A report by Middle East Eye describes how Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are trading household goods for basic food items amid worsening economic conditions. A mother from Bethlehem wrote in a private Facebook group that she exchanged kitchen utensils for olive oil and za’atar so her children could take food to school. Since the Gaza war began and Israeli restrictions tightened, such exchanges have become common, reflecting widespread hardship.

Economist Dr. Haitham Weida said the West Bank is being pushed toward a hunger crisis, where families cannot secure enough nutritious food. The region’s economy has deteriorated sharply since October 2023, with poverty reaching 28 percent and unemployment at similar levels. Israel’s restrictions have halted most Palestinian labor access, tourism, and tax revenues, while international aid has fallen to about $710–770 million in 2025. Nearly 898 checkpoints now hinder trade and movement.

The worsening situation has forced many Palestinians to risk their lives crossing into Israel for work. Labor unions report at least 38 workers killed and over 1,500 injured between October 2023 and September 2025 while attempting to find employment.

The United Nations has reported that more than 60 million tons of debris now cover the Gaza Strip after over two years of Israeli military aggression. UN Under-Secretary and Executive Director of the Office for Project Services Jorge Moreira da Silva stated on Thursday that clearing the rubble could take more than seven years. He described the humanitarian situation as dire, with residents exhausted, fearful, and under immense pressure amid cold weather and heavy rain.

Despite a ceasefire declared on October 10, Israeli forces have continued attacks across Gaza. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 12 people were killed and 18 injured in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll since the ceasefire to 463. Overall, more than 71,000 people have been killed and over 171,000 injured during the two-year conflict.

Meanwhile, the United States has announced the second phase of its Gaza peace plan. President Donald Trump said a “Board of Peace” had been selected to oversee postwar governance under a Palestinian technocratic committee and reiterated his demand for Hamas to disarm immediately.

Residents of Gaza City have voiced skepticism about the recently announced second phase of the ceasefire agreement, saying that many commitments from the first stage have yet to be implemented. Several Palestinians told Al Jazeera that crossings were supposed to open, prices were expected to fall, and Israeli attacks were to stop, but none of these changes have materialized. Instead, they said, the only difference has been their displacement from the south to the northern parts of the enclave.

A woman interviewed said that Gaza’s situation remains unchanged and urged that the first phase be completed properly before moving to the next stage. Another resident said he was not hopeful because aid and food had not arrived and the ceasefire was not enforced as promised. With ongoing bombardments and killings, many said they could not find shelter or even tents.

The report reflects widespread frustration among Gazans who see little progress on the ground despite official announcements of a new ceasefire phase.

The second phase of the US-backed Gaza peace plan has begun despite violations of the ceasefire and unresolved issues from the first stage between Israel and Hamas, according to AFP. On Wednesday, a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee was formed in Gaza to oversee daily governance and reconstruction. The committee will operate under the supervision of a US-supported 'Peace Board' chaired by US President Donald Trump. Mediator nations Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar stated that former Palestinian deputy minister Ali Shath from Ramallah will lead the committee.

The first phase focused on implementing the ceasefire, allowing humanitarian aid, and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas and allied groups. However, only the body of one Israeli hostage was returned, while full disarmament of Hamas and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza remain unresolved.

The second phase will emphasize disarmament, governance restructuring, and ensuring humanitarian assistance. Yet, the core political challenges—Hamas’s disarmament and Palestinian unity—remain unsettled, posing significant obstacles to the peace process ahead.

At least ten Palestinians were killed on Thursday in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip as the second phase of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan proceeded. According to the Wafa news agency, Israeli forces bombed two houses in Deir al-Balah city in the evening, killing six people, including a 16-year-old boy. The Israeli military claimed that one of the dead, Muhammad al-Hawli, was a commander in Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili confirmed that a senior Qassam Brigades member was among the dead.

Additional casualties were reported in separate incidents: one person was shot dead near the Al-Alm intersection west of Rafah, another was killed in an Israeli strike on a police post near the Al-Nablusi junction in southwest Gaza City, and two more died in an airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Hamas condemned the attack on al-Hawli’s home as a “heinous crime,” calling it evidence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s disregard for the October ceasefire, though it did not confirm the commander’s death.

