Yediot Ahronot reports that the Israeli army failed to eliminate a Hamas battalion commander during a raid in Gaza yesterday and is conducting an investigation into the reasons for the failure. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem spoke on January 9: “We are awaiting the formation of an independent committee for the administration of the Gaza Strip, encompassing all territories, agreed upon by Hamas and the factions. We will work to facilitate the handover process and the committee’s work. The movement has previously decided not to participate in the agreements for the administrative management of the Gaza Strip.”
The French Foreign Ministry welcomes the achievement of the first phase of the “arms control” plan: Israel must refrain from any action that could lead to an escalation of tensions. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barro welcomed the Lebanese authorities’ announcement that the objectives of the first phase of the arms control plan had been achieved.
He considered this an important step toward restoring the Lebanese state’s sovereignty over its entire territory and expressed the Lebanese authorities’ respect for the commitments made.
In a statement released by the French Embassy in Beirut, France called on the Lebanese authorities to proceed firmly in this process and also called on Israel to exercise restraint and refrain from any action that could lead to an escalation of tensions.
France renewed its firm support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, a pillar of Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability, and confirmed its full commitment to the international conference in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Regarding the demonstrations in Iran, Channel 12 reports: “Israel’s assessment is that the Iranian regime is not currently close to collapse.”
Israel-Somalia relations intensify: Channel 12: “For the first time since official recognition: a delegation from Somaliland will arrive in Israel next week.”
And now a look at the scenarios opened by Israel, updated at 3:00 PM on January 9. Aden International Airport begins evacuating all its personnel as forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates clash in the area. Contrary to previous reports, the Southern Transitional Council has not fully withdrawn from Aden.
The Saudi-backed National Shield Forces are being blocked from Aden International Airport and the N5 highway to the south, which provides access to the residential neighborhoods of Khor Maksar and Ma’alla, as well as the al-Ma’ashiq Presidential Palace.
The Yemeni government accuses National Security Council (STC) leader Aidarus al-Zoubaidi of “high treason.”
The Israeli navy opened fire on an Egyptian vessel that entered Gaza waters. Channel 13 confirmed the incident. According to some pro-Palestinian channels, the incident is unusual: “An Egyptian vessel entered Israeli territorial waters [in Gaza] and the Israeli navy fired to repel it,” Israel Hayom also confirmed, reporting that the incursion occurred on the evening of the 7th. But the news leaked on the evening of the 8th.
The Egyptian navy vessel entered “restricted waters,” and two Israeli patrol boats ordered it to stop. When the vessel failed to stop, “the navy fired,” Or Heller reports. The IDF stated that the incident was handled according to protocol, stressed its ongoing security cooperation with Egypt, and later confirmed that the Egyptian authorities had taken responsibility for the violation.
Resistance social media sources reported that the Israeli army continues to violate Syrian sovereignty with operations in the south of the country, including the kidnapping of four young Syrians.
Local sources reported that the Syrian army has launched an offensive against Kurdish forces inside Aleppo. The Turkish Ministry of Defense expressed its willingness to support operations against Kurdish fighters in Aleppo, Syria. The Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks against Kurdish fighters in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian government forces stormed the al-Ashrafiyeh district of the northern city of Aleppo on the evening of January 8. Syrian troops were seen combing the Samayel roundabout.
According to local sources, Syrian government forces reportedly bombed Khaled Hospital in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood for the second time today.
US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack issued a statement on the ongoing clashes in Aleppo: “I urge all parties in Aleppo to prioritize civilian safety and immediately suspend hostilities. Syria has made historic progress toward stability and reconciliation, but lasting peace requires patience and inclusion for all communities. The March 10, 2025, integration agreement between the SDF and the government is nearing completion and could promote national unity. The future of Aleppo and Syria must be shaped by dialogue and cooperation, not violence or external interference.” US mediation for a ceasefire is reportedly underway.
Syrian army units have reportedly secured most of the Ashrafieh district of Aleppo after heavy and prolonged fighting with SDF/YPG forces. The clashes involved close-quarters combat and prolonged exchanges before government troops advanced. At 9:03 PM on January 8, the Ashrafieh district was placed under full Syrian government control, with the Syrian army handing over authority to the internal security forces. Officials say the handover marks the completion of military operations in the area. Attention has now shifted, as fighting is reported to have begun around the Sheikh Maqsoud district.
On the evening of the 8th, a squadron of Israeli jets headed north toward the Lebanese border. Israeli jets entered southern Lebanese airspace. A new civilian home was demolished in the city of Yaroun. The demolition occurred on the same day the Lebanese Prime Minister declared that the south was finally under government control for the first time and that reconstruction would begin.
A series of Israeli attacks were carried out on the outskirts of the towns of Sajd and Al-Rayhan. Attacks also occurred between Ain Qana and Kfarfela; between Dier al-Zahrani and Houmeen; between Azza and Roumine; in the Brital area of Beqaa; and a series of attacks in Tebna, in northern southern Lebanon. New attacks resumed in the late morning and afternoon on the heights of Kfarfel, Iqleem al-Tuffah, and Jabbour. The Lebanese Army also continued to demolish Hezbollah weapons. Israeli army attacks on several Lebanese population centers, including the Al-Za’aree area and the al-Shaara area in Beqaa.
A long night for Gaza residents: Two people were killed and several injured following an Israeli airstrike on a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. An Israeli aircraft bombed a commercial warehouse in the Zeitoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, also killing two people. Israeli airstrikes also targeted a home in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. According to other Palestinian sources, the Israeli airstrikes have left 15 people dead and injured.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
Follow our updates on Geopolitical Gleanings - Spigolature geopolitiche: https://t.me/agc_NW and on our blog The Gleanings of AGCNEWS - Le Spigolature di AGCNEWS: https://spigolatureagcnews.blogspot.com/
