Israel returns body of last Gaza captive, agrees to 'limited reopening' of Rafah crossing

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The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced on Monday that it helped the Lebanese Army deploy to around 130 permanent positions across the south, and referred to the military more than 400 weapons caches and infrastructure found.

The efforts are part of Beirut's disarmament of Hezbollah and other militant groups in the country.

"Our efforts together support resolution 1701 and contributes to long-term stability," UNIFIL said on X.

Since November 2024, UNIFIL helped @LebarmyOfficial deploy to around 130 permanent positions in south Lebanon and referred to them more than 400 weapons caches and infrastructure that we found. Our efforts together support resolution 1701 and contributes to long-term stability. pic.twitter.com/5LC2FEMNb2

— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) January 26, 2026

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Moscow, pro-government Syria TV reported on Monday.

The United States believes disarmament by Hamas in Gaza comes along with some sort of amnesty for the Palestinian group, a U.S. official said on Monday.

The official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, spoke to mark the return of the remains of the last Israeli captive held by Hamas. Israel and the United States are pressuring Hamas to disarm as part of a plan in which Gaza will be redeveloped.

The official said there is confidence among U.S. officials that Hamas will disarm.

"We are listening to many of their people talk about disarming. We think they're going to. If they don't disarm, then they've breached the deal. We think disarmament comes along with some sort of amnesty and candidly we think we have a very, very good programme to disarm," the official said.

A senior Iranian official said Monday that he hoped internet access would be restored for businesses within the next two days, after authorities imposed a blackout during a wave of anti-government protests.

Rights groups say the internet blackout has provided cover for a deadly crackdown that has left several thousand protesters dead.

"We hope that companies' access to the international internet will be restored within the next day or two," Hossein Rafieian, a senior official on digital economy matters, told Iran's Mehr news agency.

He noted that the final decision was outside his office's "direct authority", but said "the issue is being followed up continuously through consultations with the relevant bodies".

The United States is "open for business" if Iran wishes to contact Washington, a U.S. official said on Monday, adding that they would have a conversation as long as Tehran knows what the terms are.

"I think they know the terms," the official said when asked about the terms for Iran. "They're aware of the terms."

The United Nations on Monday welcomed the recovery of remains of the last Israeli captive in Gaza and said it was time to fully implement a ceasefire deal after more than two years of devastation.

"We welcome reports on that development and extend our condolences to his family. The full implementation of the ceasefire arrangements in Gaza is absolutely critical," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Turkish officials in the southeastern Mardin province bordering Syria on Monday announced a six-day ban on gatherings following an outpouring of anger over an offensive against Kurdish fighters across the border.

Turkey's Kurdish community has denounced the government's support for a Syrian offensive against a semi-autonomous northeastern region under Kurdish control.

During a protest to denounce the operation last week, over 1,000 people attempted to breach the border crossing into Syria from the town of Nusaybin.

"With the exception of events deemed appropriate ... any action intended to be carried out in open spaces (gatherings, marches, press conferences, hunger strikes, sit-ins, the setting up of stands, the pitching of tents, the distribution of leaflets/brochures, the posting of posters/banners, etc.) is prohibited," the Mardin governorate said in a statement.

Tense standoff at the Turkish-Syrian border in Nusaybin as dozens of Kurds demand passage, hoping to cross and join the YPG in its defense against the Syrian government.

Syria pic.twitter.com/KMIIrtm8JK

— Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) January 20, 2026

Central Gaza's Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital said on Monday it had received nine living Palestinian detainees released by Israel, shortly after the military said it had recovered the body of the last hostage held in the Palestinian territory.

"Nine Palestinian detainees from Gaza arrived at the hospital a short while ago via Red Cross teams, after the occupation released them today," the hospital said in a statement.

Turkey's foreign minister met Hamas officials in Ankara on Monday and discussed the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and humanitarian conditions in the enclave, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also briefed the Hamas officials about Turkey's efforts in international platforms, including U.S. President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace", to protect the rights of Gazans, the source added.

Italy on Monday summoned Israel's ambassador to protest after two Italian policemen were threatened at gunpoint by an Israeli during a field visit in the occupied West Bank, the foreign ministry said.

