Last-minute cease-fire disputes resolved in Qatar; Israeli cabinet to convene Friday to approve deal| Live coverage

(Credit: 2024 Planet Labs Inc./Handout via Reuters)

A combination of satellite images shows a general view of Rimal neighborhoods and the surrounding area of Gaza City, from Sept. 30, 2023 (top-left), to Nov. 3, 2023 (top-right), Oct. 8, 2024 (bottom-left), and Jan. 15, 2025 (bottom-right).

Gaza is in ruins after 15 months of incessant bombings. Analysis conducted by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) and released early September found that nearly 60 percent of all buildings, nearly 70 percent of all orchards and 68 percent of all roads in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed by Israeli strikes, and those numbers came before Israel escalated its bombing campaign significantly, especially in northern Gaza, in mid-October. Reuters reported around that same time that an estimated 42 million tonnes of rubble lay strewn across the Strip.

The final disputes holding up a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas have been resolved, according to reports from Haaretz and Axios, the latter citing an unnamed U.S. official and the former citing a member of the Israeli cabinet.

Shas (an ultra-Orthodox religious party) chairman Arye Dery said he was informed that the negotiation teams "overcame all the obstacles and the deal is moving forward," Haaretz reported. Teams are "working on the final technical wording," he added.

The Israeli cabinet was expected to convene today to review and officially approve the cease-fire deal, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said his government would not meet until the disputes in Doha were resolved.  Following news of success in Qatar, sources told Haaretz that cabinet would convene on Friday to approve the deal.

Netanyahu's spokesperson had blamed Hamas for holding up progress by pushing back against Israel's attempts to veto certain prisoners' release and over the specifics of Israeli army presence along the Philadelphi Corridor between Egypt and Gaza.

Read more about the last-minutes disputes here. 👈

A last-minute glitch surfaced today in the details of the Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal and U.S. envoys are working to resolve it, according to a U.S. official cited anonymously by Reuters.

The dispute was over the identities of several prisoners that Hamas is demanding to be released, the official said, adding that the issue is expected to be resolved soon.

Working on the issue is President Joe Biden's Middle East envoy, Brett McGurk, and President-elect Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff. They are both in Doha with Qatari and Egyptian negotiators, according to the official.

The armed wing of Hamas said that an Israeli strike, which followed the announcement of the cease-fire agreement the previous day, targeted a location where a female hostage was being held, Reuters reported.

Ezzeddine al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida did not disclose the fate of the hostage.

Qatar will provide Syria with 200 megawatts of electricity that will be gradually increased, Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said at a press conference in Damascus relayed by Reuters.

Syria: 

⚡ Syria's de facto ruler and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has claimed that his country is ready to host U.N. forces in the buffer zone established by the United Nations with Israel.

"Israel's advance in the region was due to the presence of Iranian militias and Hezbollah. After the liberation of Damascus, I think they are no longer present at all. There are pretexts that Israel is using today to advance in the Syrian areas, in the buffer zone," he said in response to a question from Reuters.

Syria

Doha will provide the necessary technical support to "rehabilitate" infrastructure in Syria, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Thursday, while calling on Israel to withdraw "immediately" from the buffer zone

Lebanon

According to information released by the U.N., the organization's Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is first scheduled to meet with caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib. He will then visit southern Lebanon, including Naqoura in the Sour district, to tour positions of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

On Saturday, he plans to meet with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister-elect Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. He is expected to conclude his visit with a press conference.

Israel

The Religious Zionism Party (Religious Zionism HaDatit) is likely to resign from the government in protest of the hostage-taking and cease-fire agreement reached with Hamas, MK Zvi Sukkot told Kan radio, as quoted by several Israeli media outlets.

"In all likelihood, we will resign from the government," the far-right MK said, adding that the religious Zionism party is "here to change the DNA of the State of Israel," not just to occupy seats in the coalition, according to The Times of Israel. The statement echoed the statement made Tuesday by party leader and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Haaretz reported that the party said it would remain in government only if Netanyahu promised to resume fighting against Hamas once the hostages were recovered.

Lebanon

According to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, the Israeli army has booby-trapped and demolished multiple buildings in Aita al-Shaab, in the Bint Jbeil district, and Mais al-Jabal, in the Marjayoun district, over the past few hours.

Later in the morning, the Israeli army also fired heavy machine guns at buildings in Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil).

Iraq

General Michael Kurilla, head of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), traveled to Iraq on Wednesday to meet with the U.S. and Iraqi military chiefs in Baghdad, as well as U.S. military personnel in Erbil, according to a message published Thursday on X, on the account of CENTCOM.

The fight against the Islamic State was the main topic of these discussions.

