Palestine PM accuse Israel of 'ethnic cleansing' as 70 killed in West Bank

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas' office has decried Israel's military offensive in the West Bank, accusing the state of 'ethnic cleansing'.
12 min read
03 February, 2025
Last Update
04 February, 2025 04:01 AM

The office of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas denounced Israel's offensive in the occupied West Bank as "ethnic cleansing" on Monday, with the health ministry saying Israeli forces killed 70 people in the territory this year.

In a statement, spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said the Palestinian presidency "condemned the occupation authorities' expansion of their comprehensive war on our Palestinian people in the West Bank to implement their plans aimed at displacing citizens and ethnic cleansing".

Later, the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah said there had been "70 martyrs in the West Bank since the beginning of this year", with 10 children, one woman and two elderly people among the dead.

The ministry confirmed to AFP they were "killed by the Israeli occupation".

4:00 AM

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

Israeli settlers attack Masafer Yatta in occupied West Bank
12:25 AM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli settlers attack the Palestinian village of Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron, according to the Head of the Susya Village Council speaking with Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Footage shared by Palestinian journalist Basel Adra on X captured the attack.

Moscow urges Hamas to release Russian hostage from Gaza
11:15 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

A senior Russian diplomat urged a top official of the Palestinian movement Hamas on Monday to keep to its commitment to release a Russian hostage held by the group since its attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov raised the issue in talks in Moscow with Musa Abu Marzuk, a member of Hamas's Politburo, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"It was again stressed from the Russian side that it was vital to fulfil the promise expressed by the Hamas leadership concerning the release of Russian citizen A. Trufanov and others being held hostage in the Gaza Strip," it said.

The statement also noted the "importance of continuing appropriate work in the interests of achieving inter-Palestinian unity".

(Reuters)

Oil tanker attacked by Houthis last year crosses Red Sea
10:45 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker Chrysalis, which was attacked by Yemen's Houthis last year, sailed through the Red Sea this week, the Suez Canal said on Monday, in one of the first voyages since the militia announced a halt in attacks on ships not linked to Israel.

Shipping companies, many of which have suspended Red Sea voyages and rerouted vessels around southern Africa to avoid potential Houthi attacks, have been anxiously waiting for confirmation of safe voyages through the Red Sea since the Gaza ceasefire.

The Iran-aligned Houthis, which have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023 and sunk two vessels, said on 20 January after the Gaza ceasefire that they would limit their attacks on shipping lanes to Israel-linked vessels.

Previously they had targeted ships linked to the UK and US although other vessels with no connection have also been hit.

Arab nations oppose removing Palestinians from Gaza
10:15 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Five Arab foreign ministers and a senior Palestinian official sent a joint letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio opposing plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza, instead demanding Palestinians be involved in the reconstruction process, Axios reported on Monday.

The report cited a copy of the letter. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan as well as Palestinian presidential adviser Hussein al-Sheikh met in Cairo over the weekend and decided to send the letter to Rubio, according to Axios.

(Reuters)

White House official says Trump to stop UNRWA funding
9:35 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

US President Donald Trump is expected to issue an executive order on Tuesday withdrawing the US from the UN Human Rights Council and prohibiting funding for the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, a White House official said on Monday.

Trump has already previously ordered US withdrawals from the World Health Organization and from the Paris climate agreement since taking office on 20 January.

(Reuters)

Netanyahu thinking of removing Shin Bet chief from talks
8:50 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering removing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar from the negotiating team, according to Israel's Channel 12, with another Shin Bet official taking Bar's place.

The Times of Israel quoted an Israeli official as saying that "as of now, there is no change to the make-up of the negotiating team", although the publication noted that the official did not deny the report.

Israel's Channel 13 reported that the two met over the weekend, having an intense discussion with Netanyahu informing Bar that he intends to change the negotiating team.

 

US readies new $1 bln arms sale to Israel: report
7:55 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

US President Donald Trump's administration has asked congressional leaders to approve new transfers of roughly $1 billion worth of bombs and other military hardware to Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

The planned weapons sales include 4,700 1,000-pound bombs, worth more than $700 million, and armored bulldozers built by Caterpillar, worth more than $300 million, the report added, citing sources.

Syria's Sharaa says elections could take up to five years
7:30 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said Monday organising elections could take up to five years, the week after he was appointed interim president and less than two months after ousting Bashar al-Assad.

"My estimate is that the period of time will be approximately between four and five years until the elections," Sharaa said in a pre-recorded interview broadcast The New Arab's affiliate Syria TV, adding that the infrastructure for the vote "needs to be re-established, and this takes time".

Trump says there are no guarantees Gaza ceasefire will hold
6:55 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

US President Donald Trump on Monday said there are no guarantees the Gaza ceasefire will hold, while his envoy said the measure is holding for now.

Trump and US special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff made the remarks to reporters at the White House.

