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MIDDLE EAST

More than 500,000 Palestinians returned to northern Gaza in 3 days

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It was reported that more than 500,000 Palestinians displaced by Israeli attacks returned to the north of Gaza in the last 3 days.

Despite the heavy destruction caused by Israeli attacks, Palestinians continue to return to the north of Gaza. After the opening of the occupied Netzarim Corridor on Monday, Gazans started to return to the northern regions in large numbers.

The government’s Media Office in Gaza made a written statement regarding the return of Palestinians who were forcibly displaced under the ceasefire agreement to the north.

It was stated that the number of Palestinians who crossed to the north of Gaza after the opening of the Netzarim Corridor under the occupation of the Israeli army on Monday exceeded 500,000.

In a written statement made by the United Nations, it was reported that more than 376,000 forcibly displaced Palestinians returned to the north of Gaza in the last 2 days.

They return to their lands despite destruction and harsh conditions

In accordance with the ceasefire reached with Hamas, Israel opened the Netzarim Corridor on Monday, allowing displaced Palestinians to cross into northern Gaza.

According to the government’s media office in Gaza, the destruction in the north due to Israeli attacks is around 90 percent.

Due to the heavy destruction, most Gazans returning to the north find rubble instead of their homes.

Despite all these difficulties, Gazans continue to cross from south to north, expressing that they do not want to leave their land.

It was the most populated area before the Israeli attacks

Before the Israeli offensive, which began on 7 October 2023 and continued for 471 days, the north was the most populous part of the Gaza Strip.

Before the attacks, 1.4 million of the Gaza Strip’s population of approximately 2.3 million resided in the north.

Due to the Israeli attacks and the refusal to allow aid to enter the region, nearly 1 million people living in the north of Gaza had to migrate to the central and southern regions.

MIDDLE EAST

Israel demands all six hostages this week in exchange for aid

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Israel is demanding the surrender of six hostages on Saturday, February 22, in exchange for allowing humanitarian aid and container homes into Gaza. Under the current ceasefire agreement, the Tel Aviv administration is already obligated to allow the entry of humanitarian aid and container houses into Gaza, but Israel continues to restrict attempts to do so.

Israeli media suggested that the remaining six of the Israeli hostages who were scheduled to be released in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement could be released in the seventh round of prisoner exchanges on February 22.

According to the Israeli state television Kan, progress has been made in negotiations on the release of all of the living Israeli hostages scheduled to be released in the first phase of the agreement.

The Israeli security cabinet was informed that progress had been made in negotiations on the release of all living Israeli hostages on Saturday in exchange for the release of all Palestinian prisoners and allowing the entry of some equipment into the Gaza Strip.

According to senior officials involved in the negotiations, in exchange for the release of the Israeli hostages, all Palestinian prisoners expected to be released in the first phase will be released, and Israel will allow the entry of humanitarian aid and other equipment into the Gaza Strip.

Officials said the negotiations had not yet concluded, but progress was being made.

Kan reported that Hamas had agreed to hand over the bodies of four or five Israeli hostages in Gaza on Thursday, February 20, after mediating countries stepped in.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel is using the container houses in Gaza, which it does not allow to enter Gaza contrary to its obligations under the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, as a bargaining chip.

During the negotiation process, Israel demanded the release of six live hostages instead of three in the seventh round of the prisoner exchange to be held on February 22 in exchange for allowing the entry of container houses into Gaza.

It was reported that Israel would allow hundreds of container houses to enter the Gaza Strip if six hostages were released.

According to the ceasefire agreement reached with Hamas and entered into force on January 19, the Israeli administration was supposed to allow 200,000 tents and 60,000 container houses to enter Gaza in the first phase.

However, Israel refuses to fulfill its obligations under the agreement.

Less than two weeks before the end of the first phase of the agreement, Israel has so far not allowed a single container house to enter Gaza.

In addition, only 73,000 of the promised 200,000 tents have been allowed to enter the territory.

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MIDDLE EAST

Arab Coordination Group, IMF, and World Bank to focus on Syria’s economic recovery

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Middle Eastern countries and several international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, have agreed to establish an informal commission to support the economic recovery of conflict-torn Middle Eastern countries, The National reports. This commission will focus in particular on Syria.

The Arab Coordination Group, comprising the Abu Dhabi Development Fund, the Arab Economic Development Bank in Africa, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the Gulf Arab States Development Programme, the Arab Monetary Fund, the Islamic Development Bank, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the OPEC International Development Fund, the Qatar Development Fund, and the Saudi Arabian Development Fund, agreed with the IMF and the World Bank to create a support mechanism tailored to the different needs of each country in economic distress.

