[🇧🇩] Israel and Hamas war in Gaza-----Can Bangladesh be a peace broker?

[Saif]

$10 billion needed to rebuild Gaza health system: WHO

At least $10 billion will likely be needed to rebuild Gaza’s devastated health system over the next five to seven years, according an initial World Health Organisation assessment Thursday.

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$10 billion needed to rebuild Gaza health system: WHO
Agence France-Presse . Geneva 17 January, 2025, 22:18

At least $10 billion will likely be needed to rebuild Gaza’s devastated health system over the next five to seven years, according an initial World Health Organisation assessment Thursday.

‘The needs are massive,’ the UN health agency’s representative in the Palestinian territories, Rik Peeperkorn, told reporters.

With a ceasefire finally looming, humanitarians are calling for a dramatic scaling up of humanitarian aid into war-ravaged Gaza, amid efforts to determine the size of the towering needs.

Peeperkorn said his team’s initial estimate of the cost to rebuild just the health sector was ‘even more than $3 billion for the first 1.5 years and then actually $10 billion for the five to seven years’.

‘In Gaza, we all know the destruction is so massive. I have never seen that anywhere else in my life,’ he said.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus meanwhile said ‘less than half of Gaza hospitals are functional’.

He hailed Wednesday’s announcement from mediators that Israel and Hamas had finally reached a truce as ‘just about the best news’.

He voiced hope that ‘this agreement marks the end of the darkest chapter in the history of the relationship between the Israelis and the Palestinians’.

‘We welcome this news with great relief, but also with sorrow that it has come too late for those who have died in the conflict,’ he said.

He also voiced ‘caution, given that we have had false dawns before, and the deal has not yet been confirmed’.

While the mediators said the deal was due to take effect on Sunday, Tedros urged the sides not to wait.

‘If both sides are committed to a ceasefire, it should start immediately,’ he said. ‘The best medicine is peace’.

‘So, let the healing begin, not just for Gaza, but for Israel as well. This is in everyone’s best interest.’

Peeperkorn said the WHO stood ready to ‘expand its support rapidly’ in the territory.

‘What is critical though is that the significant security the political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza are removed,’ he said.

‘We need a rapid, unhindered and safe access to expedite the flow of aid into and across Gaza.’

Meanwhile, the EU is prepared to redeploy a monitoring mission to the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt after a ceasefire deal to end Israel’s war in the territory, the bloc’s top diplomat said Friday.

‘We are ready to do it,’ foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told journalists after meeting Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Mustafa in Brussels.

Kallas said the EU needed an invitation from the Palestinian and Israeli sides and agreement from Egypt before it could ‘go forward’.

The 27-nation bloc set up a civilian mission in 2005 to help monitor the crossing, but that was suspended two years later after militant Islamists Hamas took control of Gaza.

The comments came as Israel’s security cabinet met Friday to vote on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that should take effect this weekend.

If approved, the agreement would halt fighting and bombardment in Gaza’s deadliest-ever war and initiate on Sunday the release of dozens of hostages held in the territory since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Kallas called the truce deal a “positive breakthrough”, but warned that the road ahead was fraught with potential peril.

“It is still too soon to say whether the war is truly over and we know that there is risk in every step here,” she said.

The EU on Thursday announced a 120 million euros ($123 million) in humanitarian aid for Gaza after the ceasefire deal was struck.

“The European Union will continue to work closely with our partners to deliver humanitarian support,” Kallas said.

The Rafah crossing is a crucial entry into Gaza and Egyptian officials have said talks are underway to reopen it to surge aid into the territory.

The EU monitoring mission would include up to 10 European staff, officials said.

Kallas said that in the longer term the EU was working on a new “multi-year support programme for the Palestinian Authority” and was “ready to assist” in rebuilding Gaza.​

 

[Saif]

Ruined, Gaza hopes for respite

Israeli keeps pounding the Palestinian enclave as hours left for ceasefire to take effect

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Ruined, Gaza hopes for respite
Israeli keeps pounding the Palestinian enclave as hours left for ceasefire to take effect

Photo: AFP A relative mourns over the bodies of four members of the Palestinian al-Qadra family (parents and their two children) killed in an Israeli strike that hit their tent north of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, in the yard of the Nasser hospital on January 18, 2025, a day before the expected implementation of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

A ceasefire in the Gaza war will begin Sunday morning at 0630 GMT, mediator Qatar said on Saturday after Israel's cabinet voted to approve the truce and hostage-prisoner release deal.

