GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The death toll from suspected gangsters’ attacks on Guatemalan police rose to nine Monday, as Guatemalans awoke to heavier security and curtailed rights after President Bernardo Arévalo declared a state of emergency.
The violence started Saturday when inmates seized control of three prisons in apparently coordinated riots, taking 43 guards hostage. The gangs were demanding privileges for their members and leaders, according to authorities. Shortly after police liberated one prison Sunday morning, suspected gang members attacked police across the capital.
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Security forces enter the Preventivo Zona 18 prison to free guards taken hostage and retake control of the facility in Guatemala City, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Emmanuel Andres)
The wake for police officers killed while retaking control of three prisons is held at the Interior Ministry in Guatemala City, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
The wake for police officers killed while retaking control of three prisons is held at the Interior Ministry in Guatemala City, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
The wake for police officers killed while retaking control of three prisons is held at the Interior Ministry in Guatemala City, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Inmates stand atop a guard tower at the Renovation maximum-security prison before security forces entered the facility to free guards taken hostage in Escuintla, Guatemala, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
A medic checks on freed prison guards outside the Renovation maximum-security prison after security forces entered the facility to retake control in Escuintla, Guatemala, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Security forces enter the Renovation maximum-security prison to free guards taken hostage and retake control of the facility, which houses gang leaders, in Escuintla, Guatemala, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
A soldier takes position in an armored vehicle outside the Preventivo Zona 18 prison during an operation to free guards taken hostage and retake control of the facility in Guatemala City, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Emmanuel Andres)
Forensic investigators place evidence markers at the scene where police officers were killed in attacks reported after security forces retook control of a prison that houses gang leaders, in Villanueva, outskirts of Guatemala City, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
On Monday, National Civil Police Director David Custodio Boteo said that a ninth police officer had died early Monday from his injuries, adding that “there are several wounded who are in critical condition ... Some also suffered amputations.”
Police honored the fallen officers in a ceremony Monday, where flag-draped coffins sat in the Interior Ministry.
“Today it pains me to give each one of the families this flag, symbol of the nation that will not forget the sacrifice and commitment of their police fallen in the fulfillment of their duty,” Arévalo said Monday.
Meanwhile, the government gazette published Monday Arévalo’s declaration of a 30-day state of emergency, saying there were “coordinated actions by self-named maras or gangs against state security forces, including armed attacks against civilian authorities.”
Among the rights that the declaration limits are freedom of action, demonstrations and carrying weapons. It also allows police to arrest people without providing a just cause and security forces could also prohibit the movement of vehicles in certain places or subject them to searches.
The state of emergency requires congressional approval and lawmakers were expected to vote Monday. However, it went into effect Sunday.
Traffic in the capital Monday appeared lighter than usual.
“This situation is a shame. It affects people psychologically: they don't want to go out,” said Óscar López, a 68-year-old radio technician who had a doctor's appointment. “I agree with the president imposing the state of emergency because it doesn't stop the violence, but it relaxes people.”
Ileana Melgar, 64, said she was afraid of missing her appointment to renew her identification Monday. “But I was afraid to go out, I called my friend to go with me. You don't know if they will also stop (public) transportation and we can't get back home.”
The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala had instructed U.S. government personnel to shelter in place Sunday. That was lifted later in the day, but they were “advised to maintain a high level of caution when traveling.”
In October, the Congress reformed laws to declare members of the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha gangs terrorists. The changes lengthened prison sentences for gang members who commit crimes.
The United States government also declared those gangs foreign terrorist organizations last year.
As a safety precaution, school was suspended nationwide Monday.
Security forces enter the Preventivo Zona 18 prison to free guards taken hostage and retake control of the facility in Guatemala City, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Emmanuel Andres)
The wake for police officers killed while retaking control of three prisons is held at the Interior Ministry in Guatemala City, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
The wake for police officers killed while retaking control of three prisons is held at the Interior Ministry in Guatemala City, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
The wake for police officers killed while retaking control of three prisons is held at the Interior Ministry in Guatemala City, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Inmates stand atop a guard tower at the Renovation maximum-security prison before security forces entered the facility to free guards taken hostage in Escuintla, Guatemala, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
A medic checks on freed prison guards outside the Renovation maximum-security prison after security forces entered the facility to retake control in Escuintla, Guatemala, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Security forces enter the Renovation maximum-security prison to free guards taken hostage and retake control of the facility, which houses gang leaders, in Escuintla, Guatemala, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
A soldier takes position in an armored vehicle outside the Preventivo Zona 18 prison during an operation to free guards taken hostage and retake control of the facility in Guatemala City, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Emmanuel Andres)
Forensic investigators place evidence markers at the scene where police officers were killed in attacks reported after security forces retook control of a prison that houses gang leaders, in Villanueva, outskirts of Guatemala City, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
The European Union's executive arm, Russia, Belarus and Thailand on Monday were the latest to be asked to join U.S. President Donald Trump's new Board of Peace that will supervise the next phase of the Gaza peace plan, while France is holding off accepting for now.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin received the invitation and that the Kremlin is now "studying the details" and would seek clarity of “all the nuances” in contacts with the U.S.
It’s unclear how many leaders have been invited to join the board. But a Trump reference in the invitation letters that the body would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict” suggested it could act as a rival to the U.N. Security Council, the most powerful body of the global organization created in the wake of World War II.
