Palestinians return to northern Gaza after Israeli withdrawal from corridor
Israeli forces have withdrawn from a military zone cutting off northern Gaza from the rest of the territory, allowing hundreds of Palestinians to return home. The Netzarim Corridor had effectively cut the Gaza strip in two, trapping hundreds of thousands of people in the south. Meanwhile, Israeli negotiators have returned to Qatar to continue talks on the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. We speak to our correspondent in the region as well as an analyst on Middle Eastern conflict resolution.
Also on the programme: An expert on human trafficking in Libya takes us through the motivations of smugglers, after the bodies of more than 50 migrants were found in a mass grave in the south-east of the country; and Donald Trump expected to make history as the first sitting US president to attend the Super Bowl.
(Picture: Palestinians travel from the southern Gaza Strip towards the north following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Netzarim Corridor, central Gaza Strip Credit: Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
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Israeli forces withdraw from Netzarim Corridor in Gaza
Israeli forces withdraw from a corridor bisecting the Gaza Strip - will they now commit to pulling out of Gaza entirely? We hear from an Israeli government minister. Also in the programme: President Trump accuses South Africa of seeking to seize white-owned land with a new law - we ask the minister responsible if that's true; and the joys of going to a concert in the dark.(IMAGE: Palestinians wait to cross through a checkpoint run by U.S. and Egyptian security contractors after Israeli forces withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor, allowing people to travel in both directions between southern and northern Gaza, February 9, 2025 / CREDIT: Reuters / Dawoud Abu Alkas)
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Red Cross urging hostages to be freed in private
The Red Cross says it's uncomfortable with the way the exchange of hostages for prisoners under the Gaza deal is handled. It's urged both sides to conduct future exchanges in a private and dignified way.Also in the programme: Why Baltic nations are only now joining the European energy grid – we hear from Latvia’s energy minister; and a Spanish member of the European Parliament tells us why the new Patriots Group of radical parties of the right believe they can change Europe.(Photo: Hamas fighters escort Ohad Ben-Ami, one of the three Israeli hostages released today, onto the stage before handing them over to the Red Cross. Credit: Haitham Imad / Shutterstock)
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Three more Israeli hostages released in Gaza
Three more Israeli hostages are released in Gaza: we hear from the brother-in-law of one of the hostages and about the medical challenges that lie ahead.Also in the programme: African leaders call for an immediate ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and as the Trump administration slashes the 'indirect' element of all National Institute of Health grants, how will this affect medical science in the US?(IMAGE: Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami, hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, are released by Hamas militants as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, February 8, 2025 / CREDIT: Reuters/Hatem Khaled)
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UK, Germany and France back top criminal court after Trump sanctions
Dozens of countries have expressed "unwavering support" for the International Criminal Court (ICC) after US President Trump imposed sanctions on its staff. We'll hear from a leading French politician.Also, meeting violence with violence - critics say that the crackdown on crime by Ecuador's president has eroded human rights, but the security forces defend the approach. Plus, the similarity between whales' song and human speech astonishes scientists.(Photo: The International Criminal Court building is seen in The Hague, Netherlands. Credit: Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters)
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