Qatar and the United States, which mediated the deal along with Egypt, had announced the agreement on Wednesday.

Israeli strikes on Gaza have continued since then. On Saturday, Gaza's Civil Defence rescue agency said at least five members of a family died when a strike hit the tent where they were staying in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.

Explosions were heard over Jerusalem Saturday morning after warning sirens blared and the military said a projectile had been launched from Yemen, whose Iran-backed rebels say they support the Palestinians.

"As coordinated by the parties to the agreement and the mediators, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will begin at 8:30am on Sunday, January 19, local time in Gaza," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said on X.

In more than 15 months of war between Hamas Palestinian militants and Israel, there has been only one previous truce, for one week, in November 2023. That deal also saw the release of hostages held by the militants in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

"The government has approved the hostage return plan," the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Saturday after cabinet held its vote.

Netanyahu's office said the deal "supports achieving the objectives of the war".

Hamas, however, in a statement on Saturday said Israel had "failed to achieve its aggressive goals" and "only succeeded in committing war crimes that disgrace the dignity of humanity."

Israel's justice ministry said 737 Palestinian prisoners and detainees will be freed as part of the deal's first phase -- none before 4:00 pm local time (1400 GMT) on Sunday.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani has said an initial 42-day ceasefire would see 33 hostages released by Hamas in Gaza.

The truce is to take effect on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration for a second term as United States president.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said the Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has completed preparations "to assume full responsibility in Gaza" after the war.

Israel has expressed no definitive stance on post-war governance beyond rejecting any role for both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Gaza should be under PA control.

Even before the truce begins, displaced Gazans were preparing to return home.

"I will go to kiss my land," said Nasr al-Gharabli, who fled his home in Gaza City for a camp further south. "If I die on my land, it would be better than being here as a displaced person."

In Jerusalem on Saturday, residents said the deal had been a long time coming.

"Hopefully a maximum amount of hostages will be coming back", said Beeri Yemeni, a university student. "Maybe this is the beginning of (the) end of suffering for both sides, hopefully," he said, adding that "the war needed to end like a long long time ago."

Israel's cabinet endorsement of the deal came despite eight ministers voting against it, including far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel's military campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46,899 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

Mediators had worked for months to reach a deal but the efforts were fruitless until Trump's inauguration neared.

Brett McGurk, the pointman for outgoing President Joe Biden, was joined in the region by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff in an unusual pairing to finalise the agreement, US officials said.

Israeli authorities assume the 33 captives to be released in the first phase are alive, but Hamas has yet to confirm that.

Also in the first phase, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza's densely populated areas and allow displaced Palestinians to return "to their residences", the Qatari prime minister said.

An Israeli military official said reception points had been established at Kerem Shalom, Erez and Reim, where hostages would be joined by doctors and mental health specialists before being "transported via helicopter or vehicle" to hospitals in Israel.

Israel "is then expected to release the first group of Palestinian prisoners, including several with high sentences", a source said on condition of anonymity.

During talks on Friday, negotiators agreed to form a joint operations room in Cairo to "ensure effective coordination" and compliance with the truce terms, Egyptian state-linked media reported.

Biden said an as of yet unfinalised second phase of the agreement would bring a "permanent end to the war".

In aid-starved Gaza, humanitarian workers caution a monumental task lies ahead.

On Friday, British lawmakers warned that Israeli legislation banning the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, threatens the truce deal. The ban on the main aid agency in Gaza is to take effect by the end of January.​

 

[Saif]

Will the ceasefire in Gaza hold?

The world must ensure Israel sticks to the deal

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Will the ceasefire in Gaza hold?
The world must ensure Israel sticks to the deal

VISUAL: STAR

After fifteen months of relentless bombardment that has killed nearly 47,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—the Israeli government has agreed to a ceasefire deal with Hamas, set to begin on Sunday morning. The agreement was brokered primarily by incoming US President Donald Trump (with support from the Biden administration), Egypt, and Qatar. While there is some relief that the horrific bloodshed in Gaza may finally come to an end, serious doubts still remain given the realities on the ground.

It is appalling that even after the ceasefire was announced on Wednesday night, at least 122 Palestinians, including 33 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks. What does this say about the future of the ceasefire deal, or the quality of the "peace" to be brought by it?