(Reuters)

Trump to pull from UN Human Rights Council, UNRWA funding
6:30 PM
The New Arab Staff

US President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order withdrawing the US from the UN Human Rights Council and stop all future funding for UNRWA, according to a report from Politico.

"The UNHRC has demonstrated consistent bias against Israel, focusing on it unfairly and disproportionately in council proceedings," the document is alleged to say according to Politico.

Syria president performs Umrah during visit to Saudi Arabia
6:00 PM
The New Arab Staff

Syria's newly appointed transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, performed Umrah in Mecca during his visit to Saudi Arabia in his first foreign trip as Syrian leader and the toppling of the Assad regime.

Sharaa said in a written statement that he had discussed humanitarian and economic cooperation with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Prince and "extensive future plans in the fields of energy, technology, education and health".

Syrian leader in Turkey on Tuesday on 2nd in'tl trip
5:36 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa will visit Turkey on Tuesday on his second international visit since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in December, the Turkish presidency said.

He went to Saudi Arabia on Sunday. War-ravaged Syria is looking to wealthy Gulf countries to finance reconstruction and revive its economy.

Sharaa "will pay a visit to Ankara on Tuesday at the invitation of our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," Fahrettin Altun, head of communications at the presidency, said on X on Monday.

Netanyahu to extend Washington visit, to return to Israel
5:04 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will extend his visit to Washington DC and will return to Israel on Saturday, an Axios reporter said on X on Monday.

During his trip, Netanyahu is expected to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Gaza, captives held by Hamas, and the confrontation with Iran and its regional allies, according to his office.

(Reuters)

MENA
Live Story
Israeli forces storm medical point of PRCS near Tubas
4:31 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli forces stormed the Palestine Red Crescent Society’s medical point in Al-Far'a Refugee Camp, south of Tubas, on Monday evening.

Medical sources told Wafa the army seized identification cards of the medical staff and restricted their movement. The forces also prevented its medical teams from evacuating a patient from the camp.

Israeli settlers storm UNRWA HQ in East Jerusalem
4:01 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli settlers stormed the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem.

Sources told Wafa the settlers raised Israeli flags and displayed banners on the site. 

This comes as Israel's ban on the agency took effect on Thursday, cutting a lifeline for the millions of Palestinians who rely on the agency as Israel continues with its offensive.

MENA
Live Story
90% of schools in Gaza destroyed: UN expert
3:30 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israel's war on Gaza has destroyed 90 percent of its schools.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Farida Shaheed, said the schools have either been wholly or partially destroyed, rendered operable, and schools have constantly been attacked despite being turned into shelters for civilians.

Shaheed used the term "scholasticide" to describe Israel's deliberate and total destruction of Gaza's education system.

Hamas officials say 'ready' for negotiations on phase two
3:00 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Hamas is ready to begin talks on the details of a second phase of the ongoing truce in Gaza, two officials from the Palestinian group told AFP on Monday.

"Hamas has informed the mediators, during ongoing communications and meetings held with Egyptian mediators last week in Cairo, that we are ready to start the negotiations for the second phase," one official said on condition of anonymity.

"We are waiting for the mediators to initiate the next round of negotiation," said another.

20 killed and 18 bodies recovered in past 24 hours
2:30 PM
The New Arab Staff

The Gaza Health Ministry revealed Israel's war had killed 20 people overnight, and 18 bodies were recovered from the debris.

The figure also includes two civilians succumbing to their injuries and four more injuries being reported in local hospitals.

Qatar sets up air bridge from Jordan to deploy aid to Gaza
1:58 PM
The New Arab Staff

Qatar has launched an air bridge from Jordan to the southern Gaza Strip, aiming to deliver much-needed medical supplies to the region.

The flights, which are departing from King Abdullah II Air Base in Jordan, are set to complement the existing land corridor that Qatar has established to facilitate the movement of aid into Gaza.

The inauguration of the air bridge was attended by several Qatari officials, including Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad, Qatar's Minister of State for International Cooperation. 

The air bridge will transport critical medical supplies to the area of al-Qarara in Khan Younis, a city in the southern part of Gaza, where the medical situation has become dire as hospitals struggle to treat the large number of injured due to continued bombardment. 

Israeli forces arrest Palestinian child in Tamun
1:42 PM
The New Arab Staff

Thousands of Palestinians displaced in Tulkarm
1:30 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israel has expanded its military assault on the occupied West Bank, which began on 19 January, focusing on the Jenin refugee camp.

As the siege on Jenin tightens, humanitarian aid has been blocked with thousands forced to flee their homes. Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have left much of Jenin in ruins, with entire neighbourhoods destroyed.

Israeli forces have killed 26 Palestinians in the attacks and wounded dozens more.

Read the full story here

Israeli forces launched over 2,000 attacks on West Bank
1:09 PM
The New Arab Staff

The Palestinian Authority has reported that Israeli forces and settlers launched at least 2,161 attacks in the occupied West Bank in January alone. 

