• It is the 107th day of the war: over 25 thousand Palestinians dead, according to Hamas. 70% of the victims, according to the UN, are women or children (data from 18 January). According to an estimate by US intelligence agencies, the Israeli security forces (IDF) have killed only 20-30% of Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip (data from 21 January). In Israel, 1,200 died in the October 7 attack.
• Israeli attack on Damascus, Tehran threatens a harsh response: what we know about the raid.
• Israel-US clash over the fate of the Strip. Netanyahu reiterates his no to the two-state solution: «I will not accept compromises. Israel will have to maintain security control over the territory west of the Jordan and this contradicts Palestinian demands for sovereignty.” Thousands in Tel Aviv against the Israeli prime minister.
• Meloni was in Istanbul for a bilateral meeting with Erdogan.
12.24pm – Israel will transfer the funds intended for the Palestinian National Authority to Norway. PNA: «Piracy»
The Israeli government has approved the plan to transfer to Norway the funds intended for the Palestinian National Authority – these are tax revenues that are collected by Israel on behalf of the PA – which had been frozen after 7 October. In turn, Oslo will transfer them to Ramallah only with the explicit green light from Israel, following a fierce internal debate and strong American pressure.
In November, the government approved a partial transfer of funds to the PA, withholding almost half of the initial amount – corresponding to the sum that the Palestinian National Authority uses to pay its employees in the Gaza Strip – with the Minister of Finance , Bezalel Smotrich, who steadfastly refused to transfer the money, convinced that it would be used by Hamas. The government’s decision follows last Thursday’s cabinet meeting on the proposal to transfer tax revenues – which are collected by Israel on behalf of the PA, through a third country, which however ended without a vote.
Washington agreed to act as guarantor of the plan. «The USA and Norway respect the decision. Therefore, the frozen funds will not be transferred to the PNA, but will remain in the hands of a third country,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement reported by the Times of Israel.
The PA, for its part, responded: “We reject any deduction from our financial rights and any conditions imposed by Israel that prevent the PA from making payments for the benefit of our people in Gaza.” The message – shared on “Israel must be forced to transfer the funds in their entirety,” added Hussein a-Sheikh.
11.58 am – Rocket warning from Gaza in an Israeli community near the Strip
The anti-rocket warning sirens from Gaza have started sounding again in the Israeli communities close to the Strip, in particular in the Kissufim area. The military spokesman made this known. It hadn’t happened since last Friday.
11.20am – What we know about the Israeli raid on Damascus
Bases, spies and remote warfare, what do we know about the latest Israeli raid on Damascus? After Iranian attacks in Iraq and Pakistan, the Mossad killed Iranian intelligence’s number two in Syria. Guido Olimpio explains: «These are limited acts of war that allow Jerusalem and Tehran to face each other “at a distance”. The two adversaries “use” other countries or sea routes (Indian Ocean, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea) as an area of conflict”. Full analysis here.
10.54 am – The US response to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea: why, according to the Washington Post, a “prolonged military campaign” is looming
The Biden Administration lays out plans for a sustained military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, which Iran has been accused of supporting for years. The Washington Post writes this, after ten days of raids which failed to stop the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea which are obstructing maritime traffic.
The Washington Post writes about high-level officials summoned to the White House on Wednesday to talk about options for the future of the Administration’s response to the Houthis. Since November, according to the newspaper, there have been more than 30 attacks against merchant ships launched by the Houthis with missiles and drones. And the “rapidly expanding” US response risks dragging Biden into another uncertain campaign in the region.
The US strategy in Yemen, as reconstructed by the US newspaper, would aim to undermine the high-level military capabilities of the Houthis. “We have clear ideas about who the Houthis are and their vision of the world – said an official – So we are not sure that they will stop immediately, but we are trying to reduce and destroy their capabilities.”
Officials cited in the article do not expect the operation to continue for years (as has happened with US interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan or Syria), but they acknowledge that it is difficult to predict its end.
10.34am – Israeli military operations in Khan Yunis
Israel continues today a vast operation in the area of Khan Yunis, the main city in the south of the Gaza Strip, where yesterday – the army reports – “several terrorists were eliminated, with the help of the air force”.
According to the military spokesperson of the Israeli armed forces, in this operation the military discovered “large quantities of weapons” stored in a Hamas facility. Furthermore, a vast network of tunnels and bunkers extending under the urban fabric of the city was discovered.
09.53 am – The victims in Gaza are more than 25 thousand
The death toll in Gaza since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas has exceeded 25,000: this was announced by the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health of the Strip. Overall, 25,105 people have been killed since October 7th. 70% of the victims, according to the UN, are women or children (data from 18 January). Furthermore, according to an estimate by US intelligence agencies, since the beginning of the conflict the Israeli security forces (IDF) have killed only 20-30% of the Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip (data from 21 January).
