PHASE 2 OF THE PEACE PROCESS IS READY TO START.

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

PHASE 2 OF THE PEACE PROCESS IS READY TO START.

FINALLY THE EUROPEAN UNION IS TALKING ABOUT HAVING THEIR OWN ARMY.AND IT MUST HAPPEN.
REVELATION 19:16-21
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.(JESUS RETURNG TO EARTH LITERALLY ON A WHITE HORSE WITH THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS 7 YEARS EARLIER)
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.(2ND TIME GOD-JESUS TELLS THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS TO GET READY TO EAT HUMAN FLESH.THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN GOD TOLD THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS-TO EAT RUSSIA,GERMAN,ARAB, MUSLIM BODIES FOR 7 MONTHS IN EZEK 38 @ 39.
19 And I saw the beast,(E.U WORLD LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(HERE IT SAYS THE E.U WILL HAVE ITS OWN ARMY) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, (JESUS) and against his army.(RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
20 And the beast (E.U WORLD LEADER) was taken, and with him the false prophet (POPE FRANCIS) that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Zephaniah 2:1-15
1 Gather together, yes, gather,O shameless nation,
2 before the decree takes effect[a] -before the day passes away like chaff—before there comes upon you the burning anger of the Lord, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the Lord.
3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands;[b] seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.
4 For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted.
5 Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.
6 And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, with meadows[c] for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the Lord their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes.
8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab (JORDAN) and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made boasts against their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever.The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”
10 This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations.
12 You also, O Cushites, shall be slain by my sword.
13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria,(SYRIA) and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert.
14 Herds shall lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts;[d] even the owl and the hedgehog[e]  shall lodge in her capitals; a voice shall hoot in the window; devastation will be on the threshold; for her cedar work will be laid bare.
15 This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.Sa'ar: No free meals; talks possible if more hostages freed Israel halts aid into Gaza, citing Hamas refusal to extend first phase of truce
Footnotes-a -Zephaniah 2:2 Hebrew gives birth, b-Zephaniah 2:3 Or who carry out his judgment, c-Zephaniah 2:6 Or caves, d-Zephaniah 2:14 Hebrew beasts of every nation, e-Zephaniah 2:14 The identity of the animals rendered owl and hedgehog is uncertain

DANIEL 2:37-45
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

DANIEL 7:17-26
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

THE WORLD IN 10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS LEAD BY THE EUROPEAN UNION THE WORLD LEADER, NOT AMERICA.I PREDICT.

THE EUROPEAN UNION AND REVIVED ROMAN WORLD GOVERNMENT
DANIEL 2:31-33,36-43, DAN 7:3-8,17

First From Daniel Chapter 2

1 EGYPT
2 ASSYRIA
3 BABYLON (HEAD OF GOLD) DAN 2:31-32,36-38, DAN 1:1
4 MEDO-PERSIANS (CHEST & ARMS OF SILVER) DAN 2:32,39, DAN 9:1
5 GREECE (WAIST & HIPS OF BRONZE) DAN 2:32,39, DAN 11:2
6 ROME (2 LEGS OF IRON) DAN 2:33,40, ROM 1:6
7 REVIVED ROME (EU) (FEET IRON & CLAY) DAN 2:33,41-43,10 TOES

Now From Daniel Chapter 7

1 EGYPT
2 ASSYRIA
3 BABYLON (LION WITH EAGLES WINGS) DAN 7:4, DAN 1:1
4 MEDO-PERSIANS (BEAR ON HIND LEGS) DAN 7:5, DAN 9:1
5 GREECE (LEOPARD 4 WINGS, 4 HEADS) DAN 7:6, DAN 11:2
6 ROME (HUGE IRON TEETH) DAN 7:7 (10 HORNS), ROM 1:6
7 REVIVED ROME (EU) DAN 7:8,19-20,23-25 10 HORNS, 10 KINGS
REV 17:9,12, 10 HORNS, 10 KINGS, 7 HILLS ROME. REV 13:1 BEAST WITH 7 HEADS. THE E.U LEADER OF WORLD GOVERNMENT DAN 2:40-45, 7:7-8,23-25,27, 8:23, REV 13:3,7,8,12,14,16

REVELATION 17:10-12
10 And there are seven kings (7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY) five are fallen, (EGYPT, ASSYRIA, BABYLON,:MEDO-PERSIAN,GREECE and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS DAY-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh,(FUTURE-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE-EUROPEAN UNION TODAY) he must continue a short space.(7 YEARS OF WORLD DOMINATION-BUT 3 1/2 YEARS OF NEW WORLD ORDER OR ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT)
12 And the ten horns (10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS OR REGIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS-NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind,(WORLD SOCIALISM) and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February 1950

Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in 1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man. 

