Live Blog Update| Israel's genocide in Gaza
This is an entry from: Live: Israel delays release of 602 Palestinian prisoners

Evening recap

22 February 2025 23:58 GMT

Good evening Middle East Eye readers, 

Our blog will soon be closing for the day. Here are some of today's main developments:

  • Hamas has condemned Israel for failing to release the seventh batch of Palestinian prisoners as part of the agreed exchange deal, calling it a "blatant violation" of the truce.

  • The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced overnight into Sunday that it would postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners, using unsubstantiated claims of Hamas violating the ceasefire agreement as justification.

  • Israeli settlers, backed by occupation forces, stormed the town of Deir Dibwan, east of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank on Saturday evening, looting hundreds of livestock in yet another act of state-backed aggression against Palestinians.

  • Nearly 600,000 children under the age of 10 are expected to receive polio vaccinations in the latest campaign in Gaza, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), announced on X.

  • Israeli forces have raided the homes of Palestinians prisoners set to be released within hours in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian prisoners’ media office has said.

  • China has called for the “complete and effective execution” of the ceasefire agreement and reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution.

  • Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares have condemned US President Donald Trump’s reported plan to forcibly expel Palestinians from Gaza, reaffirming their countries’ opposition to any displacement.

  • Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will travel to Lebanon to attend the funeral of long-time Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday, Iranian media reported.

  • German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressed the urgency of advancing the next stage of the ceasefire agreement, warning that recent developments highlight the need for immediate action.