'As I promised you, we have changed the face of the Middle East,' Netanyahu says | LIVE

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In a speech on the eve of the start of the cease-fire in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would "not relent" until all of the hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 were freed and that Israel "changed the face of the Middle East," leaving Hamas "beaten and alone."

"The first stage of the deal is temporary," he stated, according to Reuters, adding that both President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden "back Israel's right to resume fighting if the second stage is fruitless."

"If we must return to fighting we will do that in new, forceful ways," the Israeli prime minister said. "We have hurt the entire Iranian axis and we can still do more."

Al-Arabiya reported that "the European Union will approve €60 million in aid for the Lebanese army, which will cover the army's deployment in the south for three years," a report that was not detailed but was picked up by many Lebanese news sites and other media outlets.

Members of the Otzma Yehudit party will submit their resignation letters from the government on Sunday morning in protest over the acceptance of the cease-fire deal with Hamas.

The far-right party of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had threatened to withdraw from the coalition if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet accepted the deal, which is expected to take effect Sunday morning.

"Ministers Ben-Gvir, Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Amichai Eliyahu, as well as parliamentary committee chairs Zvika Fogel and Limor Son Har-Melech and MK Yitzhak Kroizer, will step down," the far-right party said in a statement carried by The Times of Israel.

Haaretz also reported the news, citing a statement by Itamar Ben-Gvir that he intended to resign on Sunday, making good on a threat he made earlier this week.

Israel will not implement the cease-fire in Gaza until it receives the list of 33 hostages to be released by Hamas under the first phase of the deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday.

"We will not move forward with the deal until we receive the list of hostages who will be released as agreed. Israel will not tolerate any violation of the deal. The sole responsibility lies with Hamas," Netanyahu said in a statement quoted by Reuters.

The families of the Civil Defense members of Baalbeck killed by Israeli bombings in this part of the Bekaa during the clashes with Hezbollah organized a sit-in in the city to "pay tribute to their sacrifices and their heroism," reported L'Orient Today's correspondent.

Read more details here.

The head of the Israeli General Staff called on the Israeli army to strengthen its positions in the West Bank as part of the implementation of the cease-fire agreement with Hamas, which provides for the release of Palestinian prisoners and hostages captured during the offensive of Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli media reported.

Danny Elgarat, whose brother Itzik is expected to return to Israel in the coming weeks as part of the hostage release deal, accused Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of seeking to sabotage the truce agreement and pushing for a resumption of fighting after its first phase was implemented, Haaretz reported.

"We must ensure that the agreement is fully implemented until everyone returns," Elgarat said outside the defense headquarters in Tel Aviv.

"This week, the masks have fallen," he stated, noting that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir "bragged about repeatedly sabotaging hostage agreements in the past."

(Credit: Benjamin Cremel/AFP)

Protesters and counter-protesters gather in Whitehall, central London, during a nationwide demonstration for Palestine on Jan. 18, 2025, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Following the Metropolitan Police banning a march from the BBC in London because the route passed a synagogue, protesters supporting "an immediate cease-fire and an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza" were invited to meet in Whitehall for a demonstration.

Read the full story here.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that Israel was preparing to release "more than 1,890 Palestinian prisoners" in exchange for Hamas releasing 33 Israeli hostages, as part of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.

Egypt, which mediated the deal with Qatar and the United States, said the exchange would come during the first 42-day phase of the agreement aimed at ending the worst war in the Gaza Strip's history.

(Screenshot from UN Web TV)

Also during his press conference in Beirut, António Guterres said that the entire international community "wanted peace" in Lebanon and that "no one would accept that the war resumes," responding to a question on the guarantees concerning the cease-fire that came into force on Nov. 27 between Israel and Hezbollah.

In his speech, he said he had seen first-hand the level of destruction in south Lebanon caused by Israeli bombings.