DICK MORRIS-This truly creates a global economic system. From now on, don’t look to Washington for the rule making, look to Brussels.

THE CLUB OF ROME FOUNDER AURELIO PECCEI WANTS THE WORLD IN 10 REGIONAL TRADING BLOCKS.

REVELATION 16:1-2
1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, (SLAVE) to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

I KNOW THIS MARK WILL BE A MICROCHIP IMPLANT UNDER THE SKIN. LETS LOOK UP WHAT THE WORD MARK SAYS IN REVELATION 13:16-18, 14:9,11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4-ALL THESE VERSES FROM THE BOOK OF REVELATION SPEAK OF THIS DICTATORS MARK. NOW LETS SEE WHAT IT MEANS FROM STRONGS EXAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE. UNDER MARK PAGE 684.MARK UNDER MARK. THE OLD TESTAMENT IS UNDER HEBREW AND THE NEW TESTAMENT IS UNDER GREEK. SO WHEN WE LOOK UNDER REVELATION 13:16-17 WE SEE IT IS UNDER GREEK, SO WE GO TO GREEK IN THE BACK SECTION AND GO TO 5480 TO SEE WHAT IT SAYS THIS MARK WOULD BE. SO LETS GET TO IT.MARK IN STRONGS GREEK 5480 XAPAYUA CHARAGMA, KHAR-AG-MAH: FROM THE SAME AS 5482: A SCRATCH OR ETCHING, I.E STAMP (AS A BADGE OF SERVITUDE), OR SCULPTURED FIGURE-(STATUE):-GRAVEN, MARK FROM 5482 XAPAE CHARAX, KHAR-AX; FROM XAPAOOW CHARASSO (TO SHARPEN TO A POINT; AKIN TO 1125 THROUGH THE IDEA OF SCRATCHING); A STAKE, I.E (BYIMPL.) A PALISADE OR RAMPART (MILITARY MOUND FOR CIRCUMVALLATION IN A SIEGE): - TRENCH FROM 1125 YPAPOE GRAPHO, GRAF-0; A PRIM. VERB; TO "GRAVE", ESPEC. TO WRITE; FIG. TO DESCRIBE:-DESCRIBE, WRITE (-ING, -TEN).G5516-GO TO G4742-666 - STRONGS NT 4742: στίγμα - στίγμα, στιγματος, τό (from στίζω to prick; (cf. Latinstimulus, etc.; German stechen, English stick, sting, etc.; Curtius, § 226)), a mark pricked in or branded upon the body. According to ancient oriental usage, slaves and soldiers bore the name or stamp of their master or commander branded or pricked (cut) into their bodies to indicate what master or general they belonged to, and there were even some devotees who stamped themselves in this way with the token of their gods (cf. Deyling, Observations, iii., p. 423ff); hence, τά στίγματα τοῦ (κυρίου so Rec.) Ἰησοῦ, the marks of (the Lord) Jesus, which Paul in Galatians 6:17 says he bears branded on his body, are the traces left there by the perils, hardships, imprisonments, scourgings, endured by him for the cause of Christ, and which mark him as Christ's faithful and approved votary, servant, soldier (see Lightfoots Commentary on Galatians, the passage cited). (Herodotus 7, 233; Aristotle, Aelian, Plutarch, Lcian, others.) 

THE INVENTOR OF THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT-CARL SANDERS MICROCHIP ENGINEER LEADER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgH9D6n4ZWo

THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT IN YOUR RIGHT HAND OR FOREHEAD.

