We speak with Palestinian writer and analyst Muhammad Shehada about the ceasefire in Gaza, which has allowed half a million displaced people to return to what’s left of their homes in the north of the territory, as Israel’s ban on UNRWA goes into effect. Hamas militants released another three Israeli captives Thursday, as well as five Thai nationals, all of whom were taken to Gaza during the October 7, 2023, attack. In exchange, Israel will release another 110 imprisoned Palestinians, including 30 children. But while the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire continues to hold, Israeli forces are ramping up attacks on the occupied West Bank, particularly in the Jenin refugee camp. “Israel is trying to turn [Jenin] into a clone of Gaza — ethnic cleansing, pushing people out and destroying homes systematically, one after the other. All of it is to explode the West Bank, to use it as a pretext for a major war to push Palestinians out,” says Shehada.
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