Middle East crisis LIVE: Netanyahu rules out freeing 'thousands of terrorists' in Gaza truce

The World Health Organization says the row over funding for the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) is distracting from the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. 

"Cutting off funding will only hurt the people of Gaza who desperately need support," says WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier, urging donors not to suspend funding to UNRWA. 

Benjamin Netanyahu rules out freeing "thousands of terrorists", as international mediators push for a new halt in the Israel-Hamas war and a deal to release hostages. 

In the latest efforts to broker a new truce, a meeting in Paris on Sunday between top US, Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials resulted in a proposed framework.

Russia on Tuesday criticised a decision by several countries to suspend their funding for the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency, calling it a form of "collective punishment". 

A number of donors including the United States announced they would halt funding to the UNRWA agency over Israel's accusations that some of its staff were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack.

"What has happened and is happening is collective punishment, prohibited by international humanitarian law," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Watch | Israel-Hamas war: Who builds weapons that Hamas fighters use?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has underline the need to address dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and said that the issue over funding to UNWRA is distracting global focus away from the serious situation.

"Criminal activity can never go unpunished," WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a media briefing in Geneva.

"But the discussion... (is) a distraction from what's really going on every day, every hour, every minute in Gaza."  

Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has said that the death toll in the Palestinian enclave has reached 26,751.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has confirmed tha  "the movement received the proposal which was circulated at the (Paris) meeting and that it (Hamas) is in the process of examining it and delivering its response". 

Haniyeh has been quoted in a Hamas statement published on Telegram.

The Hamas-run health ministry on Tuesday said Israel handed over the bodies of dozens of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in recent weeks. The bodies were handed over through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing. 

Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, reposted the clip of the operation where underground Israeli troops carried out the raid, killing three Palestinians. 

“Let all our enemies know that our forces will operate everywhere and by all means to protect and protect our citizens and the state of Israel," he wrote. 

“We have a responsibility there because we should be starting to set out what a Palestinian state would look like, what it would comprise, how it would work and crucially…we with allies will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations,” said Cameron, who is scheduled to arrive in Oman for the first leg of his West Asia trip. 

UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Israel was increasingly denying the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. 

“Threats to the safety of humanitarian personnel and sites are also frequent, not only impeding the delivery of time-sensitive and life-saving aid, but also posing serious risks to those involved in humanitarian efforts.”

Hamas on Tuesday said Israel's crimes "will not go unanswered", referring to the death of three young Palestinian men at the Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin city in West Bank.

The CCTV footage was shared which showed how Israeli forces carried out under cover operations inside Jenin’s Ibn Sina hospital in the West Bank, where three alleged terror operatives were killed.

As per reports published in Hebrew media outlets, the Israeli operation took only 10 minutes to catch hold of three terror operatives at Ibn Sina Hospital in the West Bank’s Jenin.

As per reports, the Israeli forces entered the medical centre at 5:30 am and were wearing clothes of doctors, nurses and Palestinian women. 

They slowly moved to a hiding room on the third floor and killed the surprised trio with guns equipped with silencers before moving out of the

building unscathed.

European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the EU funding to the United Nations Palestinian aid agency has "not been suspended." 

"Ongoing funding commitments by the EU have been implemented and funding has not been suspended," said Borrell's office, in a statement.

It added, "The role of UNRWA is vital in the current circumstances in Gaza." He also noted that two million "people desperately need the aid provided by UNRWA and other UN agencies."

Borrell welcomed "swift and decisive measures taken by UNRWA" in light of "very serious allegations against a number of UNRWA staff members," and said "the EU will determine upcoming funding decisions in light of the outcome of the investigation." 

Israeli forces killed three Palestinians after storming the Ibn Sina Hospital in occupied West Bank's city of Jenin, reported Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, Reuters, citing Palestinian radio, also reported that the fatal attack took place after "storming" of the hospital by Israeli troops. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed to have killed three members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas who they said were hiding inside Ibn Sina hospital. 

