Middle East: Palestinians begin returning to northern Gaza

The European Union will restart a civilian mission to monitor the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, its foreign policy chief said on Monday.

The European Union Border Assistance Mission to Rafah (EUBAM) was announced in 2005 but suspended in June 2007 as a result of Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip.

"Everyone agrees that EUBAM Rafah can play a decisive role in supporting the ceasefire," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on social media.

"Today, EU foreign ministers agreed to redeploy it to the Rafah Crossing Point between Gaza and Egypt. This will allow a number of injured individuals to leave Gaza and receive medical care."

Kallas was speaking after EU foreign ministers gathered in Brussels on Monday to discuss the future of the mission, among other topics on the agenda.

Italy, Spain and France said they would send personnel to form a police security detachment to help protect the mission. 

"The primary objective is to coordinate and facilitate the daily transit of up to 300 wounded and sick, ensuring assistance and protection to vulnerable people in a context of humanitarian emergency," the Italian government said in a statement.

The Rafah crossing is the main southern entry point into Gaza from Egypt. It was closed in May after the Israeli military seized the area and closed the Gaza side. 

Israel said on Monday that a Hamas list shows that eight of the hostages due to be released under the ceasefire agreement are dead.

"The families have been informed of the situation of their relatives," Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer told reporters.

Israel said that the next release of hostages is due to take place on Thursday and again on Saturday.

Three Israeli civilians and four soldiers have been released so far as part of the latest ceasefire deal.

"Some of them told us that they've been in the past few months, that they've been through the entire time, in tunnels, underground," said the deputy chief of the Israeli military's medical corps, Colonel Dr Avi Banov.

Some 90 hostages are believed to still be in captivity in Gaza. Israeli authorities previously estimated that roughly a third of them were dead.

Israel has begun allowing Palestinians displaced by over a year of fighting to return to the heavily devastated region of northern Gaza, in accordance with the ceasefire terms, for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas.

"The passage of displaced Palestinians has begun along the Al-Rashid Road via the western part of the Netzarim checkpoint towards Gaza City and the northern part" of the Gaza Strip, an official with the enclave's Interior Ministry was quoted as saying by the French AFP news agency.

Thousands of Palestinians have headed north after waiting for days to cross.

The Associated Press news agency said its reporters saw people cross via the so-called Netzarim corridor soon after 7 a.m. local time (05GMT).

The return of vast crowds of Palestinians to northern Gaza was delayed for two days, as Israel accused Hamas of changing the order of the hostages it released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an introductory phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, the US Department of Defense said in a statement.

"Both leaders discussed the importance of advancing mutual security interests and priorities, especially in the face of persistent threats," according to the statement.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu's office posted on X that Hegseth "promised that the US would stand shoulder to shoulder alongside Israel and was fully committed to its security."

Hegseth was confirmed as US Pentagon chief in a 51-50 vote in the US Senate on Friday. Hegseth, a prior Fox News host and a former officer in the US Army National Guard, faced controversy over allegations of drinking problems and domestic abuse.

Egypt has rejected any displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Cairo's response comes after US President Donald Trump on Saturday suggested a plan to "clean out" Gaza and move its population to Egypt and Jordan.

A statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Sunday expressed Cairo's "continued support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land."

It said the "temporary or long-term" transfer of Palestinians "threatens stability, risks expanding the conflict in the region and undermines prospects of peace and coexistence among its people."

Egypt rejects any violation of Palestinian rights "whether through settlement or annexation of territories."

The Arab League echoed Egypt's sentiments, warning against "attempts to uproot the Palestinian people from their land."

"The forced displacement and eviction of people from their land can only be called ethnic cleansing", the regional bloc's general secretariat said in a statement.

US officials said Sunday that a ceasefire deal between Lebanon and Israel had been extended until February 18.

"The arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States, will continue to be in effect until February 18, 2025," the White House said in a brief statement.

In response, Lebanon confirmed it will continue to adhere to the ceasefire agreement with Israel until the agreed date, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement early Monday.

Israel made clear in recent days it had no intention of meeting the original deadline to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon, saying Lebanon had not yet fully implemented conditions.

Tensions had once again been rising. On Sunday, Israeli forces killed 22 people, including six women, as they returned to their villages, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

In November, Israel and Iran-backed militia Hezbollah agreed on a 60-day ceasefire, which ended Sunday.

Hezbollah, which is also a Lebanese political party, is deemed a terror organization by the US, Germany and several Sunni Arab states. The EU lists only Hezbollah's armed wing as a terror group.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday confirmed that another six hostages would be released by Hamas in the coming week.

Three hostages — civilian Arbel Yehoud, who is also a German citizen, female soldier Agam Berger and another hostage — will be released on Thursday.

"Three additional hostages will be released this Saturday," Netanyahu's office said in a statement. 

In return, Israel will allow displaced Palestinians to cross into northern Gaza starting Monday.

This means that around 650,000 Palestinians in central and southern Gaza would be allowed to return to their homes in the north, which has been massively destroyed amid the Israel-Hamas war.

ess/wd (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)