"I fervently hope that on both sides, people will be able to return to their areas of origin and resume their lives," he said, pointing to both Israeli destruction and Hezbollah weapons caches discovered since Nov. 27 by soldiers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

He stated it is "essential to see the deployment of the Israeli army accompanied simultaneously by the deployment of the Lebanese army," as well as the need for the Lebanese Armed Forces to exercise total control over weapons in the country.

"I encourage the international community to support the Lebanese army to enable it to accomplish its mission," he insisted. He also indicated that there were no plans to increase the number of soldiers mobilized within UNIFIL  but that the U.N. was working to strengthen the capacities of the deployed troops.

At his press conference concluding a two-day tour of Lebanon, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said that his visit had been "meaningful and productive."

He said he saw an atmosphere of positivity that gave him the feeling that "Lebanon is on the verge of a hopeful future."

"The window of opportunity is open, and we must do everything to make it happen," he added.

Diab Abou Jahjah, chairman of the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), an organization that seeks to bring legal action against Israeli soldiers around the world for alleged war crimes in Gaza, told Al Jazeera that his NGO's work "will not stop with the ceasefire ."

"We are relieved that the killings have stopped for the people of Gaza, however, the crimes have been committed and justice must be done. For us, nothing changes, except that we may have more opportunities to gather evidence now that there will hopefully be some form of end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza," he explained.

At least 13 criminal proceedings against Israeli troops prosecuted for their actions during the Gaza war have been launched by national courts around the world.

For more about Israeli soldiers' legal troubles abroad, read Gabriel Blondel's story here.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that 50 fuel trucks are expected to enter the Gaza Strip with the start of the cease-fire tomorrow.

Mr. Abdelatty, whose country, along with Qatar and the United States, acted as mediators, stated that the agreement included "the entry of 600 trucks per day into the Gaza Strip, including 50 fuel trucks."

Hundreds of trucks are parked on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, a once-vital entry point for humanitarian aid, which has been closed since May when Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing.

In a joint press conference with his Nigerian counterpart, Mr. Abdelatty said, "We hope that 300 trucks will head to the northern Gaza Strip," where thousands of people are trapped in conditions that humanitarian agencies have described as apocalyptic.

Israel is expected to receive the names of three hostages to be released tomorrow, according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan. The names will be provided to Mossad Chief David Barnea by Hamas through Qatar. Barnea will then pass on the information to the families.

The Israeli military announced this afternoon that it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen before it entered Israeli airspace, according to AFP.

"Following the activation of sirens in the Eilat and Arava areas [in southern Israel], a missile fired from Yemen was intercepted by the Air Force," a military statement said. The projectile was shot down "before it entered national territory," the statement added.

A spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense stated that it is forbidden for residents to enter the Netzarim corridor, which separates the northern part of the Gaza Strip from the rest of it.

The spokesperson urged Palestinians not to rush into northern Gaza after the cease-fire "for fear of the remnants of war."

"The crisis in Gaza can only be resolved through an international resolution allowing the permanent opening of all crossing points," he added, asserting that "90% of the homes in northern Gaza have been completely or partially destroyed, and returning there poses a danger."

New air raid sirens went off in several Israeli regions, including the city of Eilat on the Red Sea, following "the launch of a projectile from Yemen," according to a statement from the Israeli military. This marks the second missile launch attributed to Houthi rebels today, after one was intercepted earlier in the morning in central Israel.

Nearly 300 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life in prison will be released in the first phase of a prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel, the Palestinian Prisoners' Office announced.

Most of these life-sentenced prisoners, totaling 96, are members of the Fatah movement. Some have been imprisoned for over thirty years, according to the Palestinian NGO, cited by Al Jazeera, which also noted that prisoners from all "Palestinian resistance factions" will be released.

Houthi rebels from Yemen, backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for a missile strike on Israel, where the military had earlier reported intercepting a projectile originating from the country.

The Houthis targeted the "Israeli enemy's Ministry of Defense in the occupied region of Yafa [the Arabic name for Jaffa]" with a ballistic missile, according to their military spokesperson, Yahya Saree.