During the first and second stages of the deal, Israeli hostages will be released, with priority given to children, the sick, and the elderly, while hundreds of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons will also be freed; humanitarian aid—largely withheld by Israel throughout the war—will also be allowed into Gaza. The third phase likely involves Gaza's reconstruction, supervised by Qatar and the UN, along with a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. However, given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reliance on far-right coalition partners, there is reason to doubt whether Israel will fully relinquish control. Moreover, allowing Palestinians to return to northern Gaza—now reduced to rubble—feels like a cruel irony. What arrangements are being made to shelter them before their homes are rebuilt?

Israel's history of overwhelming and disproportionate retaliation, along with the unwavering support it received from the US and other Western nations, leaves room for scepticism about whether Palestinians will be treated fairly in this process. Still, as delayed as it is, a ceasefire is something the world—and especially the Palestinian people—desperately needs.

Israel's history of overwhelming and disproportionate retaliation, along with the unwavering support it received from the US and other Western nations, leaves room for scepticism about whether Palestinians will be treated fairly in this process. Still, as delayed as it is, a ceasefire is something the world—and especially the Palestinian people—desperately needs.

The international community now must extend full support for Gaza's reconstruction and recovery. The war's catastrophic consequences—including thousands of disabled, injured, and traumatised children, women, and men—must be addressed with urgent medical care, psychological support, and financial aid. Palestinians must also have the right to choose their own leadership and be free from Israeli control. Most importantly, the US and other Western nations must ensure that Israel does not renege on its commitments under the deal using any pretext.​

 

[Saif]

‘Should we grieve, rejoice, or cry’

Thousands of displaced, war-weary Gazans set off across the devastated Palestinian territory to return to their home areas yesterday after a long-awaited truce between Israel and Hamas took effect following an initial delay

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‘Should we grieve, rejoice, or cry’
Displaced Gazans head home through rubble as ceasefire begins

Photo: AFP Displaced Palestinians return to the Jabalia refugee camp through a destroyed neighbourhood in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday, shortly before a ceasefire deal came into effect. A study estimated that 59.8% of buildings in the Gaza Strip had been damaged or destroyed since the start of the conflict on October 7 2023.

Thousands of displaced, war-weary Gazans set off across the devastated Palestinian territory to return to their home areas yesterday after a long-awaited truce between Israel and Hamas took effect following an initial delay.

Minutes after the truce began, the UN said, the first trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza, where many residents are returning to nothing.

The ceasefire began nearly three hours later than scheduled. During the delay, Israel's military said it was continuing to operate, with the territory's civil defence agency reporting 19 people killed and 25 wounded in bombardments.

Thousands of Gazans carrying tents, clothes and their personal belongings were seen heading back to their homes, after more than 15 months of war that displaced the vast majority of Gaza's population, in many cases more than once.

In the northern area of Jabalia, hundreds streamed down a sandy path, returning to an apocalyptic landscape piled with rubble and destroyed buildings.

"We came here at six in the morning to find massive, unprecedented destruction," said Walid Abu Jiab, who returned to Jabalia.

"There is nothing left in the north worth living for."

Thaer al-Masri, 41, from Beit Lahia, said he could not describe his feelings. "Should we grieve, rejoice, or cry over what has happened? The only real emotion we feel is pain and loss – the loss of our home, our friends, and our city."

In the southern city of Khan Yunis, people who had not yet returned celebrated their pending homecoming.

"I feel like at last I found some water to drink after getting lost in the desert for 15 months. I feel alive again," Aya, a displaced woman from Gaza City, who has been sheltering in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip for over a year, told Reuters via a chat app.

"I'm very, very happy," said Wafa al-Habeel, a resident . "I want to go back and kiss the ground and the soil of Gaza. I am longing for Gaza (City) and longing for our loved ones."

Aid workers say northern Gaza is particularly hard-hit, lacking all essentials including food, shelter and water.

Jonathan Whittall, interim chief of the UN's OCHA humanitarian agency for the Palestinian territories, said on X that the first trucks started entering following the truce, after "a massive effort" to prepare for a surge of aid across the territory.

Hundreds of trucks had been waiting at the Gaza border, poised to enter. Some were loaded with prefabricated houses.

The truce had been scheduled to begin at 8:30am (0630 GMT) but a last-minute dispute over the list of hostages to be freed on the first day led to the holdup.

Qatar, a mediator of the truce, later confirmed it had gone into effect.

Later, the Israeli military said that three hostages have been released by Hamas and they were with its forces in the Gaza Strip.

