The IDF reported the deaths of two soldiers from the 46th Battalion, 401st Brigade, in a battle in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli Defense Minister Katz warns that Israel is on the brink of war with “terrorist groups in Judea and Samaria. A serious assessment was presented in an urgent meeting with local leaders as the IDF intensifies preparations for full-scale combat in the region.”
The IDF also reported finding the bodies of two Israeli hostages (Palestinians with Israeli citizenship) in a tunnel in southern Gaza, based on new information. They had operated in this area before, but did not know about this tunnel. They obtained information from interrogations or documents. The two were alive and killed in an Israeli strike, while the bodies of three other Hamas members were found next to them. The date of death has not been determined but is presumed to be several weeks ago. These two Muslim Arabs were working in an Israeli town near Gaza on October 7 along with other family members.
According to Channel 12: “Netanyahu will hold a special session to discuss the army’s preparations to strike Iran.” Reserve General Amiram Levin: “Our soldiers are being killed in Gaza without justification. The person responsible for the soldiers’ lives and achieving the goal of returning prisoners must tell Netanyahu to stay where you are and we will not carry out illegal instructions – we demand it. Stop the war and conclude the agreement. Netanyahu refuses to end the war because he fears the consequences of its conclusion and the possibility of popular anger.”
The Turkish military is on alert for a possible operation in Syria against militants of the Kurdistan Regional Workers’ Party (PKK), the pro-government daily Türkiye writes, citing military sources.
In Lebanon, after two rounds of voting, the new president was elected: Joseph Aoun. The results of the first round of the Lebanese presidential elections recorded: 71 votes for Joseph Aoun; 37 blank ballots; 20 invalid ballots (including the names of Saudi and American envoys).
Hezbollah and the Amal Movement voted by secret ballot. Following the vote, two delegates from the Amal Movement and Hezbollah met with the commander of the Lebanese army, Joseph Aoun, at a location near the Parliament. They are the parliamentarians Mohammad Raad, Ali Hassan Khalil and the presidential candidate Joseph Aoun. In the second round of voting where it was enough to win with 86 votes, Aoun obtained about 99. He thus becomes the new president of Lebanon after two years of presidential vacancy in Lebanon. What Aopun promised to Hezbollah and Amal has not been disclosed but it certainly cannot be said that Hezbollah no longer has any weight in Lebanon.
According to the Lebanese social sphere: “Hezbollah and Amal have ensured a checkmate. The international envoys imposed their candidate on everyone through pressure, but in the end they negotiated with the Shiite duo.” Four sessions were held with the Saudi advisor Yazid bin Farhan, the last of which was yesterday morning with Ali Hassan Khalil, the MP of the Amal movement, so today in parliament two hours before the session. Then a meeting took place between the duo and President Aoun.
According to the social sphere pertaining to Lebanon: “The gist was that you cannot talk to us, but you cannot ignore us. In the end, with all the bravado and threats, the duo had the final say on the President of the Republic’s dossier. The Ministry of Finance will remain with the duo, and Saudi Arabia has committed to the reconstruction dossier with guarantees.”
President-elect Joseph Aoun said: “Today begins a new phase in the history of Lebanon, in which I pledge to work sincerely for the good of the Lebanese state. Our characteristic is courage and our strength is adaptation, and no matter how different we are when things get bad, we embrace each other.” “No interference in the judiciary, no favoritism and no immunity for a criminal or corrupt person.” “My commitment is to ensure the activation of the security services and to discuss a strategic defense policy that will allow the Lebanese state to remove the Israeli occupation from all Lebanese territories.”
“My commitment is to rebuild what the aggression has destroyed. My commitment is to have the best relations with the brotherly Arab countries and we will work to resolve the outstanding issues with Syria, including the border and the displaced. My promise is that I will not hesitate to protect the depositors’ money. At this time, I take off my spotted suit and put on civilian clothes, but I remain one of you and I will not disappoint you”.
In Yemen in Sanaa like every Thursday Abdul – Malik al-Houthi gave his speech where he called for new marches in favor of Gaza. In the speech among other statements: “Military operations on the Yemeni Front of Faith and Jihad continued this week, targeting targets belonging to the Israeli enemy with hypersonic missiles and drones in the depths of Israel. Military operations reached occupied Jaffa and also Ashkelon, where an electrical substation and the second “Orot Rabin” power plant, south of Haifa, were targeted. The operations carried out by our country have a significant impact on the state of terror, anxiety, panic, the psychological state of the enemy and its inability to deal with the missiles. The circle expands into a state of panic, terror, extreme terror, anxiety and great turmoil with sirens sounding in more than 234 cities and towns of Israel. More than half of Israelis flee to shelters due to the sound of sirens. There is great concern among the Israeli enemy over its failure to counter the missiles launched by the Yemeni armed forces, anxiety, panic and psychological state of the enemy and its inability to deal with the missiles”
And now a look at the front line updated at 16:00 on January 9.
IDF reports seizure of weapons in Syria: “Troops of the 474th Brigade are continuing their defensive mission on the front lines to ensure the safety of the communities of the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel.”
And it also reads: “During searches conducted by armored, engineering and infantry troops at key locations, the soldiers seized and destroyed weapons and infrastructure belonging to the Syrian Armed Forces. During searches at one of the outposts in the area, troops located an armored personnel carrier (APC) containing numerous weapons, anti-tank missiles and explosive devices. All the artifacts were destroyed or confiscated to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile elements who could harm the residents of the Golan Heights or IDF troops.”
In Lebanon, demolitions by the Israeli army continued in the city of Aita. Dozens of civilian homes were destroyed. It is a city that is being wiped out. The city was supposed to be handed over to the Lebanese army yesterday.
Israel informed Lebanon through the American envoy that it will build three sites inside Lebanese territory and that they will remain there for a long time. According to the details that have been published so far, there will be 3 bases: a base in the Labouneh forests in the western sector; A base in Jabal al-Blat opposite the Zarit settlement; A base on the strategic Hamams Hill, overlooking the town of Khiam and the valleys.
An Israeli raid was recorded in the Al-Saftawi area, north of Gaza. The Jerusalem Brigades claimed an “attack on an Israeli soldier east of Gaza City.” On January 8, at least three Israeli soldiers were killed and six were wounded along the Gaza Strip.
According to Channel 14: “After more than two weeks, the Palestinian Authority has handed over to Israeli forces the rocket launcher that appeared to be in the possession of members of the Palestinian security services. The Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Brigade threaten to attack Israeli soldiers in the West Bank.”
The attack in the West Bank in the village of Al-Funduq in the city of Qalqilya on 06-01-2025, which resulted in the killing of 3 Israeli soldiers and the wounding of 9 others, some of which were described as serious, by the Al-Quds Brigades, the Jenin Battalion and in collaboration with the Al-Qassam Brigades and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (Youth of Vengeance and Liberation) was claimed.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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