LEVETICUS 19.28
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

HERES WHAT THE WORLD WOULD LOOK LIKE (SINCE THERE WILL BE WORLD GOVERNMENT IN THE FUTURE)-UPDATED VERSION (10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)

01 CANADA, U.S.A, MEXICO
02 EUROPEAN UNION,WESTERN EUROPE
03 JAPAN
04 AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND, S AFRICA, ISRAEL AND PACIFIC ISLANDS
05 EASTERN EUROPE
06 SOUTHERN, CENTRAL AND LATIN AMERICAS
07 NORTH AFRICA, AND MIDEAST (MOSLEMS)
08 CENTRAL AFRICA
09 SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
10 CENTRAL ASIA

THE CLUB OF ROME WANTS A WORLD CHARISMATIC DICTATOR (EITHER RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL OR SCIENTIFICAL) TO HEAD THIS WORLD GOVERNMENT. REV 13:3,7-8, DAN 7:23-24

WORLD POWERS IN THE END TIME

NORTH - RUSSIA EZEK 38:1-2, 39:1-2
SOUTH - EGYPT DAN 11:42
EAST - CHINA DAN 11:44,REV 16:12
WEST - EUROPEAN UNION DAN 7:23-24 (NOT THE U.S.A)
http://israel7777777.blogspot.ca/2012/03/10-world-trade-blocs-one-world.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2006/09/how-eu-takes-world-control.html 
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2012/05/one-world-religion-crislam.html 

FINALLY THE EUROPEAN UNION IS TALKING ABOUT HAVING THEIR OWN ARMY.AND IT MUST HAPPEN.
REVELATION 19:16-21
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.(JESUS RETURNG TO EARTH LITERALLY ON A WHITE HORSE WITH THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS 7 YEARS EARLIER)
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.(2ND TIME GOD-JESUS TELLS THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS TO GET READY TO EAT HUMAN FLESH.THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN GOD TOLD THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS-TO EAT RUSSIA,GERMAN,ARAB, MUSLIM BODIES FOR 7 MONTHS IN EZEK 38 @ 39.
19 And I saw the beast,(E.U WORLD LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(HERE IT SAYS THE E.U WILL HAVE ITS OWN ARMY) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, (JESUS) and against his army.(RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
20 And the beast (E.U WORLD LEADER) was taken, and with him the false prophet (POPE FRANCIS) that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

COUNCIL FOR EUROPE ON DEFENCE
https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/document/download/6d6f889c-e58d-4caa-8f3b-8b93154fe206_en?filename=SAFE%20Regulation.pdf

US promises 'demilitarization,' though Hamas hasn't agreed-US launches Gaza plan’s 2nd phase as Palestinian technocratic government unveiled-Last hostage’s mom says move jeopardizes efforts to return her son, as Witkoff warns Hamas on matter, Netanyahu says ‘declarative’ move to stage 2 won’t harm repatriation efforts By Jacob Magid,Noam Lehmann, Lazar Berman and AFP 14 January 2026, 10:23 pm