To find out more, press here.👈

Gaza

Two Israeli officials, not working for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, told Axios reporter Barak Ravid that negotiations were still underway regarding the truce between Israel and Hamas. According to a message posted by the journalist on X, these final discussions would focus on several names of important prisoners that the Palestinian movement would like to see released, but which Israel has so far refused.

Lebanon: 

Lebanese TV channel LBCI reported that the Israeli army had fired in the direction of its journalists in southern Lebanon, more precisely at Mais al-Jabal, in the Marjayoun district.

The video replayed on its website shows the members of the team running after hearing several gunshots, though there is no visual evidence to confirm their location.

Gaza

The enclave's health ministry announced 82 Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours, according to AFP.

Gaza

EU announced €120 million (around $123 million) in aid to Gaza after cease-fire, AFP reported

Gaza

A senior Hamas leader denied that the Palestinian movement had backtracked on any points of the truce agreement in Gaza, announced the day before, dismissing Israeli accusations as having "no basis."

"[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's claims that the movement is reneging on parts of the cease-fire agreement are baseless," Sami Abu Zuhri, a leader of the Islamist group from the Gaza Strip, told AFP.

"Israel is creating tensions out of nothing at a crucial moment. We call on both the outgoing U.S. government and the incoming one to force Israel to implement the agreement," he added.

(Credit: Menahem Kahana/AFP)

This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an Israeli army vehicle driving past vast destruction caused by Israeli attacks in the northern Gaza Strip on Jan. 16, 2025, following the announcement of a truce amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

Israel's cabinet was expected to meet on Jan. 16, to approve a ceasefire and hostage-release deal with Hamas, Israeli media reported, a day after mediators announced an agreement, they hope will lead to a permanent end to the Gaza war. 

Gaza

A senior Israeli official confirmed to Haaretz on Thursday that the agreement between Israel and Hamas stipulates the Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Philadelphi corridor along the Egyptian-Gaza Strip border after the completion of the first phase of the agreement.

According to the official, Israeli forces will remain deployed in the territory during the first 42-day phase of the agreement, adding that they will remain if Hamas refuses to comply with Israel's demands.

Gaza

Russia said on Thursday it hoped for a "lasting stabilization of the situation" in Gaza after the cease-fire and hostage release agreement with Israel, announced the day before by Qatari, Egyptian and U.S. mediators.

"We hope that the implementation of the agreement currently reached will contribute to the lasting stabilization of the situation in Gaza and create conditions for the return of all temporarily displaced persons," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a press conference.

(Credit: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP)

Just hours before the announcement of the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday, a Gaza resident shared her concerns with L'Orient-Le Jour, reflecting the anxiety of many in the Palestinian enclave. She was certain: "The last days, the last hours leading up to such an agreement are known to be particularly dangerous."

To find out more, read Nour al-Yacoubi's article.👈

Gaza

Gaza's Civil Defense reported 73 people killed in Israeli strikes since the announcement of the truce agreement to come into effect on Sunday between Hamas and Israel.

To find out more, press here.

Gaza

Lebanese President-elect Joseph Aoun welcomed the conclusion of the cease-fire agreement in Gaza, expressing hope that it could bring an end to the "tragic situation" faced by the residents of the Palestinian enclave, which has been under siege and bombed by Israel for more than 15 months. He also praised "the international efforts made" to reach the agreement.

"President Aoun considered that a serious commitment by Israel to respect the terms of the agreement requires follow-up from the countries that sponsored it as well as the United Nations, as the Israeli enemy has a history of evading its commitments and defying international resolutions, as evident by the attacks and cease-fire violations in southern Lebanon," a statement from Baabda read.

"President Aoun reaffirmed the right of the Palestinians to their sovereign state based on resolutions of international legitimacy, stressing that the implementation of the new agreement will allow the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, alongside the need to launch the reconstruction of what has been destroyed in the devastated Gaza Strip," the press release concluded.

Destruction in Gaza, seen from Israel, Jan. 13, 2025. (Credit: Menahem Kahana/AFP)

Clara Hage explores the complex diplomatic landscape surrounding Gaza’s future following the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. As the U.S. prepares for a shift in leadership, questions loom over the feasibility of a Palestinian state and the role of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza’s reconstruction. Will the incoming Trump administration uphold these plans, or will they be put on hold? Read more here.👈

Gaza

Lebanese LBCI correspondent Amal Chehadeh reported that the ongoing prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas includes five of the six detainees who escaped from Israel's Gilboa prison during the 2021 Operation Freedom Tunnel.

Zakaria Zubeidi is not said to be part of it, unlike activist Marwan Barghouti, leader of the second intifada. Imprisoned since 2001, Barghouti could be released as part of the third phase of the prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas.

