The situation in the Middle East evolves. Israel confirmed Sunday, January 26, that the inhabitants of the northern Gaza band, part of the territory devastated by the war, would be authorized from this Monday to return to this area. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu confirmed this decision in a statement, a choice justified by the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which entered into force a week ago. Before this announcement, “tens of thousands” of displaced had been prevented from returning to northern Gaza, blocked by Israeli forces at the passage of Netzarim, which cut the territory in two. Faced with this situation, the Hamas Islamist movement accused the Hebrew state of “raping” the agreement signed between the two parties.
Info to remember
⇒ Displaced Palestinians are starting to return to northern Gaza
⇒ The ceasefire between Israel and prolonged Lebanon until February 18
⇒ The new US Defense Minister spoke with Netanyahu
The displaced Palestinians are starting to return to northern Gaza
The displaced Palestinians began on Monday morning to return to the north of the Gaza Strip, according to an official of the Interior Ministry of Hamas, after a release of the negotiations between Israel and the Islamist movement allowing the upcoming release of hostages. This understanding makes it possible to preserve the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, devastated by 15 months of war and of which almost all the inhabitants were moved.
The release of negotiations finally occurred Sunday evening. Benyamin Netanyahu announced that three new hostages selected in the Gaza Strip would be released on Thursday. According to the list received by Israeli Prime Minister Arbel Yehud, a young 29 -year -old woman kidnapped during terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, will be one of them. This resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz should have been released earlier by Hamas, according to the Israeli authorities, who made her release a condition to reopen the crossroads of Netzarim to the inhabitants of northern Gaza. The “arrangements” finally found on Sunday therefore led to this subject, allowing the Palestinians to find northern Gaza.
The ceasefire between Israel and prolonged Lebanon until February 18
While Israel did not comply with the deadline to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon, the United States announced on Sunday that the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Lebanon would be extended by several weeks, until ‘To February 18. “The Lebanese government reaffirms its commitment […] To continue the implementation of the cease-fire agreement until February 18, 2025, “said Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in a statement early on Monday, January 27. A declaration that comes after a consultation with the Other country leaders, including the new Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, elected in early January.
Under the agreement which ended the war between Hezbollah pro-Iranian and Israel, the Israeli army was supposed to have completed its withdrawal from southern Lebanon on Sunday where only the Lebanese army and the peacekeepers of the UN can now be deployed. But Israel announced on Friday that the operation would continue beyond that date, saying that the agreement was not fully applied by Lebanon.
In a first official reaction, Hezbollah praised “a glorious day”, this agreement representing according to the Islamist movement “a scene of pride written by the great people of the Resistance [à Israël, ndlr]which again proves his deep attachment to his land “.
Coming into force on November 27, the ceasefire south of Lebanon remains very fragile. According to Beirut, 22 people died Sunday due to Israeli fire in the region. These inhabitants of border localities in the Hebrew state were “citizens who were trying to return to their villages”, according to the Lebanese authorities. Israel said for his part having launched “summons to eliminate threats in several areas where suspects have been identified approaching troops”, adding that he “apprehended suspects”. The peacekeepers, under the aegis of the UN, estimated that the conditions for a return of the inhabitants of these villages “were not yet met”.
The new US Defense Minister spoke with Benyamin Netanyahu
Pete Hegseth, just arrived at the head of the Pentagon, spoke on Sunday for the first time on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. The two men “discussed the importance of advancing priorities and mutual interests (of the two countries) in terms of security, in particular in the face of persistent threats,” the Pentagon said in a statement, published after this call. This discussion comes after the shattering statements by US President Donald Trump. On Saturday, the new tenant of the White House had suggested moving the inhabitants of Gaza to Jordan and Egypt to “clean up” in the enclave, compared by the latter to “a demolition site”.
The vast majority of the inhabitants of the area, initially populated by 2.4 million inhabitants, had to flee the fighting and the bombing during the conflict between Israel and Hamas. On Sunday, the Arab League warned against “attempts aimed at uprooting the Palestinians of their land”, which “could not be qualified other than as ethnic cleaning”. Bezalel Smotrichn, an Israeli far -right minister from the government of Benyamin Netanyahu, called Donald Trump’s proposal “excellent idea”, saying that the Palestinians could “establish a new and good life elsewhere”.