The Houthi rebels announced through their military spokesperson, Brigadier Yahya Saree, that they would "closely coordinate with the Palestinian resistance" to confront Israel in the event of any "violation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza," he stated in a press release cited by Reuters.

The Israeli army announced it conducted strikes on 50 "terrorist targets" in the Gaza Strip yesterday, according to a military statement cited by Reuters.

In the latest update from the Hamas Health Ministry, 23 Palestinians were killed, and 83 were injured in the last 24 hours.

An Israeli strike near Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, killed at least one Palestinian, according to Al Jazeera. The attack took place in the town of al-Fukhari, east of the city, as reported by local correspondents for the Qatari media outlet.

This follows an earlier strike on another residence in the Khan Younis area, which killed five members of the same family, including three children.

A spokesperson for Palestinian militants, Abu Hamza, a member of the al-Quds Brigades of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, stated that the families of Israeli hostages should ask the Israeli army to stop intensifying airstrikes in the final hours before a cease-fire takes effect, as it "would be a reason to kill their children," Reuters reported.

The Islamic Jihad also holds Israeli hostages, in addition to the dominant movement in the enclave, Hamas.

Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad Chibani stated that he "looked forward" to Syria's return to the Arab League, as the country's new leadership seeks to re-establish its presence in the regional political landscape, Reuters reported.

He made these remarks during a joint press conference in Damascus with the Deputy Secretary-General of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, who noted that the Arab League is working with its member states to activate Syria's participation.

The Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 46,899 Palestinians and injured 110,725 others since Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, as reported by Reuters.

In the past 24 hours, 23 Palestinians were killed, and 83 others were injured, the ministry said in a statement.

Photo X/@UN_Spokesperson

During his visit to Lebanon, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, following his meeting with President Joseph Aoun, expressed his "full support" and commitment to mobilize the international community to provide all forms of assistance to Lebanon. He emphasized the hope for a swift recovery of the country to restore its position as a vital center in the Middle East.

Guterres noted that he conveyed the UN’s solidarity with the "Lebanese people who have suffered greatly," as well as his "full support" for the new president and the future government, with the conviction that it will now be possible to strengthen Lebanon’s state institutions and create the necessary conditions to allow the state to fully protect its citizens, as reported by the official news agency (ANI).

The UN Secretary-General also called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army across all Lebanese territory. "It will then be possible to open a new page for peace," he said. He concluded by stating, "I know that the Lebanese have exceptional drive, immense resilience and great courage. I am confident that once the conflict is over, the reconstruction process will begin."

A woman mourns over the body of a Palestinian killed by an Israeli strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 18, 2025. (Credit: Hatem Khaled/Reuters)

Israeli forces have stormed several neighborhoods in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, including Jabal al-Rahma, the Ashabi area and Nimra, according to security sources cited by Wafa news agency.

They also raided the town of Idhna, located west of Hebron, searched dozens of homes, arrested many citizens, and turned one of the houses into a field interrogation center before releasing the residents, the agency reported.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem addressed the Lebanese state and the international community today, stating, "Do not test our patience." He made this remark during a speech at an event focused on "Resistance in Gaza," on the eve of a truce between Hamas and Israel in the enclave, which could potentially end a devastating war lasting over a year.

▶️ More details here.

Israeli forces advanced toward the locality of Wadi Slouki from Houla, in the Marjayoun district of South Lebanon, firing heavy machine gun rounds, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

At least 122 Palestinians, including 33 children and 33 women, have been killed by Israeli strikes since Hamas and Israel announced a cease-fire agreement, according to Gaza’s civil defense, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Most of the casualties, 92, occurred in Gaza City, with 19 in Khan Younis, around 10 in central Gaza and two in Rafah, in the south, said Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the rescue service, on Telegram.

Over 270 Palestinians have also been injured since the agreement’s announcement, Basal added.

