Following his election victory, Germany’s Chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz has called for Europe to break free from US influence. According to an Al Jazeera report, preliminary results show his party secured 28.6% of the vote—the highest, but still requiring coalition partners to form a government. In an interview after the results, Merz declared that his top priority is strengthening Europe to achieve true independence from the US. He added that he did not intend to make such a strong statement initially. Previously, Elon Musk had controversially endorsed the far-right AfD party, which received 20% of the vote—something Merz did not take well.

According to Israeli media outlet Ynet News, Israel has proposed releasing 602 Palestinian prisoners if Hamas immediately returns the bodies of four hostages. Israel has stipulated that Hamas must return the bodies without any formal handover ceremonies, similar to how they returned the bodies of Bibas and Oded Lifshitz last week. Meanwhile, Tel Aviv has refused to release over 600 Palestinian detainees under the latest prisoner exchange agreement, citing alleged misconduct by Hamas during past handovers. In response, Hamas has stated that it will not engage in any further negotiations until all Palestinian prisoners are freed.

Marking the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed two resolutions calling for an end to the conflict. Ukraine and the European Union drafted the first resolution, emphasizing Russia’s full withdrawal and sustainable peace within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders. Later, a second resolution titled “Path to Peace” was introduced, urging an immediate ceasefire. Russia’s envoy praised the second resolution, leading to three EU amendments, which also passed. The U.S. is expected to introduce similar resolutions in the UN Security Council.

French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed disagreement with former U.S. President Donald Trump on multiple issues related to Ukraine. Speaking at a joint press conference with Trump, Macron stated, “We also want to end the war, but not with a fragile agreement.” He asserted that peace does not mean Ukraine’s surrender and demanded security guarantees for Ukraine, which Trump did not address. However, both leaders agreed that EU peacekeeping forces should remain inside Ukraine after the war ends, but not at the border. Macron also rejected Trump’s claim that the U.S. only provided financial aid, clarifying that 60% of the aid was grants, not loans.

A U.S. civil society organization, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), has urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate former U.S. President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for allegedly aiding, abetting, and deliberately contributing to Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. On January 19, DAWN submitted a 172-page complaint to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, detailing crimes such as $17.9 billion in arms transfers, intelligence sharing, targeting assistance, and diplomatic support for Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced that the Israeli military is prepared to take control of the Gaza Strip under the leadership of the new army chief, with backing from former US President Donald Trump’s administration. He claimed that Hezbollah is currently at its weakest, cut off from land supply routes in Lebanon and Syria. Smotrich also boasted about the forced displacement of thousands of Palestinians and warned of further military aggression.

International human rights organizations and foreign governments have raised serious concerns over Pakistan’s ongoing deportation of undocumented Afghan refugees and eviction of legal refugees from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Reports suggest that many deported refugees could face severe persecution under the Taliban regime. The Shehbaz government stated that those with agreements to migrate to third countries will be allowed to do so, while others will be sent back to Afghanistan. The UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration have expressed deep concern over the sudden arrests of refugees.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a crackdown on hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrant children who entered the country without their parents. Reuters described this as an expansion of the deportation drive. The operation, which began on January 27, will be carried out in four phases, though the implementation timeline remains unclear. In recent years, over 10,000 children have been ordered deported, with 31,000 removed solely for missing court appearances. During Trump’s first term, migrant children were separated from their parents at the border, leading to over 1,000 children becoming permanently displaced. This policy was later abandoned amid widespread criticism.

More than 150,000 Canadians have signed a parliamentary petition seeking to revoke Elon Musk’s Canadian citizenship, The Guardian reports. The petition argues that Musk is a close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has previously threatened to undermine Canada’s sovereignty and integrate the country as the 51st U.S. state if re-elected. The petition was submitted to the House of Commons by British Columbia-based author Qualia Reed. Born in South Africa, Musk holds Canadian citizenship through his mother and currently heads a key division in the Trump administration.

A new report by Al Jazeera, citing Access Now’s global internet shutdown study, reveals that Israel has restricted internet access in Gaza six times in 2024, more than any other country in the Middle East and North Africa. Despite international condemnation, Israeli occupation forces have deliberately disrupted Gaza’s internet and telecommunications infrastructure, a move the report likens to war crimes. The blackouts have severely impacted communication in the besieged Palestinian territory, drawing widespread criticism from human rights organizations.

Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi announced on Sunday that the group would suspend negotiations with Israel unless 602 Palestinian prisoners were released. He urged mediators to pressure Israel into fulfilling the agreement. Egypt and Qatar have been pushing Israel to release the prisoners as promised, with Egypt even threatening to withdraw from mediation if Israel fails to comply. Meanwhile, families of the detainees waited anxiously throughout the day. The United States, however, has supported Israel’s refusal to return the prisoners.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel is prepared to resume its military operations against Hamas. Hamas, on the other hand, claims that Israel is putting the five-week ceasefire at risk by suspending the prisoner exchange process.

The ceasefire’s first phase, which started on January 19, was supposed to end in early March, but no final agreement has been reached on the next steps. On Saturday, Israel suspended the release of 600 Palestinian prisoners under the initial deal.

“We have dismantled most of Hamas’ organized forces, and we will completely achieve our war goals—through negotiations or by other means,” Netanyahu stated.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in mid-March to meet Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, according to UN Special Envoy on Myanmar, Julie Bishop. During a meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Sunday, they discussed the Rohingya crisis, potential solutions, and strategies to engage new international donors for humanitarian aid. Yunus urged Bishop to play a significant role in the upcoming international conference on the Rohingya crisis later this year.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, marking three years of continuous warfare. Ukraine has retaliated with counterattacks. On Saturday, Russia launched a massive drone strike across Ukraine. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump has been actively pushing for a ceasefire, with his officials holding talks with Russia. However, despite peace negotiations, Russia has launched another attack, causing fires in multiple cities and resulting in casualties. In response, Ukraine claims to have destroyed 20 Russian drones.

Five months after his death in an Israeli attack, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s official funeral was held on Sunday morning in a stadium in Hezbollah-controlled southern Beirut. Thousands of supporters gathered in the city to pay their last respects. Nasrallah had led the Shia Muslim group through decades of conflict with Israel, transforming Hezbollah into a formidable regional military force. According to Reuters, the gathering was not just a mourning ceremony but also a show of strength. A funeral was also held for senior Hezbollah figure Hashem Safi al-Din.