
Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said that “rebuilding Gaza could take 10 to 15 years”. Meanwhile, the US Air Force carried out an airstrike on a car in the Idlib region of northern Syria. Israel has received its first batch of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers after their delivery was delayed by several months by the previous US administration.
US Deputy Middle East Envoy Morgan Ortagus began her first visit to Lebanon yesterday with a meeting with the head of the ceasefire monitoring committee, US General Jasper Jeffers, at the US Embassy. A new date for the committee meeting has not yet been announced, as it has been suspended for about two weeks.
There were also no indications of guarantees that Israeli forces would be forced to withdraw by February 18 and that they would be forced to stop their continued attacks. President Aoun discussed developments in the south with acting army commander General Hassan Odeh and intelligence director General Tony Kahwaj.
According to initial reports, and as expected, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz decided to appoint Defense Ministry Director General, Reservist General Eyal Zamir, as Chief of Staff, replacing Herzi Halevi. i24NEWS Channel: “Today, Friday, the Israeli Public Prosecutor filed an indictment in the Central Court in Haifa against reservists Yuri Eliasbub and Georgi Andreev, on charges that include espionage for Iran, aiding the enemy in wartime, leaking information to the enemy, communicating with a foreign agent and other charges (each depending on his role in the case) – According to the indictment, one of the defendants leaked top-secret military information related to the Iron Dome system.”
Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s former Minister of Public Security, said that one of the Palestinian prisoners released in today’s exchange had previously attempted to assassinate him. He described the prisoner’s release as a symbol of Israel’s defeat and surrender to Hamas.
The tense prisoner swap will continue today. Israel Army Radio: “The three prisoners to be released by Hamas on Saturday are alive.” Among them is said to be an American and the Israeli-Russian girl, kidnapped in Iraq.
Journalist Amit Sehgal reports that the Israeli army has expanded the area of the cargo terminal at the Erez crossing to allow more goods carrying humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip. Many social media channels have highlighted the fact that Hamas had “Tavor” rifles belonging to the elite of the Israeli army when it released the prisoners.
President Donald Trump insists that Egypt and Jordan will welcome the displaced from Gaza, rejecting their refusals: “They will… We do a lot for them and they will.” And still on the subject of Egypt, Lebanese President Aoun in front of the Egyptian Foreign Minister: Lebanon is committed to the Israeli withdrawal of February 18 and refuses to procrastinate under any pretext and demands the return of Lebanese prisoners.
Egypt opened the Rafah crossing on January 31 to allow the sick and wounded to enter from the Gaza Strip. Egyptian ambulances line up in front of the Rafah crossing in preparation for the transport of the sick and wounded from Gaza. The crossing on the Palestinian side will be managed by the Palestinian Authority.
Abu Obeida announces the killing of the Chief of Staff of the Qassam Brigades, Muhammad al-Deif, and some commanders: Marwan Issa (Deputy Chief of Staff of the Qassam Brigades), Ghazi Abu Tama’a (Commander of the Section Arms and Combat Services), Raed Thabet (Commander of the Human Resources Section), Rafeh Salama (Commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade) two other members of his military council.
And now a look at the military situations updated as of 15:30 on January 31.
The IDF says it attacked border crossings with Syria, weapons facilities and underground production sites. An unofficial road between Lebanon and Syria was also attacked. This road is located in Wadi Khaled and other Sunni towns and is not used by Hezbollah. It is used by locals to smuggle fuel and Lebanese goods into Syria.
Israeli warplanes, on the morning of the 31st, cut off the main road connecting Syria to Lebanon, which connects the Lebanese town of Tufail to the Syrian city of Assal al-Ward in western Qalamoun. The strike created a seven-meter deep hole and cut off the main road, damaged power poles and severed power lines between Syria and Lebanon.
At least 200 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon since the ceasefire began, according to Lebanese sources. The IDF attacked several locations in the Janta and Beqaa area on the 30th evening, targeting locations that posed a threat to the Israeli home front that are approximately 200+ km away. Two people were killed and 10 were wounded.
An IDF drone attacked engineering vehicles in the destroyed town of Taybeh while the civil defense was digging for remains of those killed in the airstrikes. Other airstrikes were reported in the Bekaa Valley in northeastern Lebanon. The IDF burned new civilian homes in Aita al-Shaab and Kfarkila among other towns.
In the West Bank, clashes continue in the city of Tulkarem for the fifth consecutive day, and the 11th consecutive day of clashes in Jenin. Direct clashes have been reported between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters from the Tulkarm Battalion of the Saraya Al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad). Explosions have been reported in the Tulkarem refugee camp, likely due to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) detonated by Palestinian fighters.
According to Palestinian sources: “The shelling, burning of houses and demolition of infrastructure continues in the Jenin camp, and the scale of the destruction is unprecedented. Continuous reinforcements to the camp. All the sounds of explosions that are heard are caused by the shelling and explosions of houses in the camp. The situation is very difficult and tragic and there are still no signs of retreat.”
The Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Battalion reported: “Our fighters from the Al-Yamoun Company managed, at dawn on January 31, to confront Israeli forces and military vehicles surrounding a house in the city, causing confirmed injuries and detonating a number of pre-prepared explosive devices in military vehicles.” There are reports of injuries among 10 soldiers involved. The clash lasted 10 hours.
Israeli special forces in the city of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, arrested people before retreating. They blew up a car.
The IDF said in a statement: “We have killed more than 60 militants in 500 attacks carried out in Jenin and Tulkarem since the beginning of our military operation.”
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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