Morning update

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest updates from Israel's war on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank:

•  Gaza’s Civil Defence said two people were killed early Friday after a large wall collapsed onto the tents of displaced families in western Gaza City, as a cold weather storm battered the enclave. The storm has piled yet more pressure on Palestinians already struggling to survive in makeshift shelters.

• UN chief Antonio Guterres said that 2025 saw the biggest surge in Israeli settlement expansion on record, condemning escalating settler violence and reiterating that all settlements are illegal. He warned saying that Gaza is in a catastrophic state, with airstrikes still killing civilians and more than 80% of buildings destroyed or severely damaged.

• US President Donald Trump said Washington is “deeply involved” in the situation in Gaza, claiming the United States now has “real peace in the Middle East” backed by 59 countries.

• Netanyahu held on Thursday a “tense” security cabinet meeting in occupied Jerusalem under mounting US pressure to lead Gaza’s reconstruction and cover costs reportedly running into billions, as Arab states refuse to fund the effort

• Jordan and the UAE called Thursday for full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire, stressing the need to honour all its provisions. The push came during talks in Abu Dhabi between Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed, which also focused on strengthening bilateral ties and regional developments.