US envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met with families of prisoners in the prisoners’ square in “Tel Aviv” and vowed to enforce the agreement until all prisoners return home. Trump’s special envoy discussed in detail with Netanyahu the plan to transfer Palestinian residents of Gaza from the sector. According to Channel 12: “Contrary to reports, a kidnapped American will not be released today, but will be among the 3 kidnapped to be released on Saturday.” Israel announced that Hamas will release three living male prisoners on Saturday.
The Israeli Prison Authority resumed the transportation of Palestinian prisoners to Ramallah after a halt to prisoner releases due to scenes from Khan Yunis. Among them is Zakaria Muhammad Abdelrahman Zubeidi, leader of the Jenin-based al Quds Brigade, which has carried out numerous attacks against Israeli soldiers, one of which killed six Shin Bet men.
The IDF announced that it shot down a drone smuggling weapons from Egypt that had entered Israeli airspace, recovering 13 weapons.
The issue of withdrawal from Lebanon remains tense: an Israeli military official to Yedioth Ahronoth: “We will eliminate any infrastructure in Lebanon that represents or could represent a future threat”. And again “The Israeli army plans to strike Hezbollah compounds near the cities of Galilee”.
Lebanese social media accounts are harshly criticizing the work of the newly appointed Prime Minister Nawaf Salam: “Until yesterday he had not opposed the name of Yassin Jaber for the Ministry of Finance. However, he opposed most of the names presented to him for the other four ministries whose ministers will be appointed by Hezbollah and Amal? Why did he accept Jaber directly? Because Jaber is an American citizen with close ties to the corrupt sectors of banking and the economy. He is on good terms with American parties. Yassine Jaber is also famous for his lies and incitement against Hezbollah, as mentioned on WikiLeaks”.
Also according to the same sources: “The Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam has established an additional criterion for the selection of ministers, which he has communicated to the President of the Republic and some parliamentary blocs and political forces with which he communicates. The criterion is that the candidate for the ministerial post must be a graduate of the American University of Beirut, the Jesuit University or a “respectable” Western university. Yesterday, the President of the Republic reminded those who contacted him of this criterion.”
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports: “It has become known that three of our citizens, whose contacts were cut off while attempting to illegally cross from Lebanon to Israel, were killed as a result of an air strike carried out by Israel in this region.”
And now a look at the military scenarios updated as of 16:30 on January 30.
Israeli forces destroyed the Syrian government building in al-Qunaitrah, southern Syria. Israeli presence in southern Syria confirmed. Israeli incursions in southern Syria have reached a total area of 652 sq. km. Israeli troops are located 23 km from the city of Daraa and 17 km from the capital Damascus. IDF construction of a helicopter landing pad on Mount Hermon in Syria confirmed.
An Israeli drone strike was reported on the outskirts of the town of Yahmar al-Shaqif, north of the Litani River. The Israeli strike targeted a civilian bulldozer near a house, causing material damage.
An artesian well destroyed in the town of Houla by Israel and earth mounds were placed to block roads to the town. The Lebanese accuse the IDF of burning thousands of kilometers of forested areas.
Two Israeli drones attack in Husseiniyat al-Taybeh, explosions confirmed near the Taybeh project, the road between Taybeh and Al-Adissa in southern Lebanon hit. Three excavators in the town of Taybeh were hit by a drone as they were working to extract the dead. An Israeli plane dropped a bomb near a motorcycle on the outskirts of the town of Talusah, slightly wounding two citizens.
IDF torches a building in the Tallouseh area of southern Lebanon. Israeli forces continue to raze the Al-Mufilha area in Mays Al-Jabal in front of a new Lebanese army position. Israeli artillery targeted the Shaab Al-Qalb area in the outskirts of Shebaa city with two shells. IDF destroyed shops and several cars in Burj Al-Muluk city and burned a poultry farm and an egg collection center in Tal Al-Nahhas area.
According to Al-Mayadeen Correspondent in the south, Israeli forces opened fire on citizens on the outskirts of Rmeish city. In the afternoon, Israeli forces carried out a shelling in the city of Adissa. A major fire was reported in a camp for Syrian displaced persons in Al-Marj, western Bekaa.
The Iron Dome intercepted an incoming surveillance drone launched from Lebanon, belonging to Hezbollah according to the IDF. No sirens were sounded. On January 30, permission was granted to publish a report that a SPYDER anti-aircraft guided missile, fired at a Hezbollah UAV with the aim of intercepting it, killed a driver near Nahariya about six months ago. Sirens in action in Metulla and Ghajar, false alarms.
Clashes in Jenin are now in their tenth day and in Tulkarem for the fourth day. An explosive detonated in a building housing Israeli infantry in Jenin, West Bank. Initial reports indicate that one IDF soldier was killed and five others were wounded. A helicopter was sent to evacuate the victims. An Israeli military jeep was shelled in the Jenin camp and the IDF evacuated the victims from the scene.
Saraya Al-Quds – Tulkarem Battalion said in a statement: “After reconnecting with one of our combat formations in Nour Shams camp, they confirmed to us that last Tuesday evening they managed to engage an Israeli infantry force and trap it in a field of fire in the Aktaba axis in the vicinity of Nour Shams camp, raining direct bullets on enemy vehicles and rescue and support forces, resulting in confirmed casualties.”
A young man was wounded by Israeli bullets in front of Ofer prison, west of Ramallah. The Red Crescent reports: 12 wounded, including two by live ammunition, two by rubber bullets, following IDF operations against Palestinians near “Ofer” prison in Beitunia, west of Ramallah. Israeli bulldozers and vehicles storm the town of Beitunia, west of Ramallah, and deploy on the road leading to Ofer Prison to suppress people and prevent them from welcoming prisoners released in the exchange deal.
In another statement, the Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Battalion said: “Our fighters managed to detonate a KJ37 ground-based explosive device in a military pocket surrounding the Al-Hussan axis, to cut off the path of rescue and support forces that rushed to rescue a force that fell into a field of fire while trying to barricade themselves in one of the camp’s houses, resulting in confirmed casualties”; and again: “Accompanied by fighters from the Al-Qassam Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades, we detonated a high-explosive device in an occupation vehicle near the Al-Hussan roundabout in Jenin camp, and achieved direct casualties.”
A joint IDF and ISA statement read: “On Wednesday, during a joint IDF and ISA counterterrorism operation, an IAF aircraft struck a gathering of armed terrorists in the Tamun area as part of the operation in Judea and Samaria. Approximately 10 Hamas men were eliminated in the attack, including Omar Basharat and Muntazir Bani Oda, who were involved in the detonation of an explosive device in Tamun on January 20, 2025, in which one IDF soldier, Sergeant First Class (on duty) Eviatar Ben Yehuda was killed and three other soldiers were wounded. In addition, the two terrorists were involved in additional shooting and explosive attacks. This attack is part of the intensive operations conducted by the ISA and IDF against Hamas infrastructure in northern Samaria.”
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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