The Israeli negotiating delegation extends its stay in Doha to continue negotiations. Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif Al-Qanou said that “the coming days will see the loss of a series of basic materials and food items in the Gaza Strip, which will increase the suffering of the population and aggravate its crisis. The residents of the Gaza Strip have been under a harsh siege for the second week and the occupation prevents the entry of food, medicine, fuel and basic materials to the population”.
According to Channel 12: “An American company will be responsible for bringing aid to the Gaza Strip and, if it fails in its mission, the army will do so”.
Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed: “We appreciate the efforts of the mediators, who emphasize the need for Israel to commit to the second phase of the agreement. They are committed to the agreement and its implementation and open to all issues that serve our people and their rights. We hope that the results of the negotiations in Cairo and Doha will serve the implementation of the agreement and force Israel to agree. Hamas’ constants are the need to withdraw, the ceasefire, work on reconstruction and address the effects of aggression.”
Axios reports that the mediators met with Hamas officials in Doha on Wednesday evening and presented them with Witkoff’s updated proposal. The American plan calls for extending the ceasefire for weeks in exchange for the release of five living prisoners and the bodies of others. These are prisoners with American passports.
The controversy over what happened on October 7 continues. Haaretz reports: “Israeli Chief of Staff Zamir agreed to hand over sensitive information related to October 7 mistakes to the State Comptroller,” while “Netanyahu refuses to form an official inquiry committee into the October 7 failure.”
Tensions are also renewed with Iran: the website Zaman Israel quotes Amir Bar Shalom: “Iran will not be willing to withdraw from the capabilities achieved so far, which is actually a fundamental request of the United States, in coordination with “Israel”.” These words were echoed by those from Iran by the Commander of the Army Ground Forces who said: “we are ready to respond to any threat and any enemy who thinks of attacking our country will regret it.”
Same wavelength with Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “We will not give up control of 5 sites on Lebanese territory. Our offensive policy is not limited to Syria, but also extends to Lebanon. Last week we killed 5 Hezbollah members for violating the ceasefire agreement, we are working to implement it vigorously”.
He also said: “Unlike Lapid, who surrendered to Hezbollah, we entered Lebanon by force, carried out Operation Pager and assassinated Nasrallah. Lapid was defeated by Hezbollah and handed over the lands to them. We maintain 5 points in Lebanon. We work to ensure the security of Israel with strength and determination.” “We have weakened Hezbollah’s capabilities and Iran is making efforts to finance the party and rebuild its strength.”
After Israeli leaks about normalization with Lebanon, a Lebanese official told Asharq Al-Awsat: “This issue is not on the table for Lebanon, and the tasks of the Five-Year Committee are security, not political, and are summarized in the implementation of Resolution 1701.” The Lebanese army said in a statement: “We received the man kidnapped by the Israeli enemy through the Military Red Cross on March 9 and transferred him to cures”. Confirming the newspaper’s statement are statements by Information Minister Paul Morcos: “The release of Lebanese prisoners was carried out through indirect negotiation and everything that is said about normalization is just journalistic chatter”.
The Council of Ministers appoints Brigadier General Rudolph Heikal as commander of the Lebanese army. The Presidency of the Republic: appoints Brigadier General Raed Abdullah as director general of the internal security forces and promotes him to the rank of major general.
According to MTV: During the cabinet session, the Armed Forces ministers called for a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council and to set a timetable for the withdrawal of Hezbollah’s weapons. This proposal was not accepted.
A Houthi source told Newsweek that serious efforts are being made to strengthen security around the organization’s leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, in light of the announcement of a renewed naval blockade of Israel.
And now a look at the military scenarios updated at 16:30 on March 13.
The Israeli Air Force has launched strikes against the new Syrian regime because it does not commit to moving at least 65 km away and disarming all of southern Syria.
Reports of IDF attacks on Islamic Jihad headquarters in Damascus, one dead. A US Navy MQ-4C Triton aircraft (169660) is active off the coast of Syria and Lebanon and has conducted extensive intelligence investigations, providing up-to-date information to the IDF. IAF fighter aircraft (Operation Shader) + KC2 refueling aircraft (ZZ331) operating in northeast Syria. Two missiles reportedly hit a building in the center of Damascus, in the Mashrou’ area, a residential area in the Dummaral project, with 8 injuries confirmed.
Israeli Defense Minister Katz confirmed that the Air Force attacked Damascus: “Wherever terrorist activity is organized against Israel, the leader of the Islamic extremist movement, Al-Jawlani, will find Air Force planes flying in the sky and attacking terrorist targets.” “We will not allow Syria to become a threat to the State of Israel.”
Islamic Jihad Spokesman Muhammad Hajj Musa responded: “The Israeli aggression against Damascus targeted an empty house and not the headquarters of the Islamic Jihad leadership, as Israel claims.”
Israeli tanks moved in at dawn on March 13 and opened fire on the village of Ain al-Nouriya in the Quneitra countryside, in southern Syria.
The Lebanese Army receives soldier Ziad Shibli at the Ras Naqoura crossing and transfers him to a hospital to complete his treatment after he was captured by the IDF last Sunday from Bastra Farm.
Intensive flights of Israeli aircraft in the airspace of the cities of Shamstar and Taria in the Bekaa. Drones also in action in the Bekaa, the center of Rayak and the surrounding areas. Israeli warplanes flew over Beirut at high altitude.
Heavy machine gun fire was recorded from the Al-Asi Al-Maadi site towards the area opposite Kroum Al-Sharaqi, east of the city of Mays Al-Jabal.
Search operations for the shooter in the area of the Ariel settlement continue.
Three explosions were recorded on the night of March 13, east of Gaza City. The IDF fired on citizens’ homes in the Shujaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza City. A young man was injured by occupation bullets in Al-Maghazi camp, in the central Gaza Strip. Explosions in Al-Shaboura neighborhood following intense shelling by tanks in central Rafah.
The Israeli army spokesperson in a statement: “Earlier, a number of resistance fighters were identified near our forces in the central Gaza Strip and attempted to plant an explosive device on the ground, attacking a drone.”
In the West Bank, a settler was injured after being beaten during a clash with Palestinians near the “Gush Etzion” settlement bloc in the southern West Bank. The IDF moves two military bulldozers from Al-Hadaf neighborhood to Al-Awda roundabout, west of Jenin camp.
Land seizures by Israel from Palestinians in the West Bank continue: 3 dunums of land seized west of Salfit. In the Jordan Valley, orders are issued to assign state lands for pasture to private individuals without specifying them, including approximately 8,740 dunums in the Tubas area and 2.4 dunums in the Ras al-Auja spring. Land previously held by Palestinians.
IDF storms the town of Kafr al-Labad, east of Tulkarem. IDF vehicles attacked with Molotov cocktails in the town of Abwein, north of Ramallah. IDF accompanied by a Shin Bet officer, arrested youths at the Atara checkpoint, north of Ramallah.
Demolition and destruction operations continue in the vicinity of Al-Asir Mosque and the Abdullah Azzam neighborhood in Jenin camp.
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Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
