Live: Trump envoy urges Netanyahu to reach ceasefire deal

Israeli forces have abducted at least 15 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank from last night to this morning, according to statements from the Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS).

The arrests occurred across Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Hebron, Ramallah, and Jerusalem, with additional reports of field interrogations targeting around 50 residents in Hebron’s towns, who were later released.

The statement highlighted the violent nature of these raids, accusing Israeli troops of abusing detainees and their families, issuing threats, and causing significant damage to Palestinian homes during their operations.

A spokesman for the Palestinian National Authority Security Services announced that 247 individuals it described as "outlaws" were detained during the controversial "Homeland Protection" operation in Jenin refugee camp.

The term "outlaws" has been used recently by Israeli-backed Palestinian security forces to describe resistance fighters engaged in a struggle against the occupation. 

Authorities claimed to have defused 245 explosive devices and 17 car bombs during the security campaign.

Critics argue that such operations, often conducted under pressure from Israeli forces, undermine Palestinian unity and disproportionately target vulnerable communities, deepening resentment within the camp.

The Israeli army has reportedly expressed satisfaction with a recent operation conducted by PA forces in the Jenin refugee camp, according to the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA).

Over the past month, operations under Israeli military oversight have involved approximately 300 armed PA personnel.

Israel's Central Command has recommended strengthening the PA’s security apparatus and increasing coordination.

Following this advice, the Israeli security cabinet instructed the army to bolster its collaboration with PA forces.

The Jerusalem Governorate of Palestine has revealed in its annual report that Israeli forces killed at least 35 Palestinians in Jerusalem in 2024, including 14 children.

The report detailed that at least 168 Palestinians were wounded during the year, with injuries caused by live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, brutal beatings, and tear gas assaults.

Adding to the grim toll, Israeli settlers carried out approximately 159 attacks in the governorate, including 19 incidents involving direct physical violence, according to the report.

The findings highlight the escalating violence and oppression Palestinians face under Israeli occupation, with human rights groups repeatedly condemning the ongoing abuses.

Pope Francis intensified his critique of Israel's military onslaught in Gaza on Thursday, describing the dire humanitarian conditions in the besieged Palestinian enclave as "very serious and shameful."

In a statement delivered by an aide during his annual address to diplomats, the Pope condemned the devastation wrought by Israel's assault. Referring to deaths linked to the freezing winter and Gaza’s lack of electricity, he declared: "We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians."

He added, "We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been destroyed or a country's energy network has been hit."

The Israeli paper Yedioth Ahronoth has reported that at least 10 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the launch of the most recent military operation in Beit Hanoun, Gaza, which began approximately two weeks ago.

On 28 December, a group of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in the occupied West Bank town of Silwad.

In a video widely shared, two elderly Palestinian farmers could be seen bleeding from their faces and heads in a field of olive trees. Their car was smashed, and both were injured severely.

Such stories have become common as Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank have grown more frequent and brutal against Palestinians who are left without any protection.

Instead, the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has long functioned as a security arm of Israeli occupation forces, has dedicated its time and resources to launching raids against its own people.

Read more: How the Palestinian Authority became Israel's enforcer in the West Bank

A Quaker organisation advocating for peace announced on Monday that it had scrapped a planned advertisement in The New York Times after the paper refused to allow the term "genocide" to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Joyce Ajlouny, representing the Quaker organisation, The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), criticised the decision in a press release: “The refusal of The New York Times to run paid digital ads that call for an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza is an outrageous attempt to sidestep the truth. Palestinians and allies have been silenced and marginalised in the media for decades as these institutions choose silence over accountability. It is only by challenging this reality that we can hope to forge a path toward a more just and equitable world.”

The group revealed that a representative from The New York Times advertising team had suggested replacing the word “genocide” with “war”.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation has revealed that the military is contemplating moving up the conscription date for students in its preparatory schools.

Originally scheduled for August, the draft could now be pushed forward to March 2025 to address a growing manpower shortage.

Channel 12 Israel reports that over 800 parents of soldiers currently deployed in Gaza have sent an urgent letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding an immediate end to the war as casualties among Israeli troops in northern Gaza continue to rise.

According to reports the letter expressed no sympathy for the ongoing humanitarian plight facing the Palestinians in Gaza. 

In their plea, the parents warned, "We will wage an uncompromising struggle, and we will not allow Gaza to become a graveyard for our children."

The letter highlights growing domestic dissent as Israel's military operation in Gaza faces mounting criticism amid increasing losses and public outcry.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) has issued a stark warning, emphasising the dire need for a ceasefire in Gaza as Israel’s relentless assault on the besieged enclave stretches into its 15th month.

“Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are crammed into overcrowded schools, seeking refuge,” Unrwa stated on X, adding, “More humanitarian aid must enter Gaza, and a ceasefire is more critical than ever.”

Unrwa facilities in Gaza have frequently been targeted since Israel launched its invasion.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has entered a lost battle with its crackdown in Jenin, which will ultimately lead to its demise, analysts and an insider say.

The ongoing campaign against anti-occupation armed groups in the northern West Bank city, which has killed at least 16 Palestinians so far, is doomed to fail regardless of the outcome, a senior Fatah figure told Middle East Eye.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he explained that the PA has been pressured to drop its balance between serving Israel’s security needs and maintaining legitimacy among the Palestinian people.

By attacking Jenin, they have effectively “abandoned their negative neutrality” regarding the Palestinian cause and chosen to side with the Israelis, in exchange for maintaining power, he said.

“If the PA succeeds in Jenin, it will lose its justification for existence among Palestinians, and if it fails, it will lose its justification for existence in relation to Israel,” he added. 

Read more: How the PA’s final gamble in Jenin could lead to its demise

An Israeli air strike on a house in Jabalia al-Balad, northern Gaza, has left eight Palestinians dead and several others injured, according to an Al Jazeera Arabic.

The Wafa news agency reports that Israel’s air strike on the Abu Kharouf family home in the Nuseirat refugee camp has claimed four lives.

The victims have been identified as Bassam Abu Kharouf and his three children. Rescue teams are still searching through the rubble, with several people feared missing.

Palestinian medical sources have confirmed that six people lost their lives in Israeli airstrikes targeting the central and southern regions of the Gaza Strip early Thursday.

Former NBA star Dwight Howard recently shared a revealing anecdote about a 2014 tweet that almost killed the NBA champion's career.

In an interview on the Gauds show with Ray Daniels on Monday, Howard talked about the intense fallout he experienced almost as soon as his tweet went live. 

"When you're in the NBA, there are a lot of things you want to say - things you could say - but you know if you say them, there will be repercussions. You can get in a lot of trouble," Howard said in the interview.

"A couple of years ago, when I played for the Houston Rockets, I tweeted 'Free Palestine' and I almost got kicked out of the league for it. I was trying to figure out why, you know what I’m saying?"

In the interview, Howard describes a 2014 visit to a Houston movie theatre where he was approached by a group of Palestinian fans. They expressed their admiration and asked to watch the film with him. Known for his frequent interactions with fans, Howard says he agreed warmly.

Read more: Former NBA star Dwight Howard says 'Free Palestine' tweet nearly got him fired