US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday announced the launch of phase two of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the war in Gaza, including the establishment of a new technocratic Palestinian administration for the Strip.Witkoff said in a statement that this new phase will consist of “moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction.”“Phase two establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza — the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) — and begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel,” Witkoff said.“The US expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage. Failure to do so will bring serious consequences,” the US envoy added.“Importantly, phase one delivered historic humanitarian aid, maintained the ceasefire, returned all living hostages and the remains of 27 of the 28 deceased hostages,” Witkoff said, thanking fellow mediators Egypt, Turkey and Qatar “for their indispensable mediation efforts that made all progress to date possible.”Israel pushed back on transitioning to phase two before Hamas had given up its weapons and returned the body of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili. Top US officials told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his Mar-a-Lago meetings last month that Washington is committed to those two goals, but doesn’t want to condition the commencement of phase two on either, a US official and two sources familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel last week.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Gvili’s parents after the announcement, telling them that Gvili’s return “is at the top of Israel’s priorities, and that the declarative move to establish a committee of technocrats [to manage Gaza] will not affect in any way the efforts to bring Ran back for burial in Israel.”Netanyahu also said that Israel is insisting that information on Gvili’s whereabouts provided by the mediators “be immediately translated into effective actions on the ground.“Hamas is required to comply with the terms of the agreement and make a 100 percent effort to return all fallen hostages, until the very last one — Ran Gvili, a hero of Israel,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.Gvili’s mother, Talik, said in a statement that the declaration will not impact her campaign for her son but emphasized her opposition to the implementation of phase two until he is returned.“Moving to phase two at this moment, while the efforts to return Ran have yet to be exhausted, is a loss of the most significant leverage and may be a sentence of eternal disappearance for Ran. Until Ran is returned, the State of Israel will not be able to close its most bloody wound and will not be able to begin the rehabilitation and healing that it so desperately needs. Phase two must not be implemented as long as Ran has not returned home,” she said.Notably, Witkoff’s announcement does not include the unveiling of the Board of Peace, which is supposed to be made up of world leaders who will oversee the NCAG.The US had initially planned to reveal the Board of Peace’s members last month, but has struggled to rally international support around its plan amid heavy skepticism that Hamas will agree to disarm or that Israel will agree to further withdraw from the Strip and allow for its reconstruction.Nonetheless, the US is still aiming to hold the first meeting of the Board of Peace on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos next week.While Witkoff’s statement spoke of demilitarization, no agreement has been reached yet on how that will be executed.The US has been in talks with Mideast mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which have assured Washington that Hamas will agree to a gradual disarmament plan that would begin with the terror group giving up its heavy weaponry and the launch of a “buy-back” program for lighter weapons, according to the US official and two Arab diplomats, who said the goal is to begin implementing the program in the coming weeks.It is not clear whether this framework will be sufficient for Israel, and Hamas officials have publicly asserted that the organization will only agree to give up its weapons in a negotiated process that results in the establishment of a Palestinian state. For its part, the US has claimed that Hamas agreed to disarm during a meeting between top officials from each side hours before phase one of the ceasefire was inked in October.That deal has barely held in the nearly three months since, with mutual allegations of violations and over 400 Palestinians killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.While aid has increased significantly during this period, humanitarian groups say Israeli restrictions have hampered their efforts to serve the people of Gaza, where hundreds of thousands are displaced in often flimsy tents at the peak of winter.Arab world, Palestinian factions welcome new committee-Mediating states Egypt, Qatar and Turkey issued a joint statement welcoming the formation of the technocratic committee, and confirmed that the committee will be headed by former Palestinian Authority deputy transportation minister Ali Shaath.“This step… will contribute to stability and improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” the mediators said, expressing their hope that it will also pave the way for further implementation of the Trump plan’s second phase.“The mediators stress the need for all parties to commit to the full implementation of the agreement in order to achieve a sustainable peace and create the appropriate conditions for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in a manner that meets the aspirations of the brotherly Palestinian people for security, stability, and a dignified life,” the statement added.Earlier on Wednesday, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that “a consensus has been reached on the members” of the committee to govern Gaza.The PA had hoped that it would control the panel and that one of its ministers would serve as its chairman. But that demand was vetoed by Israel, which has blocked efforts to allow the PA to gain a foothold in Gaza.“We hope that following this agreement, the committee will be announced soon… and will then be deployed to the Gaza Strip to manage daily life and essential services,” he said, indicating that all Palestinian factions back the members of the new committee.Abdelatty stressed that despite the formation of the new technocratic body tasked with managing Gaza for an interim period, Egypt will not allow for the enclave to be separated politically from the West Bank, stressing the importance of a two-state solution.The Egyptian foreign minister expressed his hope that an announcement would soon be made revealing the 15 members.Some of the members of the technocratic committee are located in Gaza, while others are outside the Strip. The Haaretz daily reported that the panel will initially be based in Cairo, though this would likely require Israel to reopen the Rafah Crossing.It’s still unclear when the committee will be able to begin operating.The members of the new panel have not yet been formally announced, but they have received official letters from the Board of Peace High Representative Nickolay Mladenov to serve on the transitional committee.The PA’s President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his support for the new technocratic committee on Wednesday.The statement from Abbas’s office welcoming the new panel lauded Trump’s efforts to stabilize Gaza, in an apparent effort to maintain working ties with Washington in the hope that this will allow for the PA to gradually restore its role in the Strip.Abbas’s office stressed the importance of not separating Gaza from the West Bank and urged countries to take actions to prevent the further tightening of Israel’s grip on the latter territory.The US State Department welcomed the PA’s support in a statement.The majority of Palestinian factions also offered their support for the technocratic committee.In a statement, Palestinian factions, including terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, said they had agreed “to support the mediators’ efforts in forming the Palestinian National Transitional Committee to administer the Gaza Strip, while providing the appropriate environment” for it to begin its work.The statement also vowed to “continue to work for national unity,” called for an independent Palestinian state, and urged mediators to pressure Israel to withdraw from Gaza. There was no mention of Hamas’s weapons, which the terror group must surrender to international forces under Trump’s plan.The statement came after a Hamas delegation met with representatives of other Palestinian factions in Cairo in the afternoon to discuss the transition to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, according to Egyptian outlet al-Qahera, which is considered close to Egyptian intelligence.Other outlets reported that the meeting did not include representatives of the PA and its dominant faction, Fatah.

