Live: Israeli forces detonate 20 homes in Jenin

Israeli far-right politicians praised US President Donald Trump after he reversed US sanctions on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank implemented last year by his predecessor Joe Biden.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich thanks Trump for his “just decision”.

“These sanctions were a serious act of gross foreign intervention in Israel’s internal affairs,” said Smotrich.

Trump’s “steadfast and uncompromising support for Israel” is an expression of his “deep connection with the Jewish people and their historic rights in their homeland,” he said.

Itamar Ben Gvir, former national security minister, called the decision “historic” in a post on X.

“This is a righting of an injustice of many years, in which distorted policies were pursued by the American administration and also by local elements who confused lovers with enemies,” he said. 

Hamas has condemned the latest Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank towns of Jinsafut and Funduq in a statement and called for an 'escalation of resistance in all its forms' to combat the violence, Al Jazeera reported.

“The escalation of settler terrorism underscores the urgent need for our heroic people across all governorates of the West Bank to rise in a sweeping wave of anger to deter the settlers and repel their terrorist attacks,” said the group.

The settler attacks and Israeli military campaigns will not “succeed in pushing our people to give up their land and rights,” Hamas said.

It will lead to “further steadfastness and defiance”.

Israeli forces have raided Beit Furik, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, storming at least 15 homes and arresting 13 people, Wafa news agency reported.

The army have also increased security at checkpoints leading into Nablus, causing severe traffic jams.

Yesh Din, an Israeli rights group monitoring human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, has shared video clips of recent settler attacks that took place overnight on Monday. The videos show damage to Palestinian property, including fires set to Palestinian homes and vehicles.

The group reported that in Sinjil, northeast of Ramallah, settlers set two homes on fire and torched at least four vehicles. Further north, in Ein Siniya, they attacked and set fire to additional homes.

The violence spread to Turmus Aya, northeast of Ramallah, where Palestinian property was damaged. Additionally, settlers hurled stones at vehicles on Route 60, near al-Lubban Asharqiya, south of Nablus.

#Ceasefire? Not in the West Bank
Tonight, dozens of settlers are attacking Palestinian villages across the West Bank.
In the village of Sinjil – Settlers set fire to two homes and at least four vehicles.
In the village of Ein Siniya – Settlers attacked and set fire to homes.
In… pic.twitter.com/nZ24wiEK5B

— Yesh Din English (@Yesh_Din) January 19, 2025

The rebuilding process in Gaza will "take an awful lot of time" despite the promised surge in humanitarian deliveries, a UN official in Gaza told the BBC.

"We're not just talking about food, healthcare, buildings, roads, infrastructure. We've got individuals, families, communities that need to be rebuilt," Sam Rose, acting director of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in Gaza.

After a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas took effect on Sunday, at least 1,545 aid lorries have crossed into Gaza, the UN said.

"We're no longer moving through an active conflict zone. We no longer need to have to co-ordinate all these movements with the Israeli authorities," he added.

"And we've not today... faced any major problems with looting and criminality."

But the UN worker also stressed that "we have to get away from thinking of people's needs in Gaza as a function of the volume of aid."

Catherine Russell, head of the UN children’s agency, said in a post on X that the agency “welcomes the release” of nine Palestinian children.

The children “were reunited with their families overnight in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, after being held in detention for over a year,” Russell said.

The children were part of a group of 90 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons early on Monday as part of the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.

UNICEF welcomes the release of 9 Palestinian children who were reunited with their families overnight in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, after being held in detention for over a year. pic.twitter.com/zxLTeHtDaN

— Catherine Russell (@unicefchief) January 20, 2025

Good morning, Middle East Eye readers,

Here are some of the latest updates on Israel's war on Gaza on the third day of the ceasefire:

• The UN’s World Food Programme says it is ready to feed more than 1 million people in Gaza for 3 months.

• Palestinian media reports say that Israeli soldiers have blocked roads and set up military checkpoints, preventing Palestinians from entering or leaving numerous towns, villages, and cities across the occupied West Bank.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern about “an existential threat to the integrity and contiguity” of Gaza and the occupied West Bank due to Israeli actions and “unabated illegal settlement expansion”.

• The UN Human Rights Office in Palestine has raised alarm over a “wave of renewed violence” by Israeli settlers and armed forces in the occupied West Bank.

• US President Donald Trump has ordered the reversal of US sanctions targeting Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and said he was “not confident” in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

• The UN Security Council will resume on Friday afternoon after failing to hear from all member states that requested to speak at a meeting on the ceasefire in Gaza.