An Al Jazeera Arabic investigation has reported that Israel’s use of prohibited thermal and thermobaric weapons in Gaza has caused thousands of Palestinians to vanish without trace. The program, aired on Monday, detailed how Civil Defence teams documented 2,842 cases of people who “evaporated” since the war began in October 2023, leaving behind only blood or small fragments. The report cited forensic evidence and eyewitness accounts, including that of Yasmin Mahani, who lost her son in an August 2024 strike on Gaza City’s al-Tabin school.

Experts interviewed in the investigation explained that thermobaric and vacuum bombs generate extreme heat exceeding 3,000 degrees Celsius, capable of vaporizing human tissue. Fragments of U.S.-made GBU-39 bombs were reportedly found at sites where bodies disappeared. Legal analysts said the use of such indiscriminate weapons violates international law and implicates both Israel and its Western suppliers.

Despite international court actions earlier in 2024, including an ICC arrest warrant for Israel’s prime minister, the report said attacks and blockades have continued. Legal scholars described the global justice system as having failed Gaza, while victims’ families continue to search for remains of their loved ones.

Israeli forces carried out new attacks in the Gaza Strip on Monday, violating an existing ceasefire agreement. According to medical sources cited by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, at least nine Palestinians were killed in the assaults. Three people died when an Israeli strike hit a residential apartment on Al-Nasr Street in western Gaza City, an area not under Israeli military control. Earlier, shelling near Khan Younis injured a fisherman, while gunfire in Beit Lahia killed a 54-year-old man. Another farmer was shot dead in Deir al-Balah, and four others were killed in separate incidents across southern Gaza.

The report noted that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began in October 2023 and was later halted under a ceasefire agreement. That offensive left about 72,000 Palestinians dead and more than 171,000 injured, with nearly 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed. Since the ceasefire took effect, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that 581 Palestinians have been killed and at least 1,553 injured in subsequent Israeli attacks.

The renewed violence raises concerns about the fragility of the ceasefire and the ongoing humanitarian toll in Gaza.

Hamas senior leader Khaled Meshaal declared that the group will continue its resistance against Israel’s occupation and will not surrender its weapons. Speaking at a conference in Doha on Sunday, Meshaal said Hamas rejects U.S. and Israeli demands for disarmament and will not accept foreign intervention in Gaza. He emphasized that labeling the resistance movement or its weapons as criminal is unacceptable and asserted that resistance is the right of an occupied people.

The statement comes as a U.S.-mediated ceasefire in Gaza enters its second phase, which envisions a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and potential demilitarization of the territory, including Hamas’s disarmament. Hamas has repeatedly called disarmament a red line but has indicated it might consider transferring weapons to a future Palestinian governing authority.

According to Israeli officials cited in the report, Hamas still has around 20,000 fighters and approximately 60,000 Kalashnikov rifles in Gaza.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) project coordinator Craig Kenji warned that Israel’s threat to ban the organization from operating in Gaza could remove a critical lifeline for residents. Speaking to Al Jazeera from Gaza’s Al-Mawasi area, Kenji said Israel issued the warning after MSF refused to provide a list and personal details of its staff. He noted that MSF supports about 20 percent of hospital beds in Gaza, handles one-third of all deliveries, and has provided over 800,000 medical consultations annually.

Kenji cautioned that if MSF and other NGOs are forced to leave, Gaza’s clean water crisis would worsen severely. The organization currently distributes more than 4.5 million liters of water daily, equivalent to 65 kilometers of jerry cans lined up each day. He added that without registration, MSF cannot bring in supplies, deploy international staff, or pay local partners for their services.

Kenji emphasized that if MSF’s registration is revoked, continuing operations in Gaza would become nearly impossible.

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt partially reopened this week after two years of Israeli-imposed closure, allowing a limited number of Palestinians to leave for medical treatment abroad. However, many elderly Palestinians have chosen to remain in Gaza, viewing their decision as an act of resistance and a connection to their homeland. Among them is 73-year-old Kefaya al-Assar, who has been displaced multiple times during Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and now shelters in a school in Nuseirat. Despite health issues and the destruction of her home in Jabalia, she insists on staying, saying she would rather die on her land than seek treatment abroad.

The reopening of Rafah is part of the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire, though Israeli attacks continue. Amnesty International and HelpAge International report that elderly Gazans face a severe physical and mental health crisis due to Israel’s blockade of aid and medicine. Their research found that most elderly people live in tents, lack access to medication, and often skip meals. Despite these hardships, many, like 85-year-old Nazmeya Radwan, refuse to leave Gaza, citing lifelong displacement since the 1948 Nakba.

