Israel Keeps Up Raids in West Bank, Arresting 25, Palestinian Reports Say, The New York Times
On Wednesday, the IDF made arrests in Jenin, Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm and Bethlehem, according to the Palestinian Authority’s commission of prisoners’ affairs. Enhanced security at Israeli checkpoints across the territory slowed or stopped traffic and in one case a 45-year-old woman died at a checkpoint outside Hebron while waiting to be allowed to go to a hospital, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
More Than 2,400 Aid Trucks Enter Gaza Under Truce, UN Says No Big Looting Issues, Reuters
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 897 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, citing information it received from Israel and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement – the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
Suspected Settlers Attacked Palestinian Villages Hours Before Trump Rescinded Biden Sanctions, AP
U.S. President Donald Trump canceled sanctions against Israelis accused of violence in the territory shortly after suspected Jewish settlers stormed Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank late Monday, setting cars and property ablaze.
Israel to Let 50 Wounded Hamas Militants Cross for Treatment in Egypt Daily, Haaretz
The Israeli government has approved that, from the 14th day of the cease-fire until the completion of the deal’s first stage on the 42nd day, wounded Hamas members will be allowed to travel to Egypt for medical treatment, accompanied by up to three people.
Hamas’ Tight Grip on Gaza Complicates Plan for Lasting Peace, Reuters
The Islamist group not only controls Gaza’s security forces, but its administrators run ministries and government agencies, paying salaries for employees and coordinating with international NGOs, Gaza residents said.
Qatar PM: Talks on Stage 2 of Hostage-Ceasefire Deal Should Start As Soon as Possible, The Times of Israel
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani tells the Walla news site that he is ready to start talks as soon as possible on the second stage of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal.
Hostages Are Being Freed. Some Israelis Ask: At What Cost?, The New York Times
Patrick Kingsley and Natan Odenheimer write, “For both Israelis and Palestinians, the sealing of a cease-fire has spurred joy and celebration but it has also come at a price for both peoples. The arrangement leaves Israel in control of strategic parts of Gaza, preventing many Palestinians from returning to their often ruined homes, at least for now. It has also forced painful concessions from Israel — including the release of convicted terrorists and the possibility that Hamas, the instigator of the raid that started the war, could now remain in power.”
‘Arduous and Difficult’: Palestinians Search for Bodies Under the Gaza Rubble, Haaretz
Rawan Suleiman writes, “Palestinian Civil Defense Spokesman Mahmoud Saber Basal said the organization estimates that the bodies of more than 10,000 people who were not included in the death toll are still buried under the rubble throughout the Strip.”
Rebuilding Gaza Will Be a Massive Project. Here Are 5 Things To Know, NPR
Scott Neuman writes, “The United Nations estimates that $50 billion will be required to rebuild Gaza, which occupies an area about the size of Philadelphia on the Mediterranean coast between Israel and Egypt. Even the rosiest of estimates project it would take a decade.”
In the West Bank, Palestinian Unemployment Is Now Israeli Policy, +972
Haitham S. writes, “In my village of Umm Al-Khair in the South Hebron Hills, most families no longer have any source of income. On top of a frightening uptick in settler attacks and home demolitions in our community, most residents now find themselves in financial ruin.”