According to the IDF, the cell included the three people it identified as Muhammad Jalamneh, 27 and brothers Muhammad and Basel Ghazawi, and said they have been planning imminent terror attacks.

Amnesty International has accused several governments of acting inhumanely by withholding funds for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

"It is deeply shocking – indeed inhumane – that several governments have taken decisions that will cause further suffering to two million Palestinians, who are already facing the risk of genocide and an engineered famine just days after the International Court of Justice ruling concluded that the survival of Palestinians in Gaza is at risk," said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, in a statement on Monday. 

It added, "It is particularly appalling that such action has been taken over allegations concerning 12 employees out of UNRWA’s entire staff of 30,000."

It also called on the states to "reverse cruel decision to withdraw UNRWA funding."

Oil prices rose in early trade on Tuesday as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continued to fuel supply concerns.

Brent crude futures rose 25 cents, or 0.3%, to $82.65 a barrel by 0105 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude was up 31 cents, or 0.4%, at $77.09 a barrel.

Both the contracts fell over $1 on Monday as a deepening real estate crisis fuelled Chinese demand worries, after a Hong Kong court ordered the liquidation of property giant China Evergrande Group.

However, analysts say the market remains on edge amid mounting oil supply worries, as Washington vowed to take "all necessary actions" to defend its troops following a deadly drone attack in Jordan by Iran-backed militants, the first US military deaths since the Israel-Gaza war began.

"If US-Iran tensions escalate, particularly through a direct confrontation, the risk rises that Iran's oil supply is adversely impacted. Iranian's oil exports are likely the most vulnerable via potentially greater enforcement of sanctions," said Commonwealth Bank of Australia analyst Vivek Dhar in a note.

Iran exported 1.2-1.6 million barrels per day of crude oil through most of 2023, Dhar added, representing 1-1.5% of global oil supply.

"How Iran responds to rising US tensions will also dictate the course for oil markets. The key concern is Iran threatening a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which sees the transit of 15-20% of global oil supply," he added.

Qatar will present the proposal to the political leaders of Hamas, who would then convey it to the group’s military leaders, after which they would respond. Given that Hamas military leaders are in hiding in tunnels deep beneath Gaza, the process, as per the New York Times, could take days or even longer.

Osama Hamdan, the Hamas spokesperson on Monday, acknowledged that "great efforts" were being made by mediators but said, "We have not received anything."

Representatives from the United States, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar have reportedly agreed to have Qatar present a nascent framework to Hamas. As per a New York Times report quoting officials, it proposes a six-week pause in the war in Gaza for Hamas to exchange some hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The talks, as per the report, are at an early stage, and many details would need to be worked out if Hamas agrees to start building on the framework.

The Pentagon has vowed to take "all necessary actions" to defend the US troops after Iran-backed terrorists killed US soldiers and wounded several others in a drone strike on Al-Tanf, a US military site in Jordan on Sunday (Jan 28).

Read more here

On Monday (Jan 29th) White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said that while the United States did not want a wider war with Iran or in the region, "but we got to do what we have to do."

As per Reuters, the Sunday (Jan 28th) attack by Iran-backed militants was the first deadly strike against US troops since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October. It marks a major escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle East.

As the US vowed retaliatory action, Qatar said it hoped US retaliation would not damage regional security or undercut progress toward a new Gaza hostage-release deal.

Talking to a Washington think tank Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani said that he hoped US retaliation would not undercut progress toward a new hostage release deal in talks last weekend.

He warned that potential US retaliation "will definitely have an impact on regional security," but said that "we hope things get contained."

The United States has vowed to take "all necessary actions" to defend American forces after a drone attack killed three US troops in Jordan.

On Monday (Jan 29th) Lloyd Austin, the United States Secretary of Defence speaking at the Pentagon on Monday said: "The president and I will not tolerate attacks on US forces and we will take all necessary actions to defend the US and our troops."

Previously, US President Joe Biden had ordered retaliatory attacks on Iran-backed groups. However, so far, he has stopped short of ordering direct hits on Iran.

"Have no doubt - we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing," said the US President on Sunday.