On Sunday, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen announced that Israel would "immediately" cut off electricity supply to Gaza. Cohen stated, "We will take all necessary measures to bring back all hostages and ensure that Hamas no longer exists in Gaza after the war." Shortly after this declaration, Cohen signed the order to halt power supply to Gaza. According to The Wall Street Journal, Israel plans to first stop the entry of goods into Gaza, followed by cutting off electricity and water.

A new survey published on Wednesday reveals that if elections were held today, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett would secure a sweeping victory, while Netanyahu’s ruling coalition would suffer a significant setback.

According to the poll, the Likud party would win 24 seats, Bennett’s party 24, Yesh Atid 11, The Democrats 10, National Unity 9, Shas 9, United Torah Judaism 8, Yisrael Beiteinu 8, Otzma Yehudit 7, Hadash-Ta’al 5, Ra’am 5, and the Religious Zionist Party 4.

In the race for prime minister, 36% of respondents favored Bennett, while 34% supported Netanyahu. The survey also indicates that Netanyahu’s coalition would secure only 48 seats in the 120-member Knesset, a decline from 51 seats in the previous poll.

A violent scuffle broke out between security personnel and family members of the October 7 attack victims as they attempted to enter Israel’s parliament during an ongoing session. At least two people were injured in the altercation. Opposition leader Yair Lapid shared a video of the incident, which was also reported by Al Jazeera. The chaos ensued when members of the NGO ‘October Council’ tried to gain access to the Knesset. They were later allowed in and protested during Netanyahu’s speech by turning their backs on him while holding up placards. The NGO represents over 1,000 families affected by the attack.

At the Arab Summit in Cairo, member nations adopted an alternative proposal for Gaza’s reconstruction, countering a plan previously put forward by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Israel’s Foreign Ministry criticized the summit, stating that it failed to condemn Israeli casualties and rejected the Arab-backed reconstruction initiative. The plan, endorsed by Arab representatives on Tuesday, includes a $53 billion budget for Gaza’s redevelopment, spearheaded by Egypt. Israel, meanwhile, reaffirmed its support for the U.S. proposal.

During a ceremony marking the 33rd anniversary of former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s death, Israeli Defense Minister Katz stated that Israel would not allow Egypt to violate the 1979 peace agreement between the two countries. Katz referred to Egypt as ‘the largest and most powerful Arab nation’ and noted that the peace agreement had freed Egypt from the cycle of war, reshaping both the history of the region and the situation of the State of Israel.

Israel launched fresh airstrikes on Gaza today, Sunday, following the expiration of the first phase of the ceasefire, killing at least six people. Additionally, Israeli forces have blocked all goods from entering Gaza. Despite ongoing negotiations for a second ceasefire agreement on the 16th day since the January 19 ceasefire deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused of crimes against humanity, violated the truce. He has threatened to resume intense attacks if Hamas does not agree to extend the ceasefire. Analysts argue that Israel lacks the capability to eliminate Hamas or fully occupy Gaza.

Under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza, the world’s longest-serving political prisoner was released from an Israeli jail on Thursday after 44 years. A key figure in the prisoner movement, he was arrested in 1978 and sentenced to life imprisonment for attacking an Israeli target. Although he was freed in a 2011 prisoner swap, Israel rearrested him on June 18, 2014, sentencing him to 30 months in prison. After completing that sentence, Israel reinstated an additional 18 years to his original life term. Even when his brother passed away, he was not allowed to attend the funeral.

Israel announced on Thursday that it would impose restrictions on Palestinian access to Al-Aqsa Mosque during the upcoming month of Ramadan. Every year, millions of Palestinians travel to Al-Aqsa, located in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem, to observe prayers. Last year, due to heightened tensions over the Gaza conflict, Israeli authorities imposed strict entry controls, particularly on Palestinians from the West Bank. Despite the absence of war this year, Israel has maintained a similar stance, though specific restrictions have yet to be disclosed.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed support for Bangladesh’s reform initiatives under Interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. In a letter responding to an earlier communication from Yunus, Guterres acknowledged receipt through his special representative on the Rohingya crisis, Khalilur Rahman. The Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to Bangladesh’s reform process and highlighted ongoing concerns over the Rohingya humanitarian situation. He also confirmed his planned visit to Bangladesh in March.

A human rights report on Tuesday revealed that at least 59 Palestinian prisoners have died in Israeli jails since Israel’s military aggression in Gaza began in October 2023. Most of the deceased were residents of Gaza. The Prison Society reported that 38 of the victims were from Gaza and accused Israeli authorities of concealing their deaths. Since Israel occupied Gaza in 1957, at least 296 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons, excluding thousands of others whose deaths have been omitted from official statistics.

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.

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.

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.

Despite the scheduled release of over 600 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for six Israeli hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has halted the process. Netanyahu stated that the recent hostage release ceremony was “disrespectful” and, as a result, Israel will not proceed with releasing Palestinian detainees at this time. He added that future exchanges will only occur if hostages are released without “offensive” ceremonies. The conflict, which has raged for nearly 16 months, saw a ceasefire beginning on January 19. Under this agreement, Hamas has so far released 25 hostages.

At least three empty buses exploded in Bat Yam, Israel, on Thursday evening (February 20). Fortunately, no casualties were reported immediately. The area remains tense, with heavy security deployed. Reports suggest that two other buses had explosive devices that did not detonate. Security forces are conducting extensive operations to apprehend suspects. Local media reported that an undetonated device carried a note reading, "Revenge from Tulkarm," referencing the West Bank city recently targeted by Israeli military operations.