Palestinians buried 100 bodies held by Israel in a mass grave in Rafah. Netanyahu says a truce and exchange deal won’t happen on his watch, while Israeli forces started flooding Gaza tunnels.
Casualties
- 26,900+ killed* and at least 65,949 wounded in the Gaza Strip.
- 387+ Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem
- Israel revises its estimated October 7 death toll down from 1,400 to 1,147.
- 560 Israeli soldiers killed since October 7, and at least 3,221 injured.**
*This figure was confirmed by Gaza’s Ministry of Health on Telegram channel. Some rights groups put the death toll number closer to 32,000 when accounting for those presumed dead.
** This figure is released by the Israeli military.
Key Developments
- Palestinians bury bodies of 100 people in mass grave in Rafah city following weeks of being held in Israel.
- Wafa reports Palestinian medics found organs missing from martyrs’ bodies, accuse Israeli authorities of stealing them.
- Al-Amal and Nasser Hospitals under siege by Israeli tanks in Khan Younis for tenth consecutive day.
- PRCS says Israeli forces kill security employee in Al-Amal Hospital while standing near backdoor.
- Nasser Hospital warns electrical generators will stop within two days due to fuel shortages, waste accumulates inside facility as Israeli forces refuse to allow it to be transported out.
- Israeli forces start flooding some tunnels in Gaza by pumping large amounts of sea water.
- BBC says Israeli bombardment destroyed or damaged more than half of Gaza’s buildings between October 12 last year and January 29.
- The Washington Post reports U.S. “has not independently verified Israel’s claims” about UNRWA employees’ alleged involvement in October 7 attack.
- Nine UNRWA employees could return to work if found innocent, were “pre-emptively dismissed” and have “right of recourse,” according to UNRWA spokesperson.
- Israel’s Netanyahu says truce and exchange deal with Hamas won’t happen on his watch.
- Israeli authorities in Jerusalem force Palestinian to demolish his own house in Jabal al-Mukabbir.
Israeli bombardment continues while Hamas studies a ceasefire proposal
- Israeli forces pounded areas in northern and southern Gaza today after the Palestinian militant group Hamas said it had received and was studying a new proposal for a ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza. The proposal appeared to be the most serious peace initiative for months in the Israel-Hamas war.
- On Tuesday, Israeli commandos disguised as medical workers and Muslim women burst into a hospital in the occupied West Bank and killed three Palestinian militants. We look at the CCTV footage frame by frame. Bureau Chief James Mackenzie talks about the raid on today’s Reuters World News podcast.
| Where the sides stand on securing a cease-fire in GazaU.S. and Mideast mediators appeared optimistic in recent days that they were closing in on a deal for a two-month cease-fire in Gaza and the release of over 100 hostages held by Hamas. But on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the militant group’s main demands, indicating that the gap between the two sides remains wide. Read more. |
| Where things stand:· Netanyahu seeks “total victory.” He has vowed to continue the war until Israel destroys Hamas and returns all the hostages, two elusive goals that many Israelis fear are mutually exclusive. · Hamas wants the war to end. They have refused to release more hostages until Israel ends its offensive and withdraws from Gaza. It wants a broader agreement that would include a long-term truce and reconstruction. Mediators seek middle ground. The U.S. and Arab mediators are seeking a resolution where hostages would be released in stages over a two-month period in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, more desperately needed humanitarian aid for Gaza, and the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces. A two-month respite could buy time for negotiating a larger agreement to address the conflict. |
| Israel’s Military Says It Has Been Flooding Some Gaza Tunnels With Seawater |
| The Israeli military said yesterday that the measure is aimed at dismantling Hamas’s operations network, and is carried out ( Times of Israel) after soil and water system analysis to ensure that nearby groundwater is not contaminated. In December, a UN official warned (NYT) against flooding the tunnels due to potential damage affecting the Gaza Strip’s drinking water and sewage systems. |
US seeks to sweeten hostage deal with Saudi-Israel peace
Under proposed deal, in exchange for the return of the captives, Israel would halt its military operation and release a yet-to-be-determined number of terrorists. The rounds of the deal are expected to take place over approximately two months, allowing Hamas to claim that Israel has ended the war as demanded.
Israel in Paralysis
A political crisis has gripped Israel as its Gaza campaign grinds on with no end in sight. Not only are more than 100 Israelis still captives of Hamas, but many feel held hostage by their own failed leadership.
Over three months into the Israel-Gaza war, Israel has neither a clear path to victory nor a feasible exit strategy. It appears far from accomplishing either of its two main war objectives: dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capacities and securing the release of its citizens held hostage.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that Israel will continue fighting until it wins what today seems like an implausible “total victory” over Hamas. But Israelis are watching the gap between the leadership’s promises and the war’s results grow by the day.
Israel’s Genocide in Gaza Continues
Hamas’ political chief said yesterday that the group was considering a proposal to pause the fighting in Gaza in exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Ismail Haniye suggested his openness to a deal in a statement, but reiterated long standing demands for the total withdrawal of Israel from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to immediately push back on the statement, saying, “We will not compromise on anything less than total victory.” It was unclear whether the two leaders’ comments were attempts to stake out negotiating positions or appeal to their domestic constituencies. Adam Rasgon, Hwaida Saad, and Anushka Patil report for the New York Times.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said yesterday they have begun pumping water into the tunnel network beneath Gaza which Hamas used to launch attacks, store weapons, and hold Israeli hostages. The statement marks the military’s first public acknowledgement that it is flooding the tunnels, a contentious strategy some officials say is ineffective and that the U.N. has warned could damage Gaza’s fragile water and sewage infrastructure. Ronen Bergman reports for the New York Times.