"The three released hostages are being accompanied by IDF special forces and ISA forces on their return to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment," the military said in a statement.

Earlier, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum campaign group identified the three as women and named them as Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher.

Hamas said it was waiting for Israel to furnish "a list containing the names of 90 prisoners from the categories of women and children" also to be released on the first day.

A total of 33 hostages will be returned from Gaza during an initial 42-day truce, in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians in Israeli custody.

The truce is intended to pave the way for a permanent end to the war, but a second phase has yet to be finalised.

It follows a deal struck by Qatar, the United States and Egypt after months of negotiations that had generated false hopes.

In a televised address on Saturday, Netanyahu called the 42-day first phase a "temporary ceasefire" and said Israel had US support to return to the war if necessary.

In Gaza City, well before the ceasefire went into effect, people were already celebrating, waving Palestinian flags in the street.

The Israeli army warned Gaza residents early yesterday not to approach its forces or Israeli territory.

"We urge you not to head towards the buffer zone or IDF forces for your safety," military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Telegram, adding that "moving from south to north via Gaza Valley puts you at risk".

Israeli forces had started withdrawing from areas in Gaza's Rafah to the Philadelphi corridor along the border between Egypt and Gaza, pro-Hamas media reported.

In Israel, the ceasefire was met with guarded optimism.

"I don't trust our side or their side," said taxi driver David Gutterman. "Always at the last moment something, a problem, can pop up, but all in all, I'm happy."

Shai Zaik, an employee at Tel Aviv's art museum, said he had "mixed feelings" but was "full of hope" that the hostages would return after so many disappointments in the last year."

Israel has prepared reception centres to provide medical treatment and counselling to the freed hostages before they return to their families. Health workers have warned of the psychological challenges the captives will face upon release.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said 600 trucks a day would enter Gaza after the ceasefire took effect, including 50 carrying fuel.

The war's only previous truce, for one week in November 2023, also saw the release of hostages held by militants in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Since October 2023, Israel's military campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing at least 46,913 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

The truce took effect on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration for a second term as president of the United States.

Trump, who claimed credit for the ceasefire deal after months of effort by the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden, told US network NBC on Saturday that he had told Netanyahu the war "has to end".

"We want it to end, but to keep doing what has to be done," he said.

Under the deal, Israeli forces will withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza and allow displaced Palestinians to return "to their residences", Qatar's prime minister said in announcing the deal.​

 

[Saif]

What are the terms of the Gaza ceasefire deal?

A six-week initial ceasefire phase includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from central Gaza and the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza

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What are the terms of the Gaza ceasefire deal?

Members of the Hamas security forces deploy in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on January 19, 2025, hours before a ceasefire deal in the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas was implemented. Photo: AFP

Details of the Gaza ceasefire deal have not yet been publicly announced by the mediators, Israel or Hamas.

Officials briefed on the deal provided the following elements:

A six-week initial ceasefire phase includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from central Gaza and the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.

The deal requires 600 truckloads of humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza every day of the ceasefire, 50 of them carrying fuel, with 300 of the trucks allocated to the north, where conditions for civilians are particularly difficult.

HAMAS
​

• Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages, including all women (soldiers and civilians), children, and men over 50.​
• Hamas will release female hostages and under 19s first, followed by men over 50. Three female hostages are expected to be released through the Red Cross on Sunday after 1400 GMT, the Israeli Prime Minister's office said.​
• Hamas will inform the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) where the meeting point will be inside Gaza and the ICRC is expected to begin driving to that location to collect the hostages.​
• Hamas will release the hostages over a six-week period, with at least three hostages released each week and the remainder of the 33 before the end of the period. All living hostages will be released first, followed by remains of dead hostages.​

ISRAEL
​

• Israel will release 30 Palestinian detainees for every civilian hostage and 50 Palestinian detainees for every Israeli female soldier Hamas releases.​
• Israel will release all Palestinian women and children under 19 detained since Oct. 7, 2023 by end of the first phase.​
• The total number of Palestinians released will depend on hostages released, and could be between 990 and 1,650 Palestinian detainees including men, women and children.​

LATER PHASES
​

• The implementation of the agreement will be guaranteed by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.​
• Negotiations over a second phase of the agreement will begin by the 16th day of phase one.​
• Phase two is expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, including Israeli male soldiers, a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli soldiers.​
• A third phase is expected to include the return of all remaining dead bodies and the start of Gaza's reconstruction, supervised by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.​