Lebanon's 128 lawmakers.

Gaza truce to include release of 1,000 prisoners: KSA media
1:03 PM
The New Arab Staff

Saudi media is reporting that a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel will consist of three phases, one of which will include the release 34 Israeli captives in exchange for around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and a temporary ceasefire.

The deal, according to Al-Arabiya and Al-Sharq News will also include the entry of 600 aid trucks to Gaza every day and the reconstruction of the enclave over a period of three to five years. 

The first phase also includes Hamas providing Israel with a list of hostages still alive, repositioning Israeli forces outside populated areas, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to the north after third-party vehicle inspections, and opening the Rafah crossing for aid entry and the exit of patients for treatment.

The second phase will be negotiated a week after the implementation of the first phase, Al-Sharq News reported, quoting informed sources. This phase is expected to include releasing the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for an "agreed upon" number of Palestinian prisoners and another month and a half of ceasefire.

Israeli forces target Gaza City, scores killed
12:45 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli forces are heavily targeting Gaza City on Monday.

At least six Palestinians have been killed and others were injured on Monday after Israeli forces bombed the Daraj neighbourhood east of the city, while two have been killed in the Al-Jalaa Street in the city centre.

Two others were killed in the west part of Gaza City, Al Jazeera Arabic is reporting. 

 

Angry hostage families harangue Israeli hardliner Smotrich
12:39 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Angry members of some of the families of Israeli captives still held in Gaza harangued Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday over his opposition to a deal being negotiated in Qatar to halt the fighting and bring their relatives home.

Smotrich described the deal taking shape as "a catastrophe" for Israel's security and said Israel should keep up its campaign in Gaza until the complete surrender of Hamas, the militant group that ran the enclave before the war.

Dozens of members of the hostage families, many carrying photographs of the missing, squeezed into a committee room in the Israeli parliament where a meeting of the finance committee was held to examine the 2025 budget.

Some furious, some crying and pleading, they attacked Smotrich in an emotionally charged encounter that lasted for more than an hour, accusing him of abandoning the 98 Israeli and foreign hostages still left in Gaza.

"These kidnapped people can be returned," Ofir Angrest, whose brother Matan was taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

"The conditions are ripe, it's time for a deal, the Prime Minister said it. How can you, the Minister of Finance, oppose the return of all these abductees?"

Smotrich has angered hostage families over truce deal opposition [Getty]
Norway to host talks on Palestine two-state solution
11:25 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Dozens of countries will send delegates to Norway on Wednesday as part of a global alliance aiming to find a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Norway's foreign ministry said on Monday.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, the head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini, and UN envoy to the Middle East Tor Wennesland are among those due to attend.

It will be the third meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, whose creation was announced in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

"While we must continue to work for an end to the war (in Gaza), we must also work for a lasting solution to the conflict that guarantees self-determination, security and justice for both the Palestinians and the Israelis," Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement.

"There is broad support for a two-state solution, but the international community must do more to make it a reality."

Representatives of more than 80 countries and organisations are expected to take part in the meeting, though no official Israeli delegation has been announced.

Israel 'working hard' to secure Gaza hostage deal: FM claims
11:04 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Monday that Israel is "working hard" to reach a deal that would facilitate the release of dozens of hostages held captive in Gaza.

"There has been progress in the negotiations for the release of the hostages. Israel really wants to release the hostages and is working hard to secure a deal," Saar said at a joint press conference with his visiting Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen.

Smotrich warns he won't 'back Gaza deal that halts war'
10:36 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned on Monday that he would not support a deal in Gaza that halts the war, insisting that Israel should "open all the gates of hell" on the Palestinian territory.

"The proposed agreement is a catastrophe for Israel's national security. We will not be part of a surrender deal," Smotrich said on X. "We must take decisive control of humanitarian aid... and open the gates of hell on Gaza until Hamas surrenders unconditionally."

46,584 Palestinians killed in Gaza, health ministry says
10:27 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 46,584 Palestinians and wounded 109,731 since Oct. 7, 2023, the Palestinian enclave's health ministry said on Monday.

At least 19 Palestinians were killed over the past 24 hours, the ministry added.

Vance: Trump to let Israeli army to 'knock out Hamas'
10:16 AM
The New Arab Staff

Incoming US Vice President JD Vance said that Donald Trump's "all hell will break loose"  if captives held in Gaza aren't released by January 20 comments can be interpreted as  "enabling the Israelis to knock out the final couple of battalions of Hamas and their leadership," Israeli media said.

"It means very aggressive sanctions and financial penalties on those who are supporting terrorist organisations in the Middle East. It means actually doing the job of American leadership, which Donald Trump did very well for four years, and he’s gonna do very well for the next four years," he added.

Israel claims it hasn't received ceasefire draft from Qatar
9:36 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israel says it has "not received "a draft proposal for a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and return its hostages, an official said on Monday.

Earlier, an official briefed on the negotiations said Qatar had handed Israel and Hamas a "final" draft of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement designed to end the war in Gaza.

Qatar hands Israel, Hamas 'final' ceasefire deal draft
8:53 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Mediator Qatar has handed Israel and Hamas a "final" draft of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement designed to end the war in Gaza, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters on Monday.

A breakthrough was reached in Doha after midnight following talks between Israel's spy chiefs, President-elect Trump's Middle East envoy and Qatar’s prime minister, the official said.

US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said. US officials are racing to reach a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal before Biden leaves office on January. 20.

Biden and Netanyahu discussed efforts underway to reach a deal to halt the fighting in the Palestinian enclave and free the remaining hostages there, the White House said in a statement after the two leaders spoke by telephone.

Biden "stressed the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and return of the hostages with a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by a stoppage in the fighting under the deal," it said.

Israeli army says it intercepts Houthi drone
8:40 AM
The New Arab Staff

The Israeli army said it has intercepted an aerial vehicle launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels in southern Israel, though "no alerts were triggered," the army said.

UAE to reopen embassy in Lebanon after more than three years
8:15 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

A high-level Emirati delegation is in Lebanon to make arrangements for the reopening of the UAE's embassy in Beirut after more than three years, state news agency WAM reported on Monday.

The arrival of the delegation on Sunday came a day after UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun agreed to take the necessary steps to reopen the embassy.

The UAE withdrew its diplomats from Lebanon and closed the embassy in October 2021, aligning with Saudi Arabia after Lebanon's then-information minister criticised the Saudi-led coalition's involvement in Yemen.

"The UAE will reopen its embassy very soon...thus there is hope for us to start a new page in Lebanon," Bou Saab said.

Two Palestinians shot, injured near Hebron by Israeli forces
8:06 AM
The New Arab Staff

Two Palestinians have been shot and injured by Israeli forces in the town of Beit Awwa, west of Hebron, after Israeli forces carried out raids in the area.