The persistence of elderly Palestinians to remain underscores both the humanitarian crisis and the enduring attachment to their homeland amid ongoing conflict and devastation.

The United Nations has reported that more than 900 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced from their homes in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of January 2026. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said on Thursday that widespread displacement continues due to settler attacks, destruction, and access restrictions.

According to the UN, Israeli settlers carried out more than 50 attacks between January 20 and the previous Monday, resulting in casualties, property damage, or both. Dujarric also highlighted the worsening humanitarian situation in the blockaded Gaza Strip, where civilian deaths continue to rise.

He reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure during conflicts.

International activists have announced a new and larger maritime mission to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The initiative, called the 'Global Sumud Flotilla', is scheduled for March and will include around 100 vessels and about 1,000 participants. The plan was unveiled at a meeting held at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, South Africa. Organizers described it as the largest civilian humanitarian intervention yet against Israel’s policies concerning Gaza.

Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela and a participant in a similar mission last year, said the upcoming flotilla will include doctors, human rights activists, and war crimes investigators. Alongside the sea convoy, a land convoy through neighboring Arab countries is also being planned, expected to attract thousands of supporters. In October, Israeli forces seized about 40 vessels from a previous Global Sumud Flotilla and detained around 450 activists, including Mandela and climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Although a ceasefire is currently in place in Gaza, the UN reports that humanitarian aid remains far below the required level. Activists said they will continue efforts to highlight the humanitarian crisis and challenge the blockade despite possible obstacles.

The Global Sumud Aid Flotilla is set to embark for Gaza on March 29 from the port of Barcelona, Spain, in response to the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. Organizers announced that this year’s mission will feature broader international participation than previous efforts. The announcement was made during a livestreamed press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, where activist Sumeira Akdeniz Ordu confirmed that additional ships will join from Tunisia, Italy, and other Mediterranean ports.

According to Ordu, the flotilla will include thousands of participants, among them over one thousand doctors, nurses, and health workers. The mission will also involve eco-builders skilled in sustainable infrastructure and war crimes investigators expected to document human rights violations in Gaza. Organizers emphasized that the flotilla’s goal extends beyond delivering humanitarian aid—it aims to raise global awareness against the blockade imposed on Gaza.

The Global Sumud authorities stated that the initiative, involving citizens, human rights activists, and professionals from multiple countries, seeks to send a clear message of international solidarity with the people of Gaza.

Israel has suspended the transfer of patients from Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah crossing, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The suspension came just days after Israel reopened the crossing on February 2, 2026, for the first time in about 18 months. On the first day, only five critically ill patients were allowed to cross into Egypt. The Red Crescent’s spokesperson Raed al-Nims told Al Jazeera that Israel announced the closure only minutes before it took effect, leaving many wounded and seriously ill Palestinians waiting in ambulances near the crossing.

Israeli officials had earlier said that up to 50 Palestinians would be permitted to cross daily, but only five were allowed on Monday and 16 on Tuesday. Gaza’s health authorities reported that more than 18,000 patients are awaiting evacuation for treatment, including around 440 in critical condition. No explanation was given for why some patients were denied passage.

Despite an ongoing ceasefire, Israeli forces continued airstrikes in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least 21 people were killed and 38 injured on Wednesday, bringing the total to 556 deaths and 1,500 injuries during the truce period.

Israel has returned the bodies and remains of 54 Palestinian prisoners who had been held in its prisons. Gaza’s Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that the handover took place through the International Committee of the Red Cross. Forensic examinations of the bodies have begun, after which families will be allowed to identify their relatives according to established procedures.

A Palestinian official said the transfer occurred amid Israel’s continued violations of the phased ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10. Under that deal, Israel was expected to withdraw additional troops from Gaza and begin reconstruction efforts. According to United Nations estimates, rebuilding Gaza could cost around 70 billion US dollars.

Despite the US-brokered ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes early Wednesday killed at least 21 Palestinians, including women and children, and injured many others. The attacks targeted tents of displaced people, a house, and a civilian gathering. The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that shelling in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis killed two people, including a paramedic, and wounded 12 others.

