Israel continues destruction of West Bank’s Jenin; Gaza truce holds

Al Jazeera

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Israeli troops continue to burn, destroy Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp in a military assault that has already killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens across the governorate of Jenin since Tuesday.

The legislative body of the Arab League has condemned in the “strongest” terms “the dangerous escalation of the crimes” by the Israeli army and settlers in the occupied West Bank.

As humanitarian aid trucks continue to surge into Gaza, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warns that Palestinians returning to their homes in the war-torn enclave will find most of them destroyed or uninhabitable.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 47,283 Palestinians and wounded 111,472 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 taken captive.

7m ago (15:00 GMT)

WATCH: Inside Lebanon’s ‘disaster zone’ town

Two months after Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire, the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura remains devastated by the conflict, with unexploded ordnance and bodies still scattered amid the rubble.

“Naqoura has become a disaster zone of a town,” the town’s mayor, Abbas Awada, told Al Jazeera. “The bare necessities of life are absent here.”

Watch our full report below:

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22m ago (14:45 GMT)

‘A lot of uncertainty’ after Israel declares it will delay Lebanon withdrawal

Zeina Khodr

Zeina Khodr

Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon

Over the past two months, Israeli forces have withdrawn from a number of Lebanese villages and towns along the border, but they are still present in dozens of other villages.

There’s no clear map to show whether the area has been cleared of Israeli troops. Because time and time again, we’ve seen them moving deep inside Lebanon and move back.

The Israeli military says they’re there to clear the area of Hezbollah weapons, but Lebanon says what they’re doing violates the ceasefire by destroying homes and infrastructure.

There’s been a lot of speculation in recent days about whether Israel will respect the agreement and withdraw from Lebanon. Now, the Israeli prime minister’s office confirms they will not be withdrawing.

What we understand is that Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri was informed in the past 24 hours by the US-led ceasefire monitoring committee that the Israelis are going to delay their withdrawal.

It wasn’t a good meeting, and Berri told them that thousands of people are going back to their homes regardless of consequences. We are in uncharted waters now and there’s a lot of uncertainty.

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37m ago (14:30 GMT)

Israeli forces raid Nablus and Hebron, maintain blockade on Jericho

Israeli armed forces have stormed an area in the town of Beita, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.

Several suffocation injuries were reported after Israeli soldiers fired sound and smoke bombs, the agency reported.

The Israeli occupation forces continued to close the entrances to the city of Jericho, its villages and camps, and prevented exit through them, for a sixth consecutive day.

Local sources reported to Wafa that the Israeli army caused massive traffic jams and fired sound bombs at the vehicles at the southern entrance, without any injuries being reported.

Heavily armed Israeli soldiers were also seen raiding the town of Bani Naim, east of Hebron, according to the Palestinian Information Center.

⬅️ شاهد ..

قوات الاحتلال تقتحم بلدة بني نعيم شرق الخليل، وتشرع بأعمال تفتيش وتطلق قنابل الصوت. pic.twitter.com/r5pBTWiriR

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) January 24, 2025

Translation: The occupation forces stormed the town of Bani Naim, east of Hebron, and began searching and firing sound bombs.

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52m ago (14:15 GMT)

If you’re just joining us

Here are the latest developments:

Israeli soldiers have destroyed the only desalination plant serving water needs in north Gaza, according to the Palestinian Water Authority.

Israeli forces have detained at least 22 people in the occupied West Bank since last night, as part of a mass arrest campaign.

The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) says new supplies have been delivered to Gaza’s bakeries, helping them get back up and running. According to the WFP, 4,800 aid trucks have reached Gaza since the ceasefire deal.

The Israeli military says its forces continue to “conduct sweeps” in areas across southern Lebanon, despite passing a ceasefire deadline with Hezbollah that requires Israel to stop its occupation.

A Palestinian woman reacts during a large-scale Israeli army raid in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, on January 24, 2025 [Jaafar Ashtiyeh/ AFP)

A Palestinian woman reacts during a large-scale Israeli army raid in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, on January 24, 2025 [Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP]

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1h ago (14:00 GMT)

Negotiations to free all Israeli captives ongoing: Report

Gal Hirsch, the Israeli military commander tasked with coordinating negotiations for missing and captive Israelis, has held several meetings with groups of captives’ relatives to brief them on the status of exchange talks, according to Israeli media reports.

Among those represented were family members of captives not slated for release in the first six-week stage of the Gaza ceasefire deal, reported Israel’s Ynet News site.

Hirsch provided an update on negotiations for the second stage of the deal, assuring families that efforts remain ongoing to secure the release of all captives – both living and deceased, reported Ynet, citing a statement from the prime minister’s office.

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1h ago (13:45 GMT)