Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Pakistan, and Indonesia have jointly announced their membership in Trump’s Peace Council. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: “At the moment, I cannot participate in Trump’s Peace Council; I need more time to study this step.” Viktor Orbán has announced that he will join President Trump’s Peace Council. France and Germany had already said no.
Representatives of the United Kingdom will not attend the signing ceremony of the “Peace Council” charter for the government of the Gaza Strip, scheduled on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced to the BBC. “We will not be among the signatories today because it is a legal document that raises broader issues,” she told the BBC.
Norway has refused to join the Gaza Peace Council, State Secretary of the Norwegian Prime Minister’s Office Kristoffer Toner told AFP. Norway believes that settlement proposals should be formulated “within existing structures, such as the UN.”
Over 50 world leaders have received an invitation to join the Council. According to US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, around 20, perhaps 25, countries have already agreed to join. “I think more than 20, perhaps 25, world leaders have already accepted the invitation,” he noted. In reality, only 18 have signed the Davos Peace Council agreements. Trump explained Putin’s invitation to the “Peace Council” as a demonstration of the Russian leader’s power and control.
Putin commented on Trump’s invitation to the Peace Council. The President thanked his American counterpart and noted that all proposals had been submitted to the Russian Foreign Ministry for review. The final decision on the Peace Council’s work will be made later. At the same time, Russia is ready to contribute $1 billion to the future Peace Council, coming from Russian funds frozen in the West. Russia could also use these funds in the future to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Putin’s announced Russian contribution of $1 billion from frozen assets will require the release of these funds in the United States, Peskov said. He noted that “it is not yet clear” how the contribution will be legally formalized.
On January 22, while signing the charter for the “Peace Council,” Trump announced that he would cooperate with the UN.
Meanwhile, there is a buildup of forces in the Middle East: the Americans have sent more than 20 refueling aircraft to the United Kingdom, Spain, and Qatar, American fighter jets have landed in Cyprus, and THAAD and Patriot air defense systems have been deployed in the Gulf.
Trump also stated: “Netanyahu didn’t want to take the B-2 bomber, saying it was too expensive for him. I told him, ‘Take one, fly it, and see how it bombs.’ Maybe the cost won’t be an issue.”
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the security system has increased its readiness for a possible American attack on Iran. The military does not rule out a scenario in which the Air Force strikes Iran in response to a missile attack on Israel, but recognizes that Trump’s decisions are unpredictable and emphasizes that uncertainty surrounding the attack remains high. Israeli media also reported that in light of the tensions, employees at some workplaces have been asked to update/revise their work-from-home procedures.
On January 22, Vladimir Putin and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas launched a new round of negotiations in the Kremlin.
And now a look at the military scenarios updated at 2:00 PM on January 22. Social OSINT sources note that: “CVN 72 Abraham Lincoln, based on its last reported position and course, is exiting the Bay of Bengal and circumnavigating Sri Lanka towards the Arabian Sea. It is expected to reach its operational area within range of Iran around 10:00 AM on January 22. A likely plan of action involves the deployment of the Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to the central Arabian Sea, conducting operations from the aircraft carrier with the support of tanker aircraft from the United Arab Emirates and Al Udeid to ensure uninterrupted flights. In another area, joint Israeli-US operations will see Israel operate from its national air bases, while the United States will conduct operations from Jordan and southern Syrian airspace, possibly extending into Iraqi airspace.”. Furthermore, the US military is simulating attacks against Iran and other scenarios in the western/central US.
Iran has been without internet for 13 days. The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, General Mohammad Pakpour, threatens: “We have our finger on the trigger and warn the United States and Israel against miscalculation.”
The US Army Central Command (CENTCOM) launched an operation to transfer ISIS prisoners from northeastern Syria to Iraq. On January 21, 150 ISIS militants were transferred from a facility in Hasakah to a secure facility in Iraq. In total, up to 7,000 prisoners could be transferred. The Pentagon reported that Admiral Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, spoke with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, urging him to respect the ceasefire with the Kurds and to allow the transfer of ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraq. Turkey Meanwhile, it has installed an HTRS-100 radar system at Damascus airport. The system, with a range of approximately 185 kilometers, is said to be capable of tracking military aircraft and limiting Israeli Air Force operations in Syrian airspace.
Local sources in Quneitra report that an Israeli occupation patrol infiltrated the village of Ruwayhinah, in the central Quneitra countryside.
On the evening of January 21, the IDF attacked Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. “IDF: On Wednesday, IDF observation posts identified a drone that crossed Israeli territory from the east in an attempt to smuggle weapons. After identification, IDF troops intercepted the drone. The drone was carrying ten firearms. The firearms were handed over to the security forces for further investigation.
Israel in Lebanon struck the area of Qfour, Qanareet, Jarjoaa for the first time. Most, if not all, of the recent major attacks have occurred in the northern Litani River area, according to local sources, “in support of the Lebanese president and prime minister,” not against Hezbollah. Khrayeb and Ansra, Qana, Khirbet Selm, Kafr Shuba, and Jarmaq were also attacked.
The Israel-Lebanon meeting mechanism has not met for weeks, even after Lebanon showed up and assigned a civilian ambassador to participate. Israel used the mechanism’s committee until southern Lebanon was disarmed and made no move to join the ceasefire.
Former minister Wadih El Khazen issued a statement reading: “We condemn with the utmost firmness, anger, and condemnation the brutal Israeli air attack that took place yesterday. targeting the towns of Qana, Khirbet Selm, Kafr Shuba, and Jarmaq, in a new episode in the series of systematic crimes Israel is committing against Lebanon, its territory, and its people, in flagrant violation of national sovereignty and all international laws and norms, and with clear disregard for the lives of innocent civilians.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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