We want to see Israel and Turkey rebuild their relationship'US bullish as bodies tasked with replacing Hamas take shape, despite disarmament hurdle-Trump aides insist Hamas is indicating it’s prepared to give up weapons and say they’re committed to bringing back last hostage’s body, but will not wait to advance Gaza peace place-By Jacob Magid-Today, 6:10 am-JAN 15,26

A pair of US officials expressed significant optimism about the chances for stabilizing Gaza, during a Wednesday briefing held shortly after Washington announced the start of a new phase of President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in the coastal enclave.“For the first time in Gaza in almost a long time, there’s no Palestinian Authority and there’s no Hamas governing it. This really has the potential to be the beginning of a new era,” one of the US officials said, speaking to a group of reporters on condition of anonymity.Hours earlier, Egypt announced the establishment of a transitional Palestinian technocratic committee that will be tasked with running daily affairs in the Gaza Strip in place of Hamas. It is one of several bodies that the US is establishing as part of the second phase of Trump’s plan, after a phase one ceasefire was inked on October 9.Since then, intensive Israeli military operations in the Strip have largely halted; the IDF withdrew to a new demarcation known as the Yellow Line, leaving it in control of roughly 53% of Gaza; all 20 living Israeli hostages were returned in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners; 27 of the 28 bodies of deceased Israeli hostages have also been handed over; and a surge of aid has entered the enclave, alleviating an ongoing humanitarian crisis as winter peaks.While Trump within days of the October ceasefire declared that phase two of his plan had already begun, the US struggled to make that announcement a reality amid mutual allegations of ceasefire violations, and widespread skepticism that Hamas will agree to disarm or that Israel will agree to further withdraw from the Strip as envisioned by Trump’s plan.Unmoved by those concerns, US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Wednesday the “launch of phase two,” where the goal will be “moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction.”The US officials briefing reporters hours later acknowledged heavy doubt in Jerusalem over the prospect of Hamas disarming, but they insisted that the terrorist group has indicated its readiness to do so.“We’ve talked to a number of Hamas people, and we’re hearing throughout the Arab world that people don’t want to be at war anymore. They want peace. They want a better economic future for their families. They want credible homes,” said a second US official on the briefing. “They want what everybody else in this world wants — just a good life, and a good life doesn’t occur through military means.”The officials proceeded to offer status updates on the other bodies that will be established as part of the second phase, including the Board of Peace, which will oversee the entire operation and the International Stabilization Force, which in turn will help secure the Strip in place of the IDF. While officials familiar with the matter have told The Times of Israel in recent weeks that Washington has struggled to recruit allies abroad to serve on either forum, the two Trump aides briefing reporters insisted that Washington has received more than enough assistance to move its Gaza plan forward.Committed to finding Gvili, but won’t hold up phase two-The US official touted the humanitarian operation since the ceasefire and phase one of Trump’s plan came into place in October, saying 53,120 trucks of aid — two million pallets worth — have entered the Strip since and that cooperation between Israel and the UN has increased.While basic food supplies have indeed increased significantly, lack of sufficient shelter has become a major issue, with aid organizations lamenting Israeli restrictions on metal polls necessary to stabilize tents that have been widely filmed falling apart amid the winter winds. Israel says those materials could be used by Hamas for weapons and therefore has not allowed them into Gaza, where hundreds of thousands are living in tents.The US official said that progress has also been made in destroying tunnels, with 50 kilometers worth already demolished and several tons of rubble cleared making room for several square kilometers of space to build new temporary housing for Gazans. The first such project is planned to go up on the ruins of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, officials have told The Times of Israel.Israel had pushed back on advancing to phase two of Trump’s Gaza plan before Hamas has handed over Israel Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili’s body along with its weapons. But top US officials informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Florida last month that they did not want to hold things up any longer and would continue the search for Gvili along with efforts to disarm Hamas simultaneously with the operationalization of phase two, officials told The Times of Israel.A “very good channel of communication” is operating to find Gvili’s remains and there are several potential sites where his body may be located, said the first US official during the briefing.“We will not consider this mission completed until the last body is found. With that being said, we are not going to hold up going to phase two for that because both parties have agreed to continue working in good faith,” said the US official.The US official also argued that Wednesday’s launch of the Palestinian technocratic committee, along with continued progress on Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, would boost the chances of locating Gvili’s body.Hamas ‘indicating’ readiness to disarm-Despite the optimism regarding the prospect of disarming Hamas, the first US official indicated that conversations on the topic with the terror organization are only in their initial stages.“We will be engaging in conversations with Hamas on the next phase, which is demilitarization and [we will be engaging] with Israel on what amnesty program can be given to Hamas [fighters] if they do this,” he said.