As the cease-fire holds…..
More hostages are due to be released….
Palestinians are returning to Gaza…..
And Trump’s floating Jordan and Egypt taking more Palestinians dropped like dead ballon…
Hamas IS alive and present in Gaza….
The Israeli effort to get rid of them a failure……..
Their effort to level Gaza , making it inhospitable, also a failure….
Grabbing hostage’s works….
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians were walking for hours toward their homes in northern Gaza on Monday, nearly 16 months after they had been ordered to move at the start of Israel’s military offensive. More than 300,000 Gazans had returned by Monday night from the southern and central parts of the enclave, the Hamas-run government media office said.
The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas remained in place after it faltered over the weekend, but it was unclear what awaited Gazans once they returned home. As they began arriving in Gaza City, in the north of the territory, they confronted a wasteland of rubble, after the Israeli military destroyed whole neighborhoods and Hamas booby-trapped many buildings.
A column of people stretching for miles marched north along Gaza’s coastal road, many carrying their few possessions on their heads, on makeshift carts and in plastic bags slung over their backs. Some used bikes, wheelchairs and trolleys to carry their belongings. One man attached wheels to a plastic box, turning it into a makeshift stroller for a baby.
Many of those returning had spent the war sheltering in tents in other parts of the narrow territory, after Israel ordered roughly a million people to flee northern Gaza in October 2023 ahead of its military invasion and then prevented their return.
On Monday, the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video of Arbel Yehud, an Israeli hostage whose release was delayed though she was supposed to be among the first two groups of abductees freed on Jan. 19 and Jan. 25 during the first phase of the provisional cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The delay had been at the center of one of the most significant disputes between the two sides.
Last weekend, Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers who were taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel, in turn, handed over 200 Palestinian prisoners. But on Sunday, their week-old truce appeared to waver. Israel said it would delay the return of displaced people to northern Gaza, as required by the cease-fire agreement, partly because Hamas had reneged on the plan to release Ms. Yehud.
After hours of tense negotiations, the sides reached an agreement late Sunday under which Hamas would hand over Ms. Yehud, along with other hostages, by the end of the week. In exchange, Israeli forces began allowing displaced Palestinians to move north on Monday morning.
Here’s what else to know:
-
Violence in Lebanon: Israeli forces opened fire for a second straight day as residents of southern Lebanon sought to return to their homes along the border, Lebanese officials said. At least two people were injured, officials said, after at least two dozen people were killed and scores injured in Israeli fire on Sunday. Israeli forces, who have warned against returning to border areas without their approval, have remained in southern Lebanon as a 60-day truce with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah was extended on Sunday until Feb. 18.
-
Fragile truces: Though Israel’s cease-fires in Gaza and Lebanon were tested over the weekend, analysts said that all sides wanted to avoid full-scale fighting for now.
-
Displaced Palestinians: President Trump told reporters that he would like Jordan and Egypt to take in more displaced Palestinians as part of an effort to “clean out” Gaza. Egypt and Jordan rejected the suggestion, saying the only way forward was Palestinian statehood….
Jan 27, 2025 – ISW Press
Gazan civilians began to return to the northern Gaza Strip on January 27 after Hamas fulfilled outstanding obligations under the ceasefire agreement. Hamas agreed to release a female civilian hostage held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) after the IDF prevented Palestinians from returning to the northern Gaza Strip on January 25 and 26.
Note…
One should NOT be surprised if Middle Eastern countries begin to provide aid and money to rebuild Gaza much to the chagrin of Israeli hardliners….
And?
That American President Trump’s support could be ‘brought’ by offers of Saudi money….
image…A car loaded with mattresses and blankets crossing the Netzarim corridor from southern Gaza into northern Gaza.Credit…Eyad Baba/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.