
Member of the Knesset Amit Halevy: “The war in Gaza is a huge failure for us. The Cabinet decided to reduce Hamas’s military and political capabilities, and today the organization has enormous capabilities. Herzi Halevy should know how to wage a war. They imposed a siege that should have been effective. Forty soldiers were killed in Jabalia. How did this happen?!!”
The issue of prisoners and the retained earnings law is leading to a new political crisis and a dispute between Ben Gvir and Benjamin Netanyahu. As disagreements between coalition members have begun to seriously undermine the stability of the government, this has prompted Netanyahu to consider measures that include reducing Ben Gvir’s powers and perhaps later dismissing him. Kan Channel reports that the Supreme Court has invalidated by majority the clause that gives Ben Gvir the authority to intervene in police investigations.
According to Democratic List Chairman General (ret.) Yair Golan: “Here is a coalition, the Netanyahu government, that is trying to destroy the State of Israel, a coalition that poses a threat to its existence.” The families of the kidnapped also demonstrated on January 3 in front of the Prime Minister’s house in Jerusalem: “We are approaching critical times, negotiations must continue”. The Israeli delegation is expected to leave for Doha soon.
Regarding the prisoners, Ofer Shelah on Channel 12 says: “The army is eager to conclude an agreement, but is unable to warn of the futility of continuing to fight: the Chief of Staff and his commanders must stop the continuation of operations on all fronts that bring no military benefit, reorganize the forces and begin to restore the readiness of the exhausted army”.
Avi Issacharoff said: “Yesterday I was in Beit Hanoun with the soldiers of the Kfir Brigade. The army is operating there methodically, destroying tunnels, weapons and targeting militants. The problem is that this does not change the overall picture. As long as there are no governmental alternatives to Hamas, it will re-establish itself wherever the army withdraws – Hamas is well far from surrendering and has once again demonstrated its control in Gaza City and other parts of the Strip.”
Cairo is trying to convince Tel Aviv to hold a new round of negotiations next week. Israel is demanding lists of the names of living prisoners, which Hamas is unable to obtain in light of the war. Israel has rejected all proposals from Cairo and Doha to bypass the point of revealing the names of living prisoners. According to Hamas sources: “Israel has received the green light to continue the war after the US pressure on it has ceased.”
A member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, Hussein Hajj Hassan, announced on December 31 that the cost of rebuilding the destroyed cities and buildings in Lebanon amounts to $7 billion. Samir Farid Geagea hopes to gain the support of Gebran Basil’s FPM to win the presidential candidacy.
Iranian leader Ali Khamenei said at an event marking the fifth anniversary of Qassem Soleimani’s assassination: “Soleimani’s strategy was to revive the resistance front. To do this, he used the capabilities and youth of all countries, and he did it excellently. He mobilized local and patriotic forces in each country.”
Israeli experts say President Trump is preparing to intensify the campaign against the Houthis. Trump expects that with the help of the Gulf countries he can plan to renew the regional coalition against the Houthis. A Houthi military spokesman said on January 3 that another American MQ-9 UAV was shot down in Marb province. This is the 14th American drone shot down by the Houthis since the beginning of the war. According to Israeli media: “Following the missile launch from Yemen on December 2, the French airline announced that it will continue canceling its flights to “Israel” until the 17th of this month.”
Ebrahim Al-Dilami, Yemen’s ambassador to Tehran, told reporters in response to a question about the recent US aggression against Yemen, saying: “The US threats will not affect us. Our armed forces will continue their actions against Israel and we do not hesitate to support the people of Gaza.”
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is preparing to reduce its activities in Gaza and the West Bank due to Israel’s decision to ban the agency and end cooperation with it, the New York Times reports, citing United Nations officials.
And now a look at the frontlines Israel is operating on as of 2:30 p.m., January 3.
Since January 1, Israeli airstrikes have been reported on western Damascus. On the morning of January 3, Israel carried out 12 airstrikes in Syria, targeting positions in the northern province of Aleppo.
Four F-16 fighter jets were involved in the raid. The Israeli strikes hit defense and scientific research facilities on the outskirts of the town of al-Safira, southeast of Aleppo. Residents reported huge explosions in the area, resulting in large flames and property damage. An earthquake measuring 2.5 on the Richter scale was caused by Israeli air strikes that bombed defense factories in Aleppo.
In Lebanon, while a Lebanese army unit was working to close an illegal crossing on the Lebanese-Syrian border in the Maaraboun-Baalbek area, the Syrians tried to open the crossing with a bulldozer, then members of the army fired warning shots in the air, and the Syrians opened fire on the army members, wounding one. A clash broke out between the two sides. The Lebanese army announces that it has confronted terrorist groups on the Lebanese-Syrian border after they opened fire while an army unit was working to close an illegal crossing on the border. The Lebanese Army brings reinforcements from the Airborne Regiment to the border area where clashes are taking place and uses artillery shells to respond to militants, amid reports of one casualty among the ranks of the soldiers.
Clashes between the Lebanese Army and militants continue in Maaraboun, on the Lebanese-Syrian border, with the arrival of security reinforcements and reports of injuries among the ranks of the soldiers. Israeli shelling in the locality of Al-Dhahira between Lebanon and Israel.
Israel. A missile intercepted in the sky of Sderot in the Gaza Strip. An anti-aircraft missile launched from the northern Gaza Strip towards an Israeli helicopter was intercepted. The Israeli Army: “two rockets were launched from the northern Gaza Strip, one of which fell near Kibbutz Nir Am, and the second in an open area”.
Israel called for the evacuation of hospitals in northern Gaza on the morning of January 3 and then attacked the Indonesian hospital. The attack damaged several vital structures inside the hospital, rendering it unable to provide medical services, and burned down several schools and homes near the hospital. Five people were killed and wounded in an Israeli air strike against the gate of Al-Shifa hospital. Israeli sources showed scenes documenting the army’s demolition of the towers in the city of Sheikh Zayed, in the northern Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army has issued new evacuation orders for several neighborhoods of Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip. Israeli airstrike targets the vicinity of Al-Aseel intersection on Al-Sina’a Street, south of Gaza City
According to Palestinian sources in Gaza, Israeli artillery shelling of the Bardawil neighborhood in the coastal area of Al-Mawasi west of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip was reported. In a joint statement by spokespersons of the IDF and Shin Bet, they report: “In recent days, the IDF and Shin Bet have attacked approximately 40 targets throughout the Gaza Strip.”
In the West Bank, the situation in the Jenin camp is very difficult. Clashes continue between Hamas brigades and the Palestinian Authority. Numerous citizens have suffocated to death due to tear gas used by the Israeli army in the town of Beita, south of Nablus. An Israeli army assault is recorded in Azoun, east of Qalqilya, Assault on the town of Tubas, assault on the village of Marah Rabah, southeast of Bethlehem.
On the morning of January 3, settlers demolished tents and sheep pens belonging to citizen Muhammad Abdul Aziz in the town of Burqa, east of Ramallah.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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