The Wall and Settlement resistance Commission, which tracks settler and military aggression, condemned the continues escalation of violence targeting Palestinian communities in the area. 

The report also found that Israel imposed more than 912 checkpoints throughout the West Bank to restrict the movement of Palestinians. 

People attend the funeral ceremony of killed Palestinians by Israel [Getty]
GHM: 47,518 Palestinians killed since 7 October
1:00 PM
The New Arab Staff

Gaza's Health Ministry revealed that Israel's war has killed over 47,518 since 7 October 2023. A further 111,612 have been injured, with thousands remaining trapped under the rubble.

The Gaza's media office revealed over 61,709 Palestinians have been killed, including the over 14,000 trapped under the rubble.

Israeli bulldozers level main market street in Tubas
12:29 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli forces levelled Tubas' main market street in Al-Far'a camp with bulldozers.

Local sources told Wafa the forces stormed the market with the machinery and destroyed the streets and infrastructure while the army also fired bullets

The army also closed all entrances to the camp and imposed a tight siege, forcing residents to evacuate and their homes to be converted into military barracks.

Israel's assault on Tubas has gone on for the second day in a row.

PHM: Israeli forces killed 70 in West Bank this year
12:00 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The Palestinian health ministry said on Monday that Israeli forces had killed 70 people in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2025.

"Seventy martyrs in the West Bank since the beginning of this year," the Ramallah-based ministry said in a statement detailing 10 children, one woman and two elderly people among the dead. The ministry confirmed to AFP they were "killed by the Israeli occupation".

In-depth
Live Story
20 Palestinian bodies recovered north of Gaza
11:27 AM
Fouad al-Husari and al-Araby al-Jadeed staff

Twenty Palestinian bodies have been recovered in Sheikh Zayed City, north of the Gaza Strip, which was subjected to Israeli assault in December 2024.

Palestinian presidency accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing'
11:01 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The office of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Monday denounced as "ethnic cleansing" an ongoing Israeli military offensive in the occupied West Bank and urged the United States to intervene.

In a statement, spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said the presidency "condemned the occupation authorities' expansion of their comprehensive war on our Palestinian people in the West Bank to implement their plans aimed at displacing citizens and ethnic cleansing".

Katz threatens Hezbollah with ‘heavy price’ over drones
10:37 AM
The New Arab Staff

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened Hezbollah on Sunday the group would pay a "heavy price" if they continued to launch drones at Israel.

The minister visited southern Lebanon on Sunday, touring Israeli army positions to monitor the truce extension being implemented.

Israeli forces continue tightening measures around Nablus
10:03 AM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli forces are reportedly continuing to tighten their military measures at military checkpoints around Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

Local and security sources told Wafa the forces had tightened their measures at the Deir Sharaf and Sarra checkpoints west of the city and the Al-Murabba checkpoint to the south.

They have also deployed some flying checkpoints and are searching vehicles and checking citizens' identities.

Iran warns against 'ethnic cleansing' of Palestinians
9:30 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Iran on Monday condemned US President Donald Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, warning it would amount to "ethnic cleansing".

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the international community should help Palestinians "secure their right to self-determination... rather than pushing for other ideas that would be tantamount to ethnic cleansing".

The remarks from Baqaei come after Trump repeatedly floated an idea to "clean out" the Gaza Strip and move its population to Egypt and Jordan.

"Cleaning out Gaza... is part of colonial erasure of (the) Gaza Strip and the whole Palestine," Baqaei said, adding that "no third party" can decide on the future of the Palestinian territory.

Israeli forces continue West Bank offensive for 14th day
9:00 AM
The New Arab Staff

The Israeli army is continuing a military offensive in the occupied West Bank for the 14th day in a row, having now expanded to Tubas. 

So far, 25 Palestinians have been killed, and dozens have been injured, while 15,000 civilians have been displaced.

In its latest offensive, Israeli forces began bulldozing roads and infrastructure leading to the Al-Far'a camp in Tammun, south of Tubas, as well as raiding homes and forcing residents to flee.

Israel's Netanyahu in Washington for Gaza ceasefire talks
8:30 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he is expected to begin talks on Monday to broker a second phase of the ceasefire as he visits the new Trump administration in Washington.

Ahead of his departure, Netanyahu told reporters he would discuss "victory over Hamas", contending with Iran and freeing all hostages when he meets with President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

It will be Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader since returning to the White House in January, a prioritisation Netanyahu called "telling".

"I think it's a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance," he said before boarding his flight.

World
Live Story
Trump says talks on Middle East with Israel 'progressing'
8:00 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that talks with Israel and other countries on the Middle East were "progressing," ahead of discussions in Washington on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire.

"The discussions on the Middle East with Israel and various other countries are progressing. Bibi (Benjamin) Netanyahu's coming on Tuesday, and I think we have some very big meetings scheduled," Trump told reporters, referring to the Israeli prime minister.