US Secretary of State Blinken began a week-long diplomatic visit on January 4, during which he will visit Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. As he left the United States, pro-Palestinian activists threw paint on US Secretary of State Blinken’s official car in protest.
The German Foreign Minister said that Israel’s security is non-negotiable, but a humanitarian ceasefire is needed in the Gaza Strip.
The issue of the kidnapped is sensitive for Israel: on January 5th the families of the people kidnapped in Gaza demonstrated in front of the house of the Minister of Defense to ask for an agreement for their return, the Israeli Channel 12 reported. the government: the cabinet session ended after the attack on the chief of staff regarding the formation of an investigation team into the October 7 failure.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth: The session of the Political Security Council, which was held to discuss the issue of the “day after” the war in the Gaza Strip, exploded after three hours of confrontation between Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy and 4 ministers, including Ben Gvir. Also Yedioth Ahronoth Israeli newspaper writes that the Israeli Ministry of War has hired an external company to study the trends of previous operations and wars, in order to estimate the number of soldiers who will be accepted as disabled by the Israeli army in the rehabilitation department in 2024 , and the expectations were surprising, since 12,500 soldiers will be recognized as disabled, this is a very conservative and cautious estimate, and the volume of applications is expected to reach 20,000.
According to Politico, the Biden administration is preparing for the possibility of expanding the war in the Middle East. Administration officials have begun discussing the possibility of expanding the war between Israel and Hamas into new theaters amid the January 4 attack in Iraq and fears of an escalation against Iranian-backed militias, as well as the possibility of an attack American against the Houthis in Yemen.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Habib declared that the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people have nothing to do with the war: “We are afraid of being dragged into a regional war,” the Minister said.
The Houthis made it known through the Member of the Supreme Political Council, Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi: “If boats led by the Yemeni navy are sent, they will cut without exploding in the air.” On January 5, following the Houthi attacks, the Danish shipping company Maersk announced that all its ships would be diverted “for the foreseeable future” from the Red Sea to the Cape of Good Hope. India, on the other hand, is preparing to take control of a merchant ship seized off the coast of Somalia.
The Israeli newspaper Maariv: reports that Nasrallah has promised to respond to the assassination of Al-Arouri, so the “Israeli” army must prepare for a military response that goes beyond the pattern followed so far by Hezbollah. We are also awaiting Nasrallah’s speech at the commemorative ceremony which celebrates a week of the disappearance of the deceased of the jihad and resistance.
Hezbollah Executive Council Vice President Sheikh Ali Damoush said that “If Israel wants, through its assault on the periphery and the assassination of the martyr Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri, to change the equations and impose new facts, this will not happen, because the resistance will not allow it to break the existing equations, and nothing can stop it from doing what must be done to protect Lebanon and deter it. The enemy will commit more crimes, regardless of the results.”
And now a look at the worsening of the Israel – Hamas conflict. Israel’s attacks in southern Lebanon continue, and Hezbollah’s respective responses which have led the communities in the North to collapse, many have left the hotels where they have been staying for three months and have settled in other areas. According to Israel Today: “At the beginning of the war, more than 80% of the settlers were evacuated from the Metulla settlement to hotels, but today only 25% of them reside inside it (i.e. in hotels), while the rest has found other solutions, and most of them have apartments for rent in all areas of the city “Countryside”. Hezbollah projectiles arrived in Shtoula in the Western Galilee. While in the early afternoon there was still Israeli bombing in the areas of Aita al-Shaab and Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon and target Hezbollah sites.
North of Gaza, numerous attacks by the Islamic resistance on Ashkelon and surrounding areas. In central Gaza, Israeli air and artillery bombardment of Deir al-Balah continues. The al-Qassam destroy a gathering of Israeli vehicles west of the Al-Maghazi refugee camp, in the center of the Gaza Strip, with large-caliber mortar shells. Israeli artillery shelling on the Nuseirat field.
South of Gaza, clashes occurred in Ma’an in Khan Yunis. According to Hezbollah sources, in a joint operation, the mujahideen of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Martyr Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades managed to target 3 Zionist Merkva tanks with “Al-Yassin 105” and “Al-Yassin 105″ shells. Tandum” in the Ma’an area in the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. The clashes continue. Clashes with deaths and injuries on both sides were reported in the city of Khuza’a, east of the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. Same scene recorded in Ein Nafaq.
Clashes and arrests by Israel against Hamas activists and members continue in the West Bank. Palestinian youths targeted Israeli soldiers with homemade explosives during clashes in the town of Azzun, east of Qalqilya. The Israelis attacked the Beit Furik. In the Hebon area, clash in Karmi Tzur. Israeli soldiers raided Camp Balata.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