“There’s clearly not a lot of trust between both sides after decades of conflict, but… believe that there is a good chance that everyone will try to keep their word in the agreement, and we will be able to move things forward,” the US official said.The official went on to claim that Hamas officials “are indicating that there’s a real possibility that [demilitarization] will happen, so we’re pushing very hard to make it happen.”Offering some more detail on what demilitarization might look like, the first senior US official said all terror infrastructure in Gaza will be destroyed and “heavy weaponry, like RPGs, rocket launchers and missiles” will “need to be put into a place where they’re not being used.”He notably made no mention of light weapons, which Israel is also insisting be part of the disarmament program, arguing that AK-47s are what Hamas uses to maintain its control of Gazans in the Strip.“Gaza needs to have basic policing so that they can keep control of their populations. People should be able to make sure that it’s a place free of crime, where people can live freely and safely,” the US official said.The US has been in talks with mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which have assured Washington that Hamas will agree to a gradual disarmament plan that would begin with the terror group giving up its heavy weaponry and the launch of a “buy-back” program for lighter weapons, according to the US official and two Arab diplomats told The Times of Israel last week, who said the goal is to begin implementing the program in the coming weeks.It was not clear whether this framework will be sufficient for Israel. Hamas officials have publicly asserted that the organization will only agree to give up its weapons in a negotiated process that results in the establishment of a Palestinian state.Board of Peace invites go out-While talks on disarmament will likely take time, the Trump administration is moving ahead with the establishment of the Board of Peace, with the first US official revealing during the briefing that invitations to serve on the panel went out to world leaders on Wednesday-The US official declined to divulge which countries’ leaders were invited to take part, but The Times of Israel reported last month that the US had informed interlocutors that it secured commitments from Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany to have their leaders join Trump on the Board of Peace.The US is hoping to more than double that number, but has had limited success to date, a senior Arab diplomat said last week, adding that Washington is considering filling spots on the panel with the heads of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Economic Forum.But briefing reporters on Wednesday, the first US official was bullish about the Board of Peace’s makeup, saying that Trump was personally involved in selecting who would receive an invitation to join him on the panel. The official added that invitations were sent out earlier in the day to “a lot of countries” and that “there has been a very overwhelming response.”“The goal here is to create the alternative to Hamas that wants peace and to figure out how to empower them,” the US official said of the Palestinian technocratic committee, adding that its full list of participants would be unveiled later this week.“Our job at the Board of Peace is to be supporting them, giving them all the best practices of what’s being done in the region and find ways to give them every opportunity to be successful,” the US official said.The Board of Peace will also have an executive committee that will effectively be headed by Nickolay Mladenov. The former UN envoy to the Mideast has been given the title of Board of Peace high representative. Also serving on the executive committee will be former UK prime minister Tony Blair, and Trump’s top aides Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, officials have told The Times of Israel.The executive committee will work more closely with the technocratic committee, than the Board of Peace, which will only meet a handful of times each year and largely play a symbolic role that will offer legitimacy for the initiative as it needs to fundraise a significant amount of cash.Will Turkey join the International Stabilization Force? Also being established as part of phase two of Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan is an International Stabilization Force that will be tasked with providing security in the Strip.The US has struggled to get countries on board amid heavy speculation that Hamas will disarm. One of the two countries Washington had publicly touted, Azerbaijan, announced earlier this month that it would not be participating.But the US official briefing reporters downplayed the challenge, insisting that enough countries have volunteered to contribute troops to allow the initiative to move forward.Moreover, he appeared to confirm The Times of Israel’s reporting on the shrinking of the ISF mandate to more limited tasks such as securing borders and humanitarian aid, rather than kinetic activity to disarm Hamas.“A lot of the work inside Gaza will be done by the local Palestinian police forces, which we think is the most important element of this plan, so we’ve been putting a lot of time into that,” the US official said.He said more information regarding the ISF will be released in about two weeks, indicating that it is not at the top of the administration’s priorities.People are in a celebratory mood. The fact that this coincides with Davos feels a little bit like it was meant to be,” the US official said.Asked whether Turkey will take part in the ISF amid fierce Israeli pushback, the US official avoids answering directly, while touting Ankara’s productive role.“Turkey has played a very integral role in getting to the ceasefire, and President Trump is very grateful to President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan and (his team)…. They’ve done an incredible job really working with us, and we think it’s very important to have them involved, as they have influence with Hamas,” the US official said.“We want to see Turkey and Israel start to rebuild their relationship,” he said, adding that sustained calm in Gaza will create more space for that to occur.“President Erdogan has a big heart for the people of Gaza — hopefully we can get both sides to start deescalating their rhetoric, start focusing on their interests and seeing that there’s a lot of benefit that both countries can have in working together,” the US official said.The first meeting of the Board of Peace is slated to take place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, and a second US official on the briefing said announcements will likely be made at the gathering.“People are in a celebratory mood. The fact that this coincides with Davos feels a little bit like it was meant to be,” the US official said.

