Updates: Hamas-Israel ceasefire holds

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has urged the United Nations Security Council to take urgent steps to uphold international law, ensure accountability and advance Palestine’s admission as a full UN member, citing continued Israeli violations despite the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Delivering the statement on behalf of the OIC, Türkiye’s UN envoy Ahmet Yildiz described the October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as “a critical turning point” but warned that its implementation remains fragile, according to Turkish media.

He noted that while the truce has reduced large-scale violence and improved humanitarian access, recurrent Israeli attacks and restrictions continue to obstruct aid delivery and undermine progress.

Yildiz welcomed international efforts to sustain the ceasefire, including those led by US President Donald Trump, but stressed that Israel’s actions against Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem threaten the agreement’s credibility. 

He reiterated the OIC’s call for swift Security Council action on Palestine’s full UN membership, describing it as essential for lasting peace and the integrity of the multilateral system.

The OIC also expressed support for political developments linked to the ceasefire, including the formation of a Palestinian committee to administer Gaza as a transitional body.

Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad expressed deep concern over Israel's repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, highlighting unacceptable levels of deaths, forced displacement, and destruction in the region.

Addressing the UN Security Council's Open Debate on the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, he condemned the Israeli attacks on UN installations, including Unrwa facilities.

Referring to UN Security Council Resolution 2803, Iftikhar stressed that the Gaza peace plan's implementation is essential to consolidate a permanent ceasefire, facilitate humanitarian aid, enable reconstruction, and support the political process for Palestinian self-determination and statehood.

He further reiterated that a sovereign Palestinian state should be established on pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

The envoy called on Israel to immediately halt all illegal actions in Syria and Lebanon, urging the international community to support peace and stability in the region.

Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda announced that her TikTok account, which had amassed 1.4 million followers over four years, has been permanently deleted by the social media giant.

Taking to social media, Owda expressed disappointment over the move, saying she had anticipated a temporary restriction but not a full ban, particularly in light of recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the platform.

Reports indicate that TikTok’s updated policy now classifies the term “Zionist” as a protected attribute when used in a derogatory context, treating such violations as hate speech.

Despite the account removal, Owda vowed to continue her work, emphasising that her message will reach audiences through alternative platforms. She stated that “truth cannot be hidden” and pledged to rebuild her digital presence elsewhere.

Palestinian group Hamas has welcomed the condemnation issued by nine European countries, along with Canada and Japan, against what they described as arbitrary measures taken by Israeli authorities targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), reported the Quds News Network. 

The criticism follows Israel’s demolition of UNRWA’s headquarters in East Jerusalem.

In a statement shared on social media, Hamas said the international stance underscores growing concern over attempts to undermine the agency’s humanitarian role.

The group further called for safeguarding UNRWA’s operations to ensure that agency continue delivery of aid to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Eleven countries have condemned Israel’s demolition of the East Jerusalem headquarters of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), saying it “marks the latest unacceptable move by the occupation forces to undermine” the UN agency’s work, reported Al Jazeera.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom slammed the demolition as an “unprecedented act” against a UN agency.

“We call upon the government of Israel, a member of the United Nations, to halt all demolitions,” they said.

Israel has carried out an intensified pressure campaign against UNRWA, which provides aid and services to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, amid the country’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Without concrete evidence, the Israeli government and its allies, including the United States, have accused UNRWA of being linked to Hamas – a claim rejected by the UN.

Israel has used those allegations to try to restrict UNRWA’s ability to operate in Gaza, despite humanitarian leaders noting that the agency is best equipped to distribute food, water, medicine and other critical humanitarian aid in the war-ravaged enclave.

The demilitarisation of Gaza will include decommissioning weapons through an agreed process "supported by an internationally funded buyback" programme, the United States told the UN Security Council.

Palestinian group Hamas retains control of just under half of Gaza following an October ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump. The agreement ties further Israeli troop withdrawals to Hamas giving up its weapons.

The United States - along with the 26 countries who have so far joined Trump's so-called Board of Peace and in consultation with the Palestinian National Committee that it oversees - will apply pressure on Hamas to disarm, according to the US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz.

"Hamas must not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly or indirectly, in any form, period," he told the 15-member council. "All military terror and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt.

"International, independent monitors will supervise a process of demilitarisation of Gaza to include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning and supported by an internationally funded buyback and reintegration programme," he added.

Hamas on Wednesday said it was ready to transfer the governance of Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic committee, while insisting the key Rafah border crossing be fully reopened within days.

"Protocols are prepared, files are complete, and committees are in place to oversee the handover, ensuring a complete transfer of governance in the Gaza Strip across all sectors to the technocratic committee," Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP.

Qassem added that the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt "must be opened in both directions, with full freedom of exit and entry to the Gaza Strip, without any Israeli obstacles".

The UN has warned of dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying that children are among "worst affected" from shelter, food, water, and medicine shortages, reported Al Jazeera.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, while briefing the reporters in New York, said that despite a modest increase in aid deliveries, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian families continue to face urgent needs.

With daily bread rations reaching 43% of Gaza's population, the monthly wheat flour distribution has also reached 1.2 million people.

However, over one million people still need urgent shelter support during the winter cold and rain, added Dujarric.

Israel has cleared land in southern Gaza for the construction of a camp for Palestinians, potentially equipped with surveillance and facial recognition technology at its entrance, a retired Israeli general who advises the military said on Tuesday.

Retired reservist Brigadier-General Amir Avivi told Reuters in an interview that the camp would be built in an area of Rafah cleared of tunnels built by Hamas, with entry and exit tracked by Israeli personnel.

Avivi isthe  founder of the influential Israel Defense and Security Forum, a group representing thousands of Israeli military reservists. He does not speak on behalf of Israel's military, which declined to comment. The Israeli prime minister's office did not immediately provide a comment on any plans to build a camp in Rafah.

Avivi said the camp would be used to house Palestinians who wish to leave Gaza and cross into Egypt, as well as those who wish to stay.