Manal al-Qouqa, a displaced mother in Gaza said the “so-called peace council they talk about does not exist in reality”. “Every time they announce something regarding the Palestinian people, our suffering only increases,” she said. “What peace are they talking about, when on the ground there is neither peace nor security? We are living a real tragedy. I wish it were like the 1948 Nakba that we once lived through – this is a new, modern Nakba, advanced in every aspect of life. There are no basic necessities for living.” Suhail al-Hanawi, another displaced Palestinian said Netanyahu and Trump, both part of the board, “are the ones behind wars worldwide”. “Regarding the Board of Peace and us, the displaced in the camp, there’s nothing tangible that makes us feel that anything will actually be fixed or that our suffering will be eased.”
Here’s what happened today
We will be closing this live page shortly, but before we do, here’s a recap of the day’s major developments:
- Medical sources at al-Shifa Hospital say at least four people have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza.
- The Palestinian Civil Defence has reported the death of an infant from hypothermia in the central Gaza Strip during an ongoing cold snap.
- President Trump has unveiled what he calls the “Board of Peace”, which is being billed as an international conflict-resolution body and offers permanent membership for a fee of $1bn.
- According to Trump’s son-in-law Kushner, the Board of Peace’s development plans in Gaza include working with Hamas on demilitarisation, shifting Gaza’s dependence on foreign aid and dividing Gaza into “residential” and “coastal tourism mixed” zones.
- The Palestinian Health Ministry says 11 bodies and seven wounded people were brought to hospitals across the enclave in the past 48 hours.
- The Israeli military has arrested at least six Palestinians overnight after raiding towns in Jericho, Bethlehem and Tubas governorates of the occupied West Bank.
Families in Gaza struggle to survive as they burn plastic for heat and cooking
For Sanaa Salah, who lives in a tent with her husband and six kids, starting a fire is a critical daily chore to cook and stay warm. Her family has barely enough clothes to keep warm. She said the family cannot afford to buy firewood or gas, and that they are aware of the dangers of burning plastic but have no other choice. “Life is very hard,” she said as her family members threw plastic and paper into a fire to keep it burning. “We cannot even have a cup of tea. “This is our life. We do not sleep at night due to the cold.” Another Gaza resident, Aziz Akel, said firewood was too expensive. His family has no income, and they could not pay the seven or eight shekels (about $2.5) it would cost. “My house is gone, and my kids were wounded,” he said. His daughter, Lina Akel, said he leaves the family’s tent early each morning to look for plastic in the rubbish to burn.
UN remains sole global body with universal membership: Spokesperson
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief, has said that the UN remains the “only international organisation with universal membership”. “We’ve obviously saw … the announcements made in Davos yesterday and again today,” he added. “Secretary-general’s work continues with determination to implement the mandates given to us all, underpinned by international law, by the charter of the UN, I mean, our work.”