His release would follow that of the Israeli soldiers, and he would be exiled directly to Qatar.

Gaza

According to Haaretz, Hamas said it was committed to the cease-fire agreement announced by the Qatari mediator, just after Israel accused the Islamist party of wanting to question certain points

Syria: 

The likelihood of a trial in France for the former Syrian governor of the central bank is receding.

To find out more, press here.👈

(Credit: Bashar Taleb/AFP)

Mourners prepare for burial the body of Palestinian journalist Ahmed al-Shayah, covered with a press vest, after he was killed during an Israeli strike the previous night in Khan Yunis, at Nasser Hospital, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 16, 2025, amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. 

⚡ Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas of backtracking on some details of the Gaza cease-fire deal, delaying its approval by the Israeli government, according to several media outlets including al-Arabiya and Haaretz.

"Hamas is going back on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel with the aim of extorting last-minute concessions," Netanyahu said in a statement.

"The Israeli cabinet will not meet until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement," he added.

In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office and relayed by Haaretz, the office claimed that contrary to the relevant clause in the agreement announced Wednesday, "Hamas is demanding that it determine the identity of the terrorists to be released."

According to the statement, Netanyahu instructed the team to reject this demand out of hand.

Gaza

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Thursday that there was "no certainty" about the fate of the two Franco-Israeli hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi.

"For too many months, we have not heard from them ... We very much hope that they can come back to us alive and well," he said.

Gaza:

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday praised the Palestinian "resistance" following the announcement of the truce.

Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 15, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Salem/Reuters)

As Gazans process the cease-fire announced on Wednesday, January 15, reactions range from relief at leaving their tents and trying to rebuild routines, to emotional moments as tears finally flow. Ghadir Hamadi and Gabriel Blondel spoke to Gaza residents to gather their stories. Read their full report here.👈

Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 15, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Salem/Reuters)

As Gazans process the cease-fire announced on Wednesday, January 15, reactions range from relief at leaving their tents and trying to rebuild routines, to emotional moments as tears finally flow. Ghadir Hamadi and Gabriel Blondel spoke to Gaza residents to gather their stories. Read their full report here.👈

Gaza

In Lebanon, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) on Thursday welcomed the truce agreement reached in Gaza, "which will put an end to this bloodshed that has lasted for a year and three months."

"The people of Gaza have paid dearly for this Israeli aggression on their territory while showing an extraordinary aptitude for resistance," the statement continued.

Gaza

China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday welcomed the truce agreement in Gaza and hoped that "the agreement will be effectively implemented ... to achieve a comprehensive and permanent cease-fire in Gaza."

It also urged relevant parties to "take it as an opportunity to promote de-escalation in the Middle East." 

Guo Jiakun, the Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, also said that China will continue efforts to provide humanitarian relief and help in post-war reconstruction in Gaza. 

Gaza

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Thursday hailed the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip as a "victory" for the Palestinians and a "defeat" for Israel.

"The end of the war and the imposition of a cease-fire ... is a clear victory and a great victory for Palestine and a bigger defeat for the monstrous Zionist regime," they said in a statement.

To find out more, press here.👈

Gaza

Iraq on Wednesday welcomed the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing the urgent need to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza and the Palestinian territories immediately.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry highlighted that the truce follows "immense sacrifices and great suffering" endured by the Palestinian people in Gaza. It called for "intensified international efforts to rebuild areas devastated by the Israeli aggression" to ensure a return to normalcy and improve living conditions for the population.

Gaza:

Despite the announcement, celebrated both in Gaza and in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon, the inhabitants of the enclave are not yet experiencing a respite. Gaza's Civil Defense reported seven people killed in two Israeli strikes on Thursday morning.

The bombing of a house in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City killed five people and wounded more than 10, the Civil Defense said in a statement. In the center of the same city, two other people died in a strike on a building, the same source added.

On Wednesday evening, the Civil Defense reported 20 deaths in three separate Israeli strikes after the announcement of the agreement.

At least 46,707 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has also caused a humanitarian disaster, according to data from Gaza's health ministry.

The war was sparked by a Hamas offensive that killed 1,210 people on the Israeli side, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data. Of the 251 people kidnapped on the day of the attack, 94 are still being held in Gaza, 34 of whom are dead, according to the Israeli army.

To catch up on yesterday's key events, be sure to read the Morning Brief here.👈

Good morning! 

Thank you for joining our live coverage of major developments across the Middle East. Today, we'll bring you updates on the Gaza war, now in its 486th day, as we await the truce scheduled for Sunday, and its ripple effects across the region, including Lebanon and Yemen. 

We’ll also be tracking the latest in Syria, over a month since the fall of the Assad regime. Stay with us for updates throughout the day.