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Israeli "commitment" needed for release of Hamas captives

Israeli "commitment" needed for release of Hamas captives
By Alastair McCready, Urooba Jamal, Mersiha Gadzo, Edna Mohamed, Nils Adler and Alex Kozul-Wright
Published On 7 Jan 2025

This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage here.

7 Jan 2025 - 23:59
 (23:59 GMT)

That’s a wrap from us

Thank you for joining our live coverage.

You can read about the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) chief’s warning that the Gaza aid effort is at a “breaking point”, here.

You can watch how Israeli settlers have carried out a series of arson attacks across the occupied West Bank, here.

Finally, you can read about how Israel has extended the closure of Al Jazeera’s office in the occupied West Bank, here.

7 Jan 2025 - 23:45
 (23:45 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We are about to wrap up this live page. Before we go, here’s recap of the latest developments:

  • Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting that two Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli strike on the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
  • They are also reporting that five Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli raid on a house in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, south of Gaza City.
  • Wafa reports that a child was killed when Israel carried out a strike on a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi, adjacent to Khan Younis.
  • Earlier, an Israeli attack on a displacement camp in the same location killed four children.
  • Wafa reports that an Israeli military aircraft bombed a house on the old Gaza Street in Jabalia al-Balad, in the north of the Gaza Strip, killing at least eight people.
  • At a news conference in Palm Beach, Florida, US President-elect Donald Trump said if the captives are not back by the time he gets into office, “all hell will break out in the Middle East”.
7 Jan 2025 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)

Israeli military says it targeted Hamas fighters in Khan Younis area where 5 children were killed

In its latest war update, the Israeli military said it targeted Palestinian fighters earlier this evening, who had taken part in the October 7 attacks, in the area of Khan Younis.

In its update, the Israeli military did not say if it had killed anyone in the strikes but claimed that “prior to the strikes, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians”.

Earlier this evening, our colleagues reported that four children had been killed in an Israeli bombardment of a tent camp in the so-called “safe zone” of al-Mawasi in the Khan Younis area of the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa also reported that a child was killed when Israel carried out a strike on a tent camp in the same area.

7 Jan 2025 - 23:15
 (23:15 GMT)

Israel’s destruction of Gaza only possible due to Western supply of weapons: British MP

Jeremy Corbyn, a British MP and former leader of the UK Labour Party, has posted a video on X in which he addresses parliament, saying that “Israel’s ability to destroy life in Gaza and kill 45,000 people and destroy medical facilities is only possible because of the supply of weapons, principally from the United States”.

“Can you be very clear? Is Britain going to continue supplying weapons, including parts for jet planes and the use of RAF Akrotiri [airbase in Cyprus] as a route for weapons to go to Israel that are destroying life in Gaza?” he asked.

You can see the response in the video below:

7 Jan 2025 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

WATCH: Trump previews ‘hell’ in Middle East if Israel-Hamas deal not reached

Officials with both the outgoing Biden and incoming Trump administrations say Israel-Hamas negotiations are on the verge of a deal.

Trump, meanwhile, said that “hell will break out” if a captive release agreement is not reached by the time he enters office.

Watch below to see what the incoming US president said:

7 Jan 2025 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)

Video shows large fire after deadly Israeli attack on Khan Younis

Scenes posted on Instagram by Palestinian activists are showing a fire engulfing vehicles in the al-Manara neighbourhood of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The attack killed two people, according to a Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson.

Translation: #Urgent Martyrs and wounded as a result of an Israeli bombardment targeting a vehicle in the al-Manara neighbourhood, southeast of Gaza City, Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

7 Jan 2025 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

A lot of Israeli army activity in occupied West Bank this evening

The Wafa news agency has published numerous accounts of army raids into West Bank and Jerusalem communities currently in progress.

As we’ve been reporting, a huge manhunt is under way in the occupied West Bank after a shooting incident yesterday killed three Israelis.

Here is a roundup of what is happening tonight:

Israeli forces stormed the town of Hizma, northeast of Jerusalem, firing tear gas at people’s homes and detaining a young man briefly before releasing him.

A raid is ongoing in the occupied West Bank towns of Kafr Jamal and the suburb of Artah, south of Tulkarem. A number of young men have been detained in Kfar Jamal.