At least 23 Palestinians, including six children, were killed in Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to Gaza health officials cited by Reuters on Wednesday, January 4. The attacks struck areas in southern Khan Younis and northern Gaza City, where a doctor was killed while rescuing the wounded and a five-month-old infant also died. A resident, Abu Mohammad Haboush, said his family was sleeping when a tank shell hit their home, killing several relatives.

The Israeli military stated that the strikes were in response to Hamas gunfire that allegedly targeted Israeli troops near the border, injuring one soldier. Hamas condemned the attacks, saying they undermine efforts to stabilize the ceasefire and called for immediate international pressure to halt the violence. The incident occurred amid ongoing discussions over Gaza’s governance and reconstruction under the second phase of a ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in January.

Gaza health officials reported that since the ceasefire began, Israeli attacks have killed at least 530 Palestinians, mostly civilians, while four Israeli soldiers have died in Palestinian assaults.

Al Jazeera has reported that Israel has introduced a new plan to manage and control Gaza’s Rafah crossing, adding multiple layers of security and approval procedures. The proposed system will impose stricter surveillance on both entry and exit. Only residents who left Gaza during the war, representatives of the Palestinian Authority, and a limited number of humanitarian workers will be eligible to enter. Their names must be registered, reviewed by Egypt, and approved by Israel’s Shin Bet before passing through checkpoints managed by the Palestinian Authority and the European Union. Travelers will then undergo body searches, X-ray screening, and biometric verification at Israeli-controlled posts before crossing the ‘yellow line.’

The report adds that exiting Gaza will be relatively easier, prioritizing patients needing medical treatment abroad. Departing individuals will also require registration and Shin Bet approval through Egypt. Israeli officials will use facial recognition software from a command center to open gates for approved travelers. Gaza’s media office director, Ismail al-Thawabta, said around 80,000 Palestinians displaced during the conflict wish to return, while about 22,000 injured or ill people urgently need to travel for treatment.

An Israeli airstrike in central Gaza’s Wadi Gaza area killed one Palestinian and injured two others on Sunday morning, according to Anadolu Agency. The attack reportedly targeted a gathering of civilians. Since the ceasefire agreement took effect on October 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed 509 Palestinians and injured 1,405, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

The report stated that Tel Aviv continues to violate the ceasefire daily. Following heavy strikes on Friday and Saturday that killed 37 Palestinians in shelters, residential buildings, and a police center, Israel carried out another attack. Witnesses said an Israeli drone fired at least one missile at civilians in northern Wadi Gaza, an area previously evacuated under the ceasefire terms.

Separate incidents were reported in Rafah, Bureij, and northern Gaza, where Israeli ground and naval forces fired into controlled zones. The two-year Israeli offensive preceding the ceasefire left about 71,800 Palestinians dead, over 171,400 injured, and destroyed nearly 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure. The UN estimated reconstruction costs at around 70 billion dollars.

Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, warned that the continuation of Israeli attacks in Gaza after the ceasefire breach would lead to dire consequences. His statement came in response to Saturday’s Israeli airstrikes that killed 37 Palestinians, according to TRT World. Al-Hayya condemned the attacks as being carried out under false pretenses and said he had held discussions with mediators and unnamed international parties following the incident.

Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire and urged mediators to ensure that the occupying power fulfills its obligations and refrains from further violations. The group also blamed Israel for failing to resolve the plight of Palestinians trapped in tunnels in southern Gaza’s Rafah area. After the October 10 ceasefire, many Palestinians remained stranded there, as Israel reportedly refused to allow their departure despite mediation efforts.

The report added that U.S. President Donald Trump announced in mid-January that the second phase of his 20-point ceasefire plan had begun, but unresolved issues, including those involving trapped individuals, remain pending.

At least 37 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across several areas of the Gaza Strip within the past 24 hours, despite a ceasefire being in effect. Anadolu Agency reported on Saturday that the dead included women, children, and seven members of a single family. Gaza’s Civil Defense said the attacks began early Saturday, killing at least 32 people and injuring many others.

Medical sources confirmed that five people, including three children and two women, were killed when an apartment building was hit in Gaza City’s Rimal area. In Khan Younis, seven members of one family died when a tent sheltering displaced people was struck. Witnesses also reported injuries from a strike on a residential building in Gaza City’s Al-Tuffah area. Additional airstrikes were carried out in Al-Jalla Street and the Bureij refugee camp, though casualties there were not immediately known.

According to Anadolu’s correspondent, Israeli forces had issued evacuation warnings before striking an administrative building at the Gaith camp near Al-Ribat College in Khan Younis, which housed hundreds of displaced people.