#ISRAELHAMASWAR. Israel wants to stay in Lebanon beyond the 60 days of the agreements. Hamas prepares the release on Saturday. US backs Israeli West Bank

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Donald Trump’s nominee for UN ambassador, Elise Stefanik, says she agrees with the view that “Israel has a biblical right to the entire West Bank.” Lebanese media reports that Netanyahu has appealed to Trump, through his close associate Secretary of State Ron Dermer, with a request to remain in a series of outposts in southern Lebanon.

Israel must withdraw completely from Lebanon in four days, but there are several elements in the security establishment who believe, like Netanyahu, that they should remain in southern Lebanon, but this is subject only to the approval of the Trump administration.

A Palestinian resistance leader told Hezbollah’s Al-Mayadeen: “Preparations are underway to move forward with the exchange deal scheduled for next Saturday.” “Hamas will release four women prisoners, which could include civilians and female soldiers, in exchange for Israel releasing a certain number of Palestinian prisoners.” “If Hamas hands over 3 female soldiers, Israel will release 90 prisoners sentenced to life in prison.”

In a statement, Hamas said: “It is scheduled for the seventh day of the agreement (January 25, 2025), after the prisoner exchange process ends on that day, and the occupation completes its withdrawal from the Rashid Street “Al-Bahr” axis: Displaced persons on foot will be allowed to return north without carrying weapons and without inspection via Rashid Street, with freedom of movement between the south and north of the Gaza Strip. Vehicles (of all types) will be allowed to return north of the “Netzarim” axis after vehicle inspection. As for the 22nd day of the agreement: Displaced persons on foot will be allowed to return north from Salah Al-Din Street without inspection.

In Lebanon, Hezbollah is starting to count down, with three days left until the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. In a press release, Beirut said: “The 60-day period granted to the Israeli enemy to finally withdraw from Lebanese territory is about to end. This requires full and complete implementation of the commitments set out in the ceasefire agreement. Reports suggesting that the enemy may delay the withdrawal or extend its presence in Lebanon require immediate attention. We urge everyone, especially the political authority in Lebanon and the countries sponsoring the agreement, to act decisively during these final days to ensure the full withdrawal, the deployment of the Lebanese army to every inch of Lebanese territory, and the rapid return of the population to their villages. No excuses or pretexts should be allowed to prolong the occupation.”

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says Elon Musk is “falsely smeared” as a Nazi but is a “great friend of Israel.” A map has appeared online showing the points where Israel wants to settle in southern Lebanon after the 60-day agreement, in particular there would be a point 3, Alkhamatz, near Mazraat Sarada where the Israelis want to establish a base. According to Lebanese social media accounts, “Not only is it not in the border area, it is very deep into Lebanon and poses a threat to the town of Khiyam and a forward base.”

War Minister Israel Katz is holding a security assessment with senior military officials, including outgoing IDF Chief of Staff General Herzi Halevi and Defense Ministry Director General (Reserve) General Eyal Zamir. No further details are given on the topic of the discussion.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud is in Lebanon, the top Saudi diplomat’s first visit to Beirut in 15 years, seeking a promise of reform as Riyadh seeks to strengthen its influence.

State Security Bureau patrol arrested in Bint Jbeil ‘A.S’ on suspicion of espionage. The Nabatieh Regional Directorate of State Security – Bint Jbeil Office, managed to arrest A. Sader while he was returning from the Israeli territories, where he had secretly entered. During the investigation, he confessed to possessing an advanced device provided to him by the Israelis, which is used to monitor and photograph military centers and important resistance sites and enables direct communication between the arrested person and the enemy. He also admitted that the Israelis provided him with a vest that secretly contained a large sum of money to support him in carrying out his espionage missions. A. Sader confessed to having had dealings with Israel since the beginning of the Gaza war, in addition to carrying out the tasks from them.

President Nabih Berri meets in Ain el-Tineh with the head of the monitoring committee for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, Jasper Jeffers, reportedly asking for information on the complete Israeli withdrawal by Sunday, based on the clear terms of the permanent ceasefire agreement. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz in this regard citing a French diplomatic source: “Israel” has asked Washington to postpone the withdrawal from southern Lebanon for another month.

Ansar Allah has entered the lists of terrorist organizations. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the American decision to include Ansar Allah in the list of so-called terrorist organizations: “It is a pretext to impose inhuman sanctions on the Yemeni people, an unjustified measure and in violation of international law”.

And now a look at the military situations updated at 16:30 on January 23.

Israel has begun building military bases in occupied regions of Syria.

The IDF reported discovering and destroying dozens of weapons caches during the defensive activities of the 300th Brigade in southern Lebanon. “Troops of the 300th Brigade, under the command of the 146th Division, operated to remove threats posed by Hezbollah in Ayta ash Shab in southern Lebanon.” Over 30 weapons caches and hideouts, as well as Hezbollah positions, were identified.

And the IDF also reported: “Troops of the 7th Brigade, under the command of the 91st Division, continue their defensive activities in southern Lebanon to support the security of the State of Israel and, in particular, the residents and communities of the Galilee.” “In collaboration with the Yahalom Unit, the soldiers located and dismantled several underground passages that were used as shelters and weapons depots by the terrorist organization Hezbollah. All the weapons located were confiscated or dismantled.”

The Lebanese complain of continued destruction by the Israeli military in: Sluki Valley where a civilian died; and more destruction in the city of Taybeh. New major Israeli demolitions in the city of Markaba, Mays al-Jabal, city of Hula, blew up all the rest homes and parks on the banks of the Wazzani River.

A unit of the Lebanese Army, supported by a patrol of the Intelligence Directorate, raided the home of the wanted man (A.N.) in the Kawakh-Hermel area. They seized a warehouse containing Katyusha rockets, an RPG weapon with its ammunition, as well as a large quantity of various weapons and military ammunition.

The Lebanese army has arrived in the town of Kafarshouba. So far, the Lebanese army has not entered any town that the Israeli army entered during the war, excluding Shamaa and Khiyam. The Lebanese army redeployed to the “Hasan 2” site on the outskirts of Kfar Shouba, opposite the Israeli site of Samaqa and also at the entrance to the town of Aita al-Shaab towards the Rmeish.

Heavy shelling by Israeli tanks on the center of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Fire from Israeli vehicles east of the town of Khuza’a, in the city of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip.

In the late afternoon of January 23, the Rafah municipality began leveling and preparing land to set up temporary camps, aiming to alleviate the suffering of residents whose homes were destroyed by the Israeli army. According to initial estimates, the Israeli occupation army completely destroyed more than 60 percent of the homes of residents of the city of Rafah.

Curfew around Jenin camp. Clashes between resistance fighters and Israeli forces also broke out on January 23, with an explosion in Jenin camp. According to Hezbollah-affiliated journalists: “Israeli forces are forcing residents of Jenin camp to leave their homes by intimidating them with bombs and talking about a very long military operation.”

Clashes were reported between young men and Israeli forces in the town of Halhul, north of Hebron. IDF assaults Al-Tuwanah village in Musafer Yatta, south of Hebron, southern West Bank.

Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio

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