Israeli forces detained five young men at a military checkpoint near the centre of Hebron.

Clashes have erupted between Israeli forces and locals in the towns of Beita and Sebastia in the Nablus governorate. In both locations, Wafa reports, Israeli forces have fired live ammunition as well as sound grenades and tear gas. No injuries have so far been reported.

Israeli forces have raided the town of Beit Rima, northwest of Ramallah. No clashes or arrests have been reported.

7 Jan 2025 - 22:17
 (22:17 GMT)
Houthi

Seven Palestinians killed in two Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting that two Palestinians have been killed and others injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

They are also reporting that five Palestinians have been killed and others were injured in an Israeli raid on a house in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, south of Gaza City.

We will bring you more information as we get it.

7 Jan 2025 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)
Houthi

Another child killed in Israeli attack near Khan Younis

Wafa reports that a child was killed when Israel carried out a strike on a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi, adjacent to Khan Younis on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast.

Already this evening, an Israeli attack on a displacement camp in the same location killed four children.

7 Jan 2025 - 21:45
 (21:45 GMT)

British MP asks the government if it will change its position on Gaza

Adnan Hussain, a British MP, posted a video on X of the moment he asked the UK government if it would change its position on Israel’s war on Gaza, given Israel’s actions in the enclave are “genocidal in nature”.

“The scale of destruction in northern Gaza is now being described as much worse than the destruction in the aftermath of Hiroshima,” he said.

“Will this government now change its form of the former position and identify that Israel’s actions in Gaza are indeed genocidal in nature, and what actions will be taken, given the grave nature of these facts?” he asked.

The response to his question was, “We have taken action both in relation to arms, …to aid, …to diplomatic pressure on the Israelis, and we will continue to do so. The situation in Gaza is intolerable, and we will continue to take steps to try and reduce the suffering”.

7 Jan 2025 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

Photos: Protesters in Tel Aviv call for deal to secure release of captives

Relatives of Israeli captives being held in Gaza stage a protest demanding an immediate deal to secure their release, and for a ceasefire, outside the Ministry of Defence building in Tel Aviv, Israel, on January 07, 2025 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu]
[Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu]
[Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu]

7 Jan 2025 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)

Israeli media claims to reveal terms for potential prisoner swap deal with Hamas

Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, has reported on what it says are the contents of a document that forms the basis of negotiations with Hamas for a prisoner exchange deal. The plan, approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet in May, has not been made public until today, according to Kan.

The document’s stated goal is to secure the release of all Israelis held in the Gaza Strip – civilians and soldiers, alive or deceased – in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

It also aims to achieve lasting calm, leading to a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the reconstruction of the enclave.

Israel would withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza and dismantle all military installations there, according to the document. A mechanism would also be established to prevent the return of armed groups to northern Gaza.

Israel would also allow the entry of humanitarian aid, including fuel, to Gaza starting on the first day of the implementation of the deal, with a daily quota of 600 trucks, said the report.

It specifies that Hamas will release Israeli captives in phases during the humanitarian stage of the agreement. Israel has also demanded, based on recommendations from its negotiation team, a list of captives to be released in the first phase before the agreement takes effect.

7 Jan 2025 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

Hamas stands by demand for end to Gaza war in captive deal, as Trump deadline nears

Hamas has stood by its demand that Israel fully end its assault on Gaza under any deal to release the captives still held there. The group also said President-elect Donald Trump was rash to say there would be “hell to pay” unless the captives are freed by his January 20th inauguration.

Officials from Hamas and Israel have been holding talks with Qatari and Egyptian mediators in the most intensive effort for months to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

The outgoing US administration has called for a final push for a deal before Joe Biden leaves office, and many in the region now view Trump’s inauguration as an unofficial deadline.

But with the clock ticking, both sides accuse the other of blocking a deal by adhering to conditions that torpedoed all previous peace efforts for more than a year.

7 Jan 2025 - 20:45
 (20:45 GMT)

‘Donald Trump believes that he can get a ceasefire deal’

By Kimberly Halkett

Reporting from Washington, DC

This is something – trying to get a ceasefire for Israel’s war on Gaza and to release the captives – that has been eluding the current US administration for quite some time.