09.31 am – One of the leaders of Hamas, Haniyeh, met with the Turkish Foreign Minister
In the last few hours there has been a meeting between the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, and the leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, on developments in the Gaza Strip, the possibility of a ceasefire, the increase in humanitarian aid to population of the Palestinian enclave, the release of hostages held captive since the October 7 attack in Israel and the two-state solution.
The news comes from the Turkish Anadolu agency which cites diplomatic sources according to which Fidan, Ankara’s former intelligence chief, “received” Haniyeh yesterday. The agency does not specify the location of the meeting.
09.03 am – A tunnel found where some of the hostages were held
A tunnel where some of the Hamas hostages in Gaza were previously held prisoner, “in harsh and inhuman conditions”: this was discovered – according to military spokesman Daniel Hagari – by Israeli soldiers under the house of a Hamas leader Hamas in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Strip.
In the tunnel – at a depth of approximately 20 meters – a large room was found where approximately 20 hostages were held captive, some of whom were later freed. Also found were drawings made by the little girl Emilia Aloni, who was also released. To enter the structure – Hagari said – the soldiers fought and killed Hamas militiamen.
08:52 am – 195 Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the ground offensive
So far, 195 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive against Hamas. This was announced by the Israel Defense Forces.
07.21 am – According to US estimates, the Israeli army killed 20/30% of Hamas militiamen in Gaza
According to estimates by US intelligence agencies, the Israeli Security Forces (IDF) have killed only 20-30 percent of Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. According to the Wall Street Journal, the United States believes that Hamas still has enough ammunition to continue fighting Israeli forces for several months. Last week, the IDF said that more than 9,000 Hamas operatives and members of other groups deemed terrorists have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war began; the number would be added to the approximately 1,000 militiamen killed in Israel on October 7, when armed men attacked communities in the South, massacring approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 240 in Gaza.
06.25 am – Palestinian Red Crescent, 4 dead and 21 injured in Israeli attack in Jabalia
Four people were killed and 21 others injured in an Israeli shelling east of the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. She said this as reported last night by the Palestinian Red Crescent via X, formerly known as Twitter.
03.59 am – US confirms missiles based in Iraq. There are injured
Iranian-backed militants fired ballistic missiles at a base hosting US troops in Iraq, resulting in one Iraqi and possible American casualties, US Central Command confirmed. “At approximately 18:30 (Baghdad time) on January 20, multiple ballistic missiles and rockets were fired by Iranian-backed militants in western Iraq and targeted al-Assad air base. The base’s air defense systems intercepted most of the missiles, while others fell on the base. The damage is assessed. A number of US employees are being evaluated for head injuries. At least one member of the Iraqi military service was also injured”, writes the Command in a post on X.
03.35 am – Israel strikes Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon
The Israeli Security Forces (IDF) reported hitting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon today in response to attacks on northern Israel. The Times of Israel reports this, specifying that the sites hit by fighter planes in Odaisseh and Houla, in southern Lebanon, included rocket launch sites and other infrastructure used by the terrorist group, according to what was reported by the IDF.
03.18 am – Israeli missiles north of Gaza: 4 Palestinians killed, 21 wounded
A new Israeli rocket attack in northern Gaza has left four Palestinians dead east of the Jabalia refugee camp; 21 other people were injured. He reported it with a post on X the Palestinian Red Crescent also attaching a video of the rescue.
03.01 am – Guterres: no to two-state solution unacceptable
The right of the Palestinian people to build their own state “must be recognized by all”, said United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Uganda on Saturday. “The refusal to accept a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians and the denial of the right to build a state for the Palestinian people are unacceptable,” insisted the UN leader in the Ugandan capital Kampala. Such a position “would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a grave threat to global peace and security, exacerbate polarization and embolden extremists everywhere”, warned Guterres. “The right of the Palestinian people to build their own state must be recognized by all.” In the final communiqué of the summit, today the Non-Aligned Movement «strongly condemned the illegal Israeli military aggression against the Gaza Strip» and called for «a lasting humanitarian ceasefire». The leaders gathered in Kampala also called for “the independence and sovereignty of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in order to achieve a two-state solution”. The Non-Aligned Movement is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with any major power bloc. Its members include India, Iran, Iraq and South Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) has deplored the “inhuman living conditions” in the small coastal territory of 2.4 million inhabitants, many of whom have been displaced by Israeli action. On Monday, Guterres appealed for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Even the United States, Israel’s main ally and supporter in its war against Hamas, recently reiterated its support for the creation of a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his opposition to the creation of a sustainable Palestinian state, attracting criticism from his American ally.
02.44 am – Raisi: «The Damascus attack will not go unanswered»
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has promised that the attack in which five Iranian Revolutionary Guards were killed in Damascus, Syria, blamed on Israel, will not go unpunished. The local media reported it. “The Islamic Republic will not leave the crimes of the Zionist regime unanswered,” Raisi said in a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB on its website.