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced the start of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan on Wednesday through a post on social media platform X. According to Witkoff, this phase will focus on disarmament, technocratic governance, and reconstruction. He warned that Hamas must fully comply with its obligations under the agreement, including the handover of all Israeli hostages’ bodies, or face serious consequences.

The report stated that since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza over a two-year period. A fragile ceasefire has been in place in the enclave for the past three months. The first phase of the plan included the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages.

Witkoff thanked Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar for their mediation efforts, crediting them for the progress achieved so far. The US State Department welcomed Palestinian support for Trump’s 20-point plan, describing it as a positive step toward stability in the region.

Thirteen-year-old Omar Halawa from northern Gaza lost his right leg after being hit during an Israeli attack in October 2025 while fetching water near the Jabalia area. His mother, Yasmin Halawa, told Al Jazeera that the family had been displaced more than 15 times and that Omar’s injury occurred amid severe water shortages. The family buried his severed leg near their tent, and Omar visits the grave daily, saying his leg has gone to heaven before him.

Omar’s sister Layan was also injured in a November 2023 airstrike, and their eight-year-old cousin was killed. Yasmin said her children have been deeply traumatized, with Omar now frightened even by small noises. UNICEF spokesperson Kazem Abu Khalaf told Al Jazeera that Gaza’s children are living in the world’s most terrifying place instead of enjoying their childhood. According to the report, more than 71,000 Palestinians, including 20,000 children, have been killed in two years of Israeli attacks, and around 42,000 children have been injured.

UNICEF noted that even after a ceasefire, over 95 children have been killed, underscoring the continuing danger for Gaza’s young population.

Bedouin residents of Ras Ain al-Auja village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank are dismantling their sheep pens and loading belongings onto trucks as they prepare to leave their homes. Facing increasing violence from Israeli settlers, many families say they have no choice but to flee. According to AFP, the semi-nomadic Bedouin community is among the most vulnerable, alleging that the lack of effective law enforcement has left them victims of forced displacement.

Local resident Farhan Jahalin said two years of continuous settler attacks have devastated their community, making it impossible to remain. UN data cited in the report shows settler attacks in the West Bank reached a record 260 incidents in October last year. About half of the 130 families in the village have already decided to relocate, while others are dismantling their homes. Residents accuse settlers of cutting water and electricity supplies and grazing livestock near Bedouin homes to create fear and pressure.

The Israeli military said it is aware of incidents in the Ras al-Ain area and has deployed forces to maintain order. However, Bedouins fear that even if they move elsewhere, they may face displacement again in the future.

The United Nations has reported that at least 100 children have been killed in Gaza since a ceasefire began three months ago. The information was shared by UNICEF spokesperson James Elder during a press briefing in Geneva, according to AFP. He stated that since the ceasefire agreement was reached in early October, an average of one child per day—boy or girl—has died due to violence.

Elder explained that the deaths resulted from suicide drones, shelling, airstrikes, and drone attacks. Despite the ceasefire, he said, the data clearly shows that children’s lives in Gaza remain in grave danger. The report underscores the continuing humanitarian risks faced by civilians, particularly children, even under a declared truce.

The United Nations’ findings highlight that the ceasefire has not brought full security to Gaza’s population, with ongoing violence continuing to claim young lives.

The Palestinian group Hamas is preparing to hold internal elections to restructure its leadership following the deaths of top leaders during the Gaza war. A Hamas official said preparations are underway, with voting expected to take place within the first months of 2026 once conditions stabilize. The information was reported by Turkey-based media outlet Daily Sabah.

According to the report, the reorganization process includes forming a new 50-member Shura Council, a religiously influenced advisory body. Hamas’s three branches—Gaza Strip, occupied West Bank, and the diaspora—elect their members every four years. In previous elections, members gathered in mosques and other venues to vote for the Shura Council, which is responsible for choosing the political bureau and overall leader.