Gaza’s Interior Ministry announced in a statement that police forces would be deployed across all governorates of the Palestinian enclave once the cease-fire agreement takes effect tomorrow.

“We call on all citizens to safeguard public and private property, avoid any actions that could endanger their lives, and cooperate with officers, security personnel and service agencies,” the ministry said.

The statement described the 15-month war with Israel as “the greatest crime committed against a defenseless people in modern times.”

“The legendary resilience of our people in the Gaza Strip thwarted all the objectives of this criminal war of extermination, reaffirming that we are more deserving of survival and building a future for our generations than a barbaric occupation that will inevitably vanish,” the statement concluded.

Hamas announced that the mechanism for releasing Israeli hostages will depend on the number of Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel, in line with the terms of the cease-fire agreement, Reuters reported.

The Palestinian movement added that the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released will be published one day before the exchange takes place.

Alarm sirens echoed through central Israel and Jerusalem due to a suspected projectile launched from Yemen, the Israeli army said in a statement. Explosions were heard, according to AFP.

The Israeli government has approved the start of reconstruction work in northern Gaza as part of the first phase of the cease-fire agreement, beginning tomorrow morning, Haaretz reported.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a statement that it plans to deliver modular hospitals to the Gaza Strip within the next two months following the cease-fire.

An influx of aid is expected in Gaza once the agreement takes effect tomorrow. Reconstruction of the enclave’s infrastructure is also set to begin, including restoring electricity, water, sanitation, communications and roads. Equipment for clearing rubble and debris will also be delivered.

Palestinian children walk through rubble in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, January 2025. (Credit: Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

A poll conducted by the Israeli newspaper Maariv revealed that 73% of Israelis support the cease-fire agreement, while only 19% oppose it.

The survey also found that 91% of opposition party supporters back the deal, compared to just 52% of coalition party supporters.

The Palestinian Authority is prepared to "fully assume its responsibilities" in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday in his first official reaction since the cease-fire agreement was announced on Wednesday.

"The Palestinian government, under the leadership of President Abbas, has completed all preparations to fully assume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip," said a statement from the Palestinian presidency, reaffirming "the legal and political authority of the State of Palestine over this territory."

The Gaza cease-fire will take effect Sunday at 6:30 a.m. GMT (8:30 a.m. local time), the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a post on X on Saturday, according to Reuters.

Syria’s new leader and the president of the United Arab Emirates discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations during a phone call yesterday, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, whom Abu Dhabi had supported in his normalization efforts, Syrian state media reported.

“A phone call took place between Ahmad al-Sharaa and Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during which the two sides discussed ways to bolster bilateral relations,” the official Syrian news agency SANA said.

Earlier in January, Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Chaibani visited Abu Dhabi to advance these efforts, marking his first trip to the UAE since Assad’s ouster.

➡️More details here.

Israel will release 737 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the first group of Israeli hostages as part of the initial phase of the truce agreement, the Israeli Justice Ministry announced.

As part of the first phase of the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, "the government approves the release of 737 prisoners and detainees in the custody of the prison administration," the ministry said in a statement quoted by AFP.

Among those set to be released is Zakaria Zubeidi, responsible for several attacks against Israeli civilians and a former leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah party, who escaped from an Israeli prison in 2021.

⚡Early this morning, the Israeli government ratified a cease-fire agreement in Gaza and a deal for the release of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced. The decision followed a cabinet meeting that lasted more than six hours and concluded overnight.

Under the agreement, which faced strong opposition from some hardline cabinet members, a six-week cease-fire is set to take effect tomorrow, accompanied by the initial exchanges of hostages for prisoners. These measures could pave the way to ending the 15-month war in Gaza.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East, including the Gaza war, which has entered its 470th (and possibly final) day, with a truce expected tomorrow.

We will also be following the regional repercussions in Lebanon and Yemen, as well as the latest developments in Syria, more than a month after the fall of the Assad regime.