Members will join forces to find financial support for conflict zones, prioritize institutional structures, and identify policy gaps necessary to ensure lasting recovery.

The announcement came on the sidelines of a conference on emerging market economies organized by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Finance and the IMF in AlUla.

Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan al-Shaybani, who was appointed in December, attended a high-level meeting organized as part of the event.

‘The IMF, the World Bank, the Arab Coordination Group, and the countries of the region emphasized their commitment to work together to complement each other’s efforts,’ said a joint statement issued by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and Saudi Arabian Finance Minister Mohammed Al Jadaan. ‘They emphasized the importance of strengthening coordination to support the recovery of these countries, as negative spillovers will affect everyone,’ the statement added.

It was stated that the next talks on this issue will be held at the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings to be held in Washington on April 25-27.

According to The National, Sunday’s agreement envisages that the informal commission will have three missions:

The first mission aims to establish a continuous analytical mechanism to accurately assess the humanitarian and reconstruction needs of each country, identifying institutional priorities, policy gaps, and financing needs.

The second mission envisages faster scaling up of existing and future IMF and World Bank development programs to support financial, monetary, and banking systems.

The third mission aims to raise financial capital from the international community to finance reform programs in areas such as infrastructure reconstruction and humanitarian assistance.

However, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the US, which provided 41.8 percent of global humanitarian aid last year, has changed its aid policies, making it increasingly difficult to secure international financial support for conflict zones.

Following the inauguration of US President Donald Trump last month, his administration decided to freeze aid from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID had been operating in key regions in the Middle East, including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and the occupied West Bank. The cuts will have a negative impact on the functioning of the economies of many countries in the region and on support for some disadvantaged groups.

Last year, for example, USAID provided $704 million in humanitarian assistance to Egypt, $135 million to Iraq, and nearly $1 billion to the West Bank and Gaza. However, with the new decision, this aid is expected to come to an abrupt halt.

In particular, Trump’s proposal in early February to ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip and relocate the approximately 2 million Palestinians living there to countries such as Egypt and Jordan has made this process even more uncertain.

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MIDDLE EAST

Hezbollah accuses Lebanese government of ‘obeying Israeli orders’

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Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem accused the Lebanese government of ‘following Israel’s order’ for the suspension of flights from Tehran, the capital of Iran, to Beirut.

In his video message, Hezbollah leader Qassem reacted to US President Donald Trump’s stance on the Palestinian issue and made statements about Israel’s occupation in southern Lebanon.

Qassem stated that Trump wants to carry out ‘political genocide after the failed humanitarian genocide’ against the Palestinian people with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Stating that Trump’s plan for the Palestinian people ‘absolutely cannot be implemented,’ Qassem said, ‘However, this shows how bad and humiliating the US is in the international arena.’

Hezbollah’s secretary-general said that Israeli troops must completely withdraw from Lebanese territory by February 18, adding that Israel ‘has no excuse’ for maintaining a military presence at any point in southern Lebanon.

As part of the ceasefire brokered by Washington in November, Israeli forces were given 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon. At Israel’s request, this deadline was later extended until February 18. However, it is now claimed that the Israeli army has requested to continue to maintain troops in five locations in Lebanon and that the US administration has given its approval.

Naim Qassem said that if Israel continues to be present on Lebanese territory after February 18, it will be considered an occupation and the Lebanese government should oppose it. ‘Everyone knows how an occupation is handled,’ Qassem said, without directly threatening to attack Israel.

Regarding the postponement of flights from Iran to Lebanon, Qassem claimed that this was done in response to an Israeli attack, saying, ‘The prime minister decided to prevent it under the pretext of aviation and the safety of civilians. The problem is not ensuring the safety of civilians in a difficult time; the problem is the implementation of Israel’s order,’ he said.

Accusing the Lebanese government of implementing Israel’s orders, Qassem said, ‘Let the plane land and let’s see what Israel will do. It is not right for us to listen to this.’

Qassem called on the Lebanese government to ‘reconsider its decision on the flights and reveal its position on its sovereignty.’

On the other hand, Qassem called for attending the funeral of Hezbollah Secretaries General Hassan Nasrallah and Hashim Safieddine, who will be buried on February 23, and asked for compliance with security measures at the funeral.

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