#ISRAELHAMASWAR. Israeli ministers clash over ceasefire: Gaza raids kill 71, including an Israeli prisoner. IDF: 50 terrorist targets hit. IDF and HTS manage Syrian border defense

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Trump’s National Security Advisor Waltz, after the announcement of the ceasefire in Gaza: “I want all Israelis to listen to me. If Hamas violates this agreement, we will support Israel 100% to return to war; in the end, Hamas will no longer be in Gaza”.

The spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry reported that the ceasefire in Gaza will begin on Sunday at 12:15. News confirmed by the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani who confirmed: “The agreement provides for the release of 33 Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners”.

On the evening of January 15, the Israeli army officially announced the beginning of preparations for the reception of the hostages freed from the Gaza Strip, an operation called “Wings of Freedom”. Unfortunately, the internal opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu, starting with his ministers Smotrich and Ben – Gvir, is undermining the achievement of the agreements. The Israeli Finance Minister: “The agreement is negative and dangerous for the security of “Israel and we ask for the renewal of the war to remain part of the government”.

On the morning of January 16, the message from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office: “Hamas is reneging on the clear agreements reached with the mediators and with Israel in a last-minute attempt at blackmail. Israel will not set a date for the meeting between the cabinet and the government until the mediators have announced that Hamas has approved all the details of the agreement”. Netanyahu’s office announced the suspension of calls for the cabinet meeting to approve the ceasefire agreement, claiming that Hamas has reneged on what it agreed with the mediators.

But the Israeli press contradicted the prime minister: “Tensions are rising in Netanyahu’s cabinet over the ceasefire agreement.” Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu’s disagreement with Smotrich over the prisoner exchange deal had not been resolved as of yesterday evening, and members of the Religious Zionist Party will meet to discuss the possibility of resigning and leaving the government.

Ma’ariv also quoted Gabi Ashkenazi, former foreign minister and former army chief, as saying: “The opposition of Israel’s Internal Security Minister Ben-Gvir and Smotrich to the prisoner exchange agreement can lead to a dangerous catastrophe. These ministers should remember that they failed and are no less responsible than the army and the Shin Bet for the failure of October 7. They are committed to returning all prisoners to their families.” On the other hand, Ben-Gvir also said that he is seeking support to cancel the ceasefire agreement, and some in the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party are trying to convince members of the Religious Zionist Party to resign from the government to prevent the ceasefire agreement from being implemented. In such a climate, Ma’ariv reported that Netanyahu can no longer withdraw from the ceasefire agreement and is trying to survive this internal political battle.

The head of the Mossad and the Israeli negotiating team are still in Doha to finalize the details of the ceasefire agreement. But as of 17:00 Italian time, no cabinet or government meeting had been called. According to Channel 12: “The agreement does not guarantee the achievement of the two objectives that Israel has set itself, such as the elimination of Hamas and the release of prisoners.”

Hamas confirmed the ceasefire in Gaza late on January 15, calling it a “turning point in the conflict” with Israel.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned against a possible breach by Israel of the agreement with Hamas on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and said it was necessary to “be prepared for a new war.”

In Lebanon, the political path continues: on January 16, Ibrahim al-Moussawi, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, reported that a meeting would be held on Friday between presidents Berri and Salam to discuss the government formation process. Salam may meet with one of the leaders of Hezbollah and, based on this, the horizon of the next phase will be determined. Whether the national Shiite duo, Hezbollah and Amal, will participate in the government or not will be determined by these meetings.

And now a look at the military situations.

Akram al-Kaabi, Secretary General of Hezbollah al-Nujaba in Iraq: “We announce that we will suspend our military operations against the entity… but know that our fingers remain on the trigger and that our missiles and drones are fully prepared.”

In Syria, Israeli forces were seen side by side with soldiers of the new Syrian administration, coordinating the activity of the Israeli army in the area. The leader of the new administration, Ahmed Al-Sharaa (Mohammed Al-jawlani): “Syria is engaged and ready to receive the UN forces in the buffer zone.”