The two military policemen were stopped on Sunday by an armed Israeli while they were carrying out a site inspection ahead of a planned visit by EU ambassadors to a village near Ramallah.

According to a government source, the Israeli, believed to have been a settler, forced the two men to kneel at gunpoint and subjected them to an improvised interrogation.

The soldiers were travelling in a vehicle with diplomatic licence plates and carrying diplomatic passports.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wanted the Israeli ambassador in Rome to receive a "strong protest" over the incident, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Italy's embassy to Israel has already submitted a formal protest to the Israeli government, contacting the foreign ministry, the Israeli military, the police and the Shin Bet domestic security agency.

The two policemen returned unharmed to Italy's Consulate General in Jerusalem following the incident

A US naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier has deployed to Middle Eastern waters, the United States said Monday, as Tehran warned it was ready to hit back at any American attack launched in response to a crackdown on anti-government protests.

The Lincoln's strike group has arrived in the region, US Central Command said in a post on X, adding the ships were "currently deployed to the Middle East to promote regional security and stability".

US President Donald Trump has previously threatened to step in, saying last week that Washington was sending a "massive fleet" to the region "just in case".

Damascus thwarted on Monday an attempt to smuggle weapons into Lebanon, state media reported, days after Israel struck several border crossings between the two countries, claiming they were used by Hezbollah.

The official SANA news agency said security forces intercepted the shipment in a car in the Bureij area, near the border with Lebanon.

Quoting a security source, SANA said authorities seized "nine anti-tank guided missiles, 68 RPG rounds, two 107mm rockets, and five boxes of ammunition" before raiding the smugglers' hideout in the nearby Nabek district.

Lebanon and Syria share a porous, 330-kilometre (205-mile) border that is notorious for smuggling.

The operation follows Israeli strikes on Wednesday on four border crossings between the two countries, which the Israeli military alleged were "used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons".

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Monday that any attack on the group's backer, Tehran, would also target the militants, and warned that any new war on Iran would ignite the region.

"Faced with aggression that does not distinguish between us...we are targeted by any potential aggression and determined to defend ourselves," he said in a televised address to supporters at a solidarity rally for Iran.

"We will choose at that time how to act... but we are not neutral," he said, warning that "a war on Iran this time will ignite the region".

The United Arab Emirates said on Monday it would not let its airspace, territory or territorial waters be used for any hostile military actions against Iran, the foreign ministry said, reaffirming its commitment to neutrality and regional stability.

Israeli forces killed dozens of Palestinians and desecrated hundreds of graves, a correspondent for The New Arab's sister site AlarabyTV wrote on X.

Asem Alnabih added that the vandalism has meant Gazan families will be unable to find their loved ones again.

Mark this date carefully. Before Israel retrieved the remains of its last soldier in Gaza, it took dozens of Palestinian lives and desecrated hundreds of graves, leaving Gazan families unable to ever find their loved ones again. It did all of this in plain view of the world,… https://t.co/zGkBX1fhDd

— عاصم النبيه Asem Alnabih (@AsemAlnabeh) January 26, 2026

Russia is withdrawing forces from an airport in northeastern Syria, moving to end its military presence in a corner of the country where the Damascus government is trying to seize control from Kurdish forces, five Syrian sources said.

Two of the sources said Russian forces had begun a gradual withdrawal from Qamishli airport last week. Some of the forces were expected to move to in western Syria while others would return to Russia, one Russia's Hmeimim air base of the sources said.

Another Syrian security source on Syria's western coast said Russian military vehicles and heavy weaponry had been transported from Qamishli to the Hmeimim military airport over the last two days.

There was no immediate comment from Russia's defence ministry. 

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said on Monday that the return of the last Israeli captive held in Gaza, Ran Gvili, showed the Palestinian movement's commitment to the US-sponsored ceasefire.

"The discovery of the body of the last Israeli prisoner in Gaza confirms Hamas's commitment to all the requirements of the ceasefire agreement on the Gaza Strip, including the prisoner exchange process and its complete closure as stipulated in the agreement," Qassem said in a statement.

 Israel says the remains of the final captive in Gaza have been recovered.