Netanyahu’s government does not support the immediate discontinuation of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), a senior Israeli official said yesterday, as several Western states suspend funding for the agency amid allegations that some of its employees took part in the Oct. 7 attacks. “If UNRWA ceases operating on the ground, this could cause a humanitarian catastrophe that would force Israel to halt its fighting against Hamas,” a senior Israeli official said. The official clarified that the government supports the countries’ decision to suspend funding and that every UNRWA staffer “involved in terror activity must be held accountable.” Jacob Magid reports for the Times of Israel.
Israeli tanks fired live ammunition and smoke grenades after entering the Al Amal hospital complex in Khan Younis where more than 8,000 people are sheltering, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said yesterday. The PRCS added that fire from Israeli tanks yesterday killed one displaced woman and injured nine others. Kareem Khadder, Tim Lister, and Richard Greene report for CNN.
The World Health Organization (WHO) was able to reach Nasser hospital in Khan Younis and “deliver essential medical supplies for 1000 patients” on Monday, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said. He added in a post on X that, “within a week Nasser has gone from partially to minimally functional.” Niamh Kennedy reports for CNN.
REGIONAL RESPONSE
The IDF said fighter jets carried out strikes against Syrian Army positions in southern Syria overnight in response to a rocket attack on the Golan Heights launched from Syria last night. The IDF added that several projectiles were fired from Lebanon at the Kfar Yuval and Menara areas, and said it carried out artillery shelling against southern Lebanon, apparently to foil planned Hezbollah attacks. Emanuel Fabian reports for the Times of Israel.
INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Norway, a top donor to UNRWA, is urging countries that have cut funding to the agency to consider the consequences of their actions on the population in Gaza, its foreign minister said today. “UNRWA is a vital lifeline for 1.5 million refugees in Gaza. Now more than ever, the agency needs international support,” Espen Barth Eide said. “To avoid collectively punishing millions of people, we need to distinguish between what individuals may have done and what UNRWA stands for.” Gladwys Fouche reports for Reuters.
U.S. RESPONSE
The Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is expected to meet with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and other senior Biden administration officials in Washington today for talks on Israel’s plan for the day the fighting ends, according to two sources briefed on the matter. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
The United States will initially suspend $300,000 in funds from the UNRWA, the State Department said today. The Biden administration has not said when the U.S. may resume funding. State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said, “We’ve seen the initial steps to accountability and that UNRWA has fired eight of the employees and suspended two others while they conduct the investigation,” Miller said. “We are engaging with UNRWA, we are engaging with the United Nations about what those steps ought to look like.” Abigail Williams reports for NBC News.
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
President Biden said he has decided how the United States will respond to the drone strike on Sunday that killed three U.S. troops and wounded 34 others in Jordan. Biden added, “I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East.” When asked if Iran should be blamed, he said that he “hold[s] them responsible in the sense that they’re supplying weapons to the people who did it.” Meanwhile, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Washington may take a “tiered approach.” “The guiding principle is making sure that we continue to degrade the kinds of capabilities that these groups have at their disposal to use against our troops and our facilities,” Kirby said. “The president will do what he has to do to protect our troops and our facilities and to look after our national security.” Madeline Halpert reports for BBC News.
The Iran-backed militia group Ketaib Hezbollah, which took responsibility for Sunday’s drone attack, said it has suspended operations against U.S. forces. “As we announce the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces – in order to prevent embarrassment of the Iraqi government – we will continue to defend our people in Gaza in other ways,” a statement by the group said today. Max Matza reports for BBC News.
Iran will respond to any threat from the United States, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ chief said today. “We hear threats coming from American officials, we tell them that they have already tested us and we now know one another, no threat will be left unanswered,” Hossein Salami said, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Reuters reports.
MILITARY CONFLICT WITH HOUTHIS
The U.S. Central Command saidit shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired by Houthi militants yesterday from areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea. No injuries or damage was reported.
The Houthi group said today it would continue attacks on the U.S. and British warships in the Red Sea in what it called acts of self-defense, raising fears of continued disruption to world trade. In a statement, the group’s military spokesperson said all U.S and British warships participating in “aggression” against its country were targets. The Houthis say they will persist with their military operations until there is a ceasefire in Gaza and food and medicine is allowed into the enclave. Jane Choukeir and Nadine Awadalla report for Reuters.
E.U. member states want to launch a Red Sea mission by mid-February to protect ships from Houthi attacks, with states possibly deciding the command structure today, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. Borrell added the aim for today is to pick a lead nation and outline where the mission would be headquartered, who would participate, and with what assets. “Not all member states will be willing to participate but no one will obstruct … I hope that on the 17th of this month [February] the mission can be launched,” he said. France, Greece and Italy have shown interest in leading the mission, with seven countries indicating they would be willing to send naval assets, diplomats said. Andrew Gray reports for Reuters.
IRAN-PAKISTAN TENSIONS
Pakistan and Iran said they respected each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and will expand security cooperation in a bid to mend relations after exchanging missile strikes at what they said were militant targets. Foreign ministers of both countries held talks in the Pakistani capital. Pakistan’s caretaker foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said, “All these channels [of communication] were operational and we were able to bring whatever issue or misunderstanding that had been created between our two countries, we were able to resolve it fairly quickly.” NBC News reports.