02.26 am – The highlights of the Israeli raid on Damascus
(Guido Olimpio) Three points on the Israeli raid on Damascus. 1) It is the third operation of this type within a month. Al Arouri was killed in Beirut, then the Iranian general Mussawi in Damascus and now the senior Pasdaran officer still in Syria. All affected during meetings or gatherings. There is a security issue for characters who know they are being targeted. 2) The attack needed preparation and intelligence, so it took time. However, it is part of the “exchange” which saw Iranian missile launches in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan. 3) They are limited acts of war that allow Jerusalem and Tehran to face each other “at a distance”.
02.14 am – The air raid death toll in Syria rises to 10
The death toll from the air attack in Damascus, Syria, attributed to Israel has risen to ten. “There are ten deaths following the Israeli attack this morning on a building in Damascus: 5 Iranians died including 3 commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, 3 Syrians contracted with the Iranian militias, two Iraqis”, according to reports the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
01.53 am – Raid in Syria, Iran accuses Israel and threatens reprisals
Iran accuses Israel of the attack on Damascus in which the intelligence chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Syria and his deputy were also killed and threatens reprisals. This was declared by Tehran’s Foreign Ministry.
The raid carried out in Syria where four members of the Iranian Pasadaran died “is a criminal and aggressive act of the Zionist regime”, said the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani. “Without a doubt, the blood of these high-ranking martyrs will not be wasted, and the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to respond to the organized terrorism of the false Zionist regime at the appropriate time and place,” he added.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson stressed that the military advisors of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who are in Syria at the official invitation of the Syrian government, have played an important role in helping the Syrian government, army and people to fight terrorism and contribute to the establishment of lasting peace, stability and security in the country in recent years. The assassination of Iranian military advisors by Israel, he argues, “clearly indicates the deep and organized link between this terrorist regime and various terrorist groups and ISIS in the region”.
01.41 am – Israel-US clash over the fate of the Strip: “No to two states”
(by Davide Frattini, correspondent from Jerusalem) Forty minutes of talking to each other, yet it doesn’t seem to be the same phone call on both sides of the ocean. Bibi – as the American president has always called him with affection, we’ll see after these weeks – took just a few hours to deny Joe Biden, to downplay his belief “that yes, the birth of a Palestinian state is not impossible”. » even if Netanyahu remains in power. The prime minister’s response is dry: «I will not accept compromises. Israel will have to maintain security control over the territory west of the Jordan and this contradicts Palestinian demands for sovereignty.” In fact it includes the West Bank and Gaza. Bezalel Smotrich — the Finance Minister and leader of the messianic far right — is even more hostile towards the president who supported Israel unconditionally after the massacres carried out by Hamas on October 7: «The Americans must wake up. There is a broad consensus in the country against the Palestinian state.”
01.35 am – Disagreement on Gaza, agreement on Libya and weapons. The one-hour meeting between Meloni and Erdogan
(Marco Galluzzo, our correspondent in Istanbul) Diplomats define them as meetings based on frankness. Before last night Recep Erdogan and Giorgia Meloni had had five bilateral meetings, on the sidelines of as many international summits, in which they met, “smelled” each other, said with great transparency everything negative they had to say about the of each other, and in the end this frankness resulted in a relationship of respect and in some way even friendship.
01.04 am – The families of the hostages camped in front of Netanyahu’s house
The families of the hostages who still remain in the hands of Hamas have camped outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s holiday home, in the city of Caesarea, where he usually spends his weekends: they want an agreement to free them immediately.
“The families are fed up, we ask for an agreement immediately”, reads a note from the Forum. Dozens of people, including many relatives and friends of the hostages, began the mobilization last night, setting up tents right in front of Netanyahu’s residence: they spent the night there and continue the protest today, Saturday.
They have made it known that they will remain in front of Netanyahu’s residence until the prime minister comes out to listen to them “and undertakes to conduct an international summit with the participation of all the countries involved in the crisis, until this is resolved and all the hostages are free yourself.”
00.43 am – Admiral Cavo Dragone in Israel in the next few days
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chief of Defense Staff, will be in Israel in the next few days to meet the Minister of Defense and the Israeli Chief of Defense Staff together with some counterparts from allied countries. The purpose of the visit was to “gain greater awareness of the situation in the Gaza Strip and on the northern border between Israel and Lebanon”. The visit is part of a series of initiatives implemented by Italy to promote a progressive easing of the current crisis and prevent its further widening. The Italian Defense, in fact, is present in southern Lebanon with around a thousand men operating as part of the Unifil mission, to guarantee the security and stability of the area.
00:32 – Netanyahu against Biden on Palestinian sovereignty in Gaza
“Israel must maintain full control of the security of the Strip to ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel, and this conflicts with the Palestinian demand for sovereignty.”
This – according to Netanyahu’s office – is the position reiterated by Benjamin Netanyahu in yesterday’s conversation with Joe Biden.
Netanyahu – added the office, referring to reports that Netanyahu did not oppose the two-state solution – “repeated his consistent position for years”, also announced at a press conference the day before the meeting with Biden.
2024-01-21 11:30:47
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