Sources indicate that two main contenders are leading for the position of political bureau chief: Gaza’s Khalil al-Hayya, supported by the Gaza branch and the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, and exiled leader Khaled Meshaal. Hamas views the leadership renewal as vital for strengthening Gaza’s resilience and maintaining organizational stability.

A severe winter storm in Gaza has destroyed or damaged thousands of tents housing Palestinians displaced by two years of conflict with Israel, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense Department. The department warned that the damage has deepened the humanitarian crisis, as strong winds reaching 60 kilometers per hour and heavy rain tore through coastal areas, leaving many families exposed to harsh weather conditions.

Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said the storm’s impact extends beyond weather-related hardship, describing it as a direct result of restrictions on construction materials that have hindered reconstruction. He noted that many displaced families are forced to live in torn tents or unsafe, damaged homes without dignity or protection.

Palestinian meteorologists reported that the storm began on Friday and is expected to continue for several more days. Basal cautioned that large urban areas remain uninhabitable after prolonged Israeli bombardment, forcing many families to set up tents along the coast due to the lack of safer alternatives.

Israeli forces carried out artillery and air strikes across the Gaza Strip, killing at least three Palestinians, in what has been described as the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement that took effect three months ago. The attacks occurred in several areas, including Khan Younis, Gaza City, and the Maghazi refugee camp, where multiple injuries were also reported.

According to reports, one person was killed and another injured in a drone strike near the Bani Suhaila roundabout in central Khan Younis, while two others were shot dead in eastern Gaza City. The New Arab reported that Israeli forces also targeted the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, injuring several people. The incident followed an earlier Israeli assault on Thursday that killed at least 14 Palestinians, including displaced civilians in tents and shelters.

Hamas accused the United States of providing cover for Israeli military actions. Meanwhile, Gazans continue to suffer from harsh weather conditions, with heavy rain and strong winds damaging numerous tents, worsening the humanitarian situation.

Israeli forces detained 150 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem during the first week of the new year, according to a statement by the Palestine Center for Prisoner Studies. The detainees include five women, eight children, journalists, and several women previously released under prisoner exchange agreements.

The statement said the arrests were part of an ongoing policy of repression, with Israeli forces conducting raids across towns, villages, and refugee camps. Hundreds of homes were searched, and extensive damage to Palestinian property was reported. The center described these actions as collective punishment and systematic abuse against civilians.

According to the same statement, Israel issued 136 administrative detention orders without charges at the start of the year. Israeli forces also raided Birzeit University, dispersing a solidarity gathering for prisoners, seizing media equipment, and detaining the university’s vice president.

Palestinian group Hamas has announced its readiness to hand over administrative responsibilities in Gaza to an independent committee. The group also stated that it does not intend to be part of any future governing structure in the territory. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said on Thursday that they are waiting for the formation of the independent committee to oversee Gaza’s administration and that Hamas will facilitate the transfer process and assist the committee’s work.

Qassem emphasized that Hamas has decided to remain outside any administrative framework managing the Gaza Strip. His statement follows the decision made at the emergency Arab summit on Gaza in March 2024, which rejected any forced displacement of Palestinians. The summit’s plan proposed forming a temporary administrative committee for six months to manage Gaza during a transitional period.

According to the plan, the interim body will be independent, composed of neutral technocrats, and operate under the Palestinian government’s authority.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported on Wednesday that Israel’s policies in the occupied West Bank have created a suffocating environment for Palestinians. The report stated that Israel has systematically implemented discriminatory measures targeting Palestinians, including severe restrictions on their movement, disrupting normal life across the territory. It called on Israel to withdraw all Jewish settlements from the West Bank, comparing the situation to apartheid-era racial segregation in South Africa.

The report highlighted that two separate legal systems are applied to Jewish settlers and Palestinians, resulting in land confiscation and deprivation of resources for Palestinians. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Palestinians’ rights in the West Bank are being systematically suppressed, and that Israel’s discriminatory laws and practices have imposed control over all aspects of life in the occupied territory.

The report also noted that since Israel’s military actions in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has intensified, leaving over 1,100 Palestinians dead and at least 21,000 arrested. Israel has also approved plans for 19 new Jewish settlements in December.