US General Jasper Jeffers, chairman of the “mechanism” for implementing the cessation of hostilities, together with French Brigadier General Guillaume Ponchin, accompanied officers of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to visit LAF checkpoints in southwestern Lebanon. The LAF’s 5th Brigade took full control of this area last week immediately after the withdrawal of Israeli forces. “Jeffers and Ponchin visited seven LAF checkpoints where the group observed Lebanese soldiers monitoring the roads to ensure security and prevent the movement of unauthorized armed groups.” They also witnessed a team of LAF engineers detonating some of the 31 107 mm rockets discovered in Chama.

The Israelis are currently not leaving southern Lebanon and are continuing their ongoing destruction: an Israeli patrol advanced for the first time near the pond in the center of Bint Jbeil and entered the Ahl al-Bayt compound. The IDF never reached the town during the war. According to local sources, the Israeli military is expected to withdraw completely within 10 days, after destroying everything possible. For the third day in a row, the Israelis continue to destroy the Yaroun forest, uprooting trees and vegetation. As for the town itself, they have demolished its entire center. Israeli forces advance on January 16th to a new sector in Yaroun, which was slightly damaged during the war. They raided homes and burned some of them. Similar methodology to that applied in Aitaroun.

Massive Israeli demolitions in Aita al-Shaab. The Israeli military is wiping a large city off the map of Lebanon. No comment from the Lebanese army and the ceasefire committee.

A Hezbollah-made IED exploded at an Israeli base, in an IDF engineering classroom. About 7 soldiers were injured. The incident is under investigation. This is the second such incident reported.

The border events on January 16th saw an increase in demolitions, as if the Israeli army was rushing to raze border towns before they leave the area. Aita al-Shaab and Maroun were razed.

Israeli forces, including tanks and armored vehicles, entered the northern outskirts of the town of Maroun al-Ras and stormed a number of buildings towards the outskirts of the town of Bint Jbeil, with machine gun fire before retreating towards their gathering near the border, amidst intense Israeli drone fire. Same scene in Taibeh and fired towards Deir Sarian.

The Lebanese army has not entered any new locations within the border towns, pending the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

On the evening of January 15, cars carrying members of the Al-Qassam Brigades drove through the streets of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, sharing the joy of residents ahead of the official announcement of the ceasefire agreement. But already after midnight on the 15th, Israeli warplanes bombed tents of displaced Palestinians near the Bilal Mosque in the Al-Bassa area, west of Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip. Several civilians were killed in the attack.

By the afternoon of January 16, 71 people had been killed and over 200 wounded since the ceasefire agreement was announced. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health: Israel committed 8 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, including 81 dead and 188 wounded who are now in hospitals. Bombed: residential buildings in the northern Gaza Strip; Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City; Abasan Al-Kabira, east of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip; bombings east of Khuza’a town, east of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip; artillery shelling and Israeli drone fire on several areas of Jabalia al-Nazla, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Al-Qassam Brigades military spokesman Abu Ubaida reports that: “After announcing that the agreement had been reached, the enemy army targeted the location of a prisoner from the first phase of the planned agreement. Any aggression and shelling at this stage by the enemy could turn the freedom of a prisoner in a tragedy”.

Al-Quds Brigades report four deaths from the Jenin battalion killed during an attack by Israeli reconnaissance aircraft on the Al-Damj axis.

The IDF version of the attacks in Gaza is stated in a joint IDF and ISA statement: “During the night, under the direction of IDF and ISA intelligence, the IAF struck and eliminated Muhammad Hasham Zahedi Abu Al-Rus, a Nukhba terrorist who infiltrated Israel on October 7, 2023 and participated in the massacre at the Nova Music Festival. In other joint IDF and ISA activities over the past day, the IAF conducted strikes on approximately 50 terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, military compounds, weapons depots, launch sites, weapons production sites, and observation posts”.

Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio

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