In fact, this is something that President Joe Biden had hoped would be part of his legacy. But, in the waning days of his administration, it is not something they have been able to achieve.

And so, one would argue that this is naïveté on the part of the incoming [Donald Trump] administration and the new Middle East negotiator [Steve Witkoff].

They believe that the man who wrote the book The Art of the Deal can strike a deal.

One has to look and see whether or not this is achievable. Donald Trump believes that he can get a deal. He is threatening that, if it’s not done, there will be consequences to be paid with punitive action.

7 Jan 2025 - 20:30
 (20:30 GMT)
Developing

Today’s toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza rises

Medical sources have told Al Jazeera that at least 49 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks since the early hours of this morning.

This includes four children, who were killed when Israel struck a tent camp in al-Mawasi, near the southern city of Khan Younis.

7 Jan 2025 - 20:15
 (20:15 GMT)

WATCH: ‘All hell will break out in the Middle East’ if captives are not released, says Trump

US President-elect Donald Trump and Middle East envoy Steve Wittkoff hed a news conference in Florida, where they addressed some questions about the Gaza ceasefire talks.

Trump said if the captives are not back by the time he gets into office, “all hell will break out in the Middle East, and it will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone”.

Watch below to hear their full comments:

7 Jan 2025 - 20:00
 (20:00 GMT)

If you’re just joining us

Here are some of the main developments over the past day:

  • The Palestinian news agency Wafa has reported that an Israeli military aircraft has bombed a house on the old Gaza Street in Jabalia al-Balad, in the north of the Gaza Strip, killing at least eight people.
  • Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting that four children have been killed in an Israeli bombardment of a tent camp in the so-called “safe zone” of al-Mawasi in the south of the Gaza Strip.
  • President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has said there has been “a lot of progress” when speaking about the Gaza ceasefire deal at a news conference held by Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, in the US.
  • At the same conference, Trump said if the captives are not back by the time he gets into office, “all hell will break out in the Middle East”.
7 Jan 2025 - 19:45
 (19:45 GMT)

‘The last thing we want to see is a Palestinian killing a Palestinian’: Barghouti

Mustafa Barghouti, the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, spoke to Al Jazeera about the Palestinian Authority’s operations in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

“There is no justification for this escalation, and I think the last thing that Palestinians need is now a violent confrontation between Palestinians and Palestinians,” he said.

“We have a big number of political parties, civil society structures, human rights organisations that have interfered and is trying to mediate to end this situation” he said.

“All of those who are harmed are our sons, our people, whether they are on the authority side or they are on the resistance side”.

“This is happening while Israel is conducting hundreds of attacks on us … attacks by the Israeli army and attacks by … settlers”.

“If it continues, it will only serve the interest of the Israeli occupation,” he said.

Palestinian Authority security forces use tear gas to disperse a protest against their security operation in Jenin on December 16, 2024 [Jaafaar Ashtiyeh/AFP]
7 Jan 2025 - 19:30
 (19:30 GMT)
Analysis

What further hell could Trump bring to the Gaza Strip?

Omar Rahman, a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, spoke to Al Jazeera about Trump’s comment that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if the captives are not released by the time he gets into office.

“What further hell could you bring on the Gaza Strip than is already being imposed on it?” Rahman said.

“You need to tackle … structural issues. That doesn’t mean the US as a superpower, with all the economic and military power it has, can’t take further actions … to step up the pressure on all the parties,” he said.

He said it is hard to know exactly what Trump entails by this threat, but he suggested that it could mean he might be willing to use military force against Iran or “green light further ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip”.

Rahman added that Trump might also “be just leaning into the role of the kind of unpredictable, the unwieldy leader, the bully, and hoping that people fear that and kind of just bend the knee.”

A man mourns over the bodies of two members of the Abeid family who were killed in the Israeli bombardment in the central Gaza Strip, at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah, Tuesday, January 7, 2025 [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo]
7 Jan 2025 - 19:15
 (19:15 GMT)

Two Palestinians arrested in occupied East Jerusalem

Wafa, the Palestinian news agency, has reported that Israeli forces have arrested two Palestinian citizens from occupied East Jerusalem.

Local sources reported that Israeli forces arrested the two citizens, Maram and Hasniya Firawi, from the Old City of Jerusalem. The cause for the arrests was not disclosed.