This comes following a widespread Israeli military operation in the north of the Strip underway since Sunday evening. 

An Israeli court is considering a petition to open Gaza up to foreign reporters following a call from the Foreign Press Association. 

The association has been pressing for over two years for reporters to be allowed into the enclave to cover what is happening freely and independently. 

According to reports on Monday, lawyers from the association told a three-judge panel that Israeli restrictions on journalists are not justified, and pushed for media personnel to be allowed in, given that aid workers are being granted entry. 

Israel's war on Gaza has been deadly for Palestinian journalists, with nearly 300 killed since October 2023. 

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Monday urged the EU to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a "terrorist organisation" following a deadly crackdown on mass protests.

He said he would propose the idea, "in coordination with other partners", at a meeting of European Union counterparts in Brussels on Thursday, adding on X: "The losses suffered by the civilian population during the protests demand a clear response."

A Qatari official announced on Monday that Doha will provide Lebanon with at least $420 million in grants in support for the energy and healthcare sectors, school scholarships and more. 

Israeli forces injured a Palestinian man during their raid of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, sources told Wafa.

The man was shot in the leg by Israeli live fire near the separation wall in Tarqumiya, west of Hebron.

Israeli forces detained a Palestinian man on Monday after attacking him in the town of Kafr Aqab, north of occupied Jerusalem, Wafa reports.

The detention occurred amid the ongoing large-scale raid on Kafr Aqab and the Alandiya refugee camp. The forces handcuffed and attacked the Palestinian before detaining him.

Israeli airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia said on Monday they would allow flight cancellations due to uncertainty in the region.

US President Donald Trump said last week an "armada" was headed towards Iran, but he hoped he would not have to use it, as he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.

Flag carrier El Al said it would allow cancellations for any reason up to 48 hours before a flight at no extra cost for flights purchased in the next two weeks and for flights until 17 March.

Similarly, smaller carrier Israir said that "in light of the current situation" it was selling flight protection for $35 on flights booked over the next month on flights through the end of 2026.

Two Palestinians were killed over the past 24 hours, as an additional body was recovered, increasing the daily death toll by three, Gaza's health ministry revealed.

A further 20 Palestinians have been injured.

A US-based rights group said Monday it had confirmed the deaths of 5,848 people in a wave of protests in Iran suppressed by security forces, warning that it was still investigating thousands more potential fatalities.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had confirmed that 5,848 people had been killed, including 5,520 protesters, 77 minors, 209 members of the security forces and 42 bystanders.

NGOs tracking the toll have said their task has been impeded by an 18-day internet shutdown, warning that confirmed figures are likely to be far lower than the actual toll.

But the group added it was still investigating another 17,091 possible fatalities.

At least 41,283 people have been arrested, it said.

Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels threatened new attacks on ships travelling through the Red Sea corridor, likely trying to back Iran as it worried Monday about an approaching US aircraft carrier after President Donald Trump threatened military action over its crackdown on nationwide protests.

A short video by the Houthis included previously published images of a ship on fire, with the caption: "Soon."

The rebels did not elaborate, but their campaign in the Red Sea saw over 100 ships attacked as part of a campaign the Houthis said pressured Israel over its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Five Palestinians were injured during the Israeli army's raid at the Balata refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, Wafa reports.

The five were bruised after being beaten by the forces and were taken to hospital. 

Israeli forces deployed in the camp, raided and searched several homes while causing damage.

An elderly woman has died from extreme cold in southern Gaza as Gazans battle the harsh winter with a lack of shelter, medical care and fuel to keep warm, Wafa reports.

Zainab Muhammad Musbah, 63, was found frozen in her tent in the al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis, medical sources told the publication.

Israel said Monday it would allow a "limited reopening" of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt once it had recovered the remains of the last captive in the Palestinian territory.

Reopening Rafah, a vital entry point for aid into Gaza, forms part of a truce framework announced by US President Donald Trump in October, but the crossing has remained closed since Israeli forces took control of it during the war in the Palestinian territory.

World leaders and aid agencies have repeatedly pushed for more humanitarian convoys to be able to access Gaza, which has been left devastated by more than two years of genocidal war and depends on the inflow of essential medical equipment, food and other supplies.