UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon's decision to reject a request by the families of Palestinian Prisoners being held in Israeli prisons to meet with them during a recent visit to the Gaza Strip has caused widespread anger. The families of the prisoners in turn expressed strong objection to Mr Moon visit accusing him of double standards, disparity and indifference in dealing with the issue of Palestinian prisoners.
 
The Centre for Human Rights convened a press conference in response to Mr Ki-Moon's visit attended by a number of Palestinian lawyers, MP's and independent parliamentarians and during which the Centre Director, Raji Sourani, stated that human rights institutions had sent Mr Moon a written letter in response to his decision.

Hamas has denounced the treatment Palestinian refugees in Iraq and pleaded for an end to the "killing, torture, displacement and arrests in Baghdad". The Islamic Resistance Movement said that it holds the Iraqi authorities responsible for protecting Palestinian refugees in the country and exposing the groups behind the crimes.

In a press release, the Hamas Refugees' Department said that it has been following the status of Palestinian refugees in Iraq closely, especially their treatment since the US-led invasion in 2003. "Palestinian refugees have been subjected to all kinds of torture and brutality," a spokesman said. "They have even been forced to write false confessions, so as to mobilise public opinion against themselves."

Cairo expressed anger at US intervention in its internal affairs and threats to cut US aid to Egypt in response to the Egyptian-imposed travel ban of 6 American activists accused in the case of foreign funding of civil society organizations.
 
The People's Assembly Speaker Saad El Katatny criticized the US ambassador's intervention in the investigations of the Ministry of Justice as she sent a message to the minister on Tuesday, January 31 demanding the release of the accused Americans, and the Americans taking shelter at the US embassy in Cairo, and requesting that they be allowed to leave Egypt. Katatni said that what the US ambassador did is considered intervention in Egyptian internal affairs and is unacceptable. Egypt's Justice Minister Adel Abdel Hameed announced that the US embassy in Cairo has made an official apology, through the US State Department, for intervening in the foreign funding investigations.

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A cold air current has descended over Gaza and other parts of Palestine for more than two weeks now accompanied by rainy downpours.

The extreme cold weather has resulted in occasional power cuts which have forced Palestinians to resort to using electricity generators and an increased consumption of fuel. It has also led to the death of domestic birds, including chickens, on numerous farms resulting in a hike in prices and the diminished purchasing power of the average Palestinian. This comes at a time when the general standard of living among Palestinians has fallen and constitutes an additional burden to the poorer families.