France does not plan to join the Board of Peace “at this stage” despite receiving an invitation, a French official close to President Emmanuel Macron said Monday. The issue is raising questions, particularly with regard to respect for the principles and structure of the United Nations, said the official, speaking anonymously in line with the French presidency’s customary practices.
A top Israeli official said the initiative is “bad for Israel” and should be scrapped.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has been invited and is ready to take part, according to the country’s Foreign Ministry. The Thai Foreign Ministry said it was also invited and that it was reviewing the details.
European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill confirmed that Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the commission, received an invitation and would be speaking to other EU leaders about Gaza. Gill didn't say whether the invitation had been accepted, but that the commission wants "to contribute to a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict.”
According to the World Bank’s Gaza and West Bank Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (IRDNA) report released last year, it’ll take $53 billion to rebuild the strip.
Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday dismissed the Board of Peace as a raw deal for Israel and called for its dissolution.
“It is time to explain to the president that his plan is bad for the State of Israel and to cancel it," Smotrich said. "Gaza is ours, its future will affect our future more than anyone else’s. We will take responsibility for what happens there, impose military administration, and complete the mission.”
Smotrich, a hard-liner who opposed the Gaza ceasefire, even suggested that Israel renew a full-scale offensive on the territory to destroy Hamas if it doesn't abide by a “short ultimatum for real disarmament and exile.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said later on Monday that while there are differences with the U.S. about the composition of the advisory committee accompanying the next phase in Gaza, it would not harm his relationship with Trump.
“There will not be Turkish soldiers and Qatari soldiers in the (Gaza) Strip,” he said.
Netanyahu's office earlier said the formation of an executive board that will work to carry out the vision of the Board of Peace wasn’t coordinated with the Israeli government and “is contrary to its policy” without clarifying its objections. Israel hasn’t been invited to join the committee, unlike Turkey, a key regional rival.
The U.S. is expected to announce its official list of members in the coming days, likely during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
Board members will oversee an executive committee that will be in charge of implementing the tough second phase of the Gaza peace plan that includes the deployment of an international security force, disarmament of Hamas and reconstruction of the war-devastated territory.
A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership on the board, with the money going to rebuild Gaza, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity about the charter as he wasn’t permitted to speak publicly about details of the board, which hasn't been made public. A three-year appointment has no contribution requirement.
Details of how this will also work remain murky. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday the United Kingdom is talking to allies about the Board of Peace. Although the U.K. hasn't said whether Starmer has been formally invited to join, he said it's necessary to proceed with the Gaza peace plan's second phase and that his country has "indicated willingness to play our part, and we will.”
Egypt’s top diplomat on Monday met with the leader of the newly appointed committee of Palestinian technocrats who will be running Gaza’s day-to-day affairs during the second phase of the peace plan.
Foreign Minister Bader Abdelatty met with Ali Shaath, a Palestinian engineer and former official with the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, who was named last week as chief commissioner of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
Abdelatty expressed the Egyptian government’s “complete support” of the committee and affirmed its role in running Gaza’s daily affairs until the Palestinian Authority takes over the territory, said a statement from the Egyptian ministry.
He also underscored “the importance of preserving the unity of the Palestinian territories, ensuring geographical and administrative continuity between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.”
The U.N. World Food Program on Monday said it has “significantly expanded” its operations across Gaza 100 days into the ceasefire, reaching more than a million people each month with hot meals and food parcels. But it warned the situation remains “extremely fragile.”
It noted that malnutrition has been prevented for 200,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as children under 5.
Still, the most recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis in December indicated that 77% the population is facing crisis-level food insecurity.
Israeli military and security forces launched what they called a large-scale counterterrorism operation in the West Bank city of Hebron to dismantle “terrorist infrastructure, eliminating illegal weapons possession and strengthening security."
The Israeli military said Monday the operation is expected to continue for several days. Israeli armored vehicles and soldiers patrolled city streets and put up barriers where operations were being conducted.
Hebron Mayor Khaled Dudin said Israeli forces targeted the area that's home to 80,000 people because it obstructs the construction of additional Israeli settlements.
The West Bank has seen a surge in Israeli military activity since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack into Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.
Israeli forces on Monday killed three Palestinians, including a teenager, in southern Gaza, hospital authorities said.
Two men crossed into Israeli-controlled areas east of Khan Younis before being shot dead, while 17-year-old Hussein Tawfiq Abu Sabalah was shot and killed in the Muwasi area of Rafah, according to the Nasser hospital. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the teen had crossed into or came close to the Israeli-controlled area.
More than 460 people were killed by Israeli fire and their bodies brought to hospitals since the ceasefire went into effect just over three months ago, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts
Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Grant Peck in Bangkok, Thailand contributed to this report.
Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Palestinians speak with an Israeli soldier during an army raid in the West Bank city of Hebron Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Ali Shaath, head of Palestinian National committee for administering the Gaza Strip, left, meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, at the foreign ministry headquarters in Egypt's New Administrative Capital, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Khaled Elfiqi)
Israeli soldiers take up positions during an army raid in the West Bank city of Hebron Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Israeli soldiers take up positions during an army raid in the West Bank city of Hebron Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Israeli soldiers take up positions during an army raid in the West Bank city of Hebron Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