Former deputy PA minister to lead technocratic committee slated to administer Gaza-Ali Shaath, a Gazan native and longtime civil servant, touts his plans for rebuilding Strip after 2 years of war, including pushing rubble into sea in order to reclaim land By AFP Today, 4:35 am-JAN 15,26

Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath will head the new technocratic committee set to administer the devastated Gaza Strip, mediating countries announced on Wednesday.A seasoned civil servant largely unknown to the wider public, Shaath was born in the southern city of Khan Younis in 1958, later leaving to study in Cairo, a family member told AFP.He became a civil engineer, and previously served as the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority’s deputy minister of planning and international cooperation, as well as undersecretary for the ministry of transportation and communications, among other portfolios.In a technical and detail-oriented interview on Palestinian Basma Radio on Wednesday, Shaath spoke at length on rebuilding the Gaza Strip, ravaged by more than two years of war and intensive bombing.“We are not talking about ‘reconstruction’ but construction anew,” he said, highlighting the immediate need for shelter for Gaza’s 2.2 million residents, almost all of whom have been displaced at least once during the war.“We will set plans for water, well rehabilitation, water purification, and treated water — water is the secret to health, education, hospitals, all of which were destroyed,” he added.On the question of the vast amounts of rubble left from Gaza’s destroyed buildings, Shaath floated the idea of pushing it into the adjacent Mediterranean Sea to reclaim land.He told the broadcaster he had been contacted about the post by Bulgarian diplomat and politician Nickolay Mladenov-Under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, Shaath’s committee would operate under the supervision of a so-called “Board of Peace,” expected to be led on the ground by Mladenov and chaired by Trump himself.‘Brains’, not weapons-Regarding his jurisdiction, Shaath said that under the terms of the US-brokered agreement, his committee would gradually take over 50 percent of Gazan territory currently under Israeli control, before expanding to cover the entirety of its area.He added that security and coordination with armed groups were not part of the committee’s mandate.“The commission is not an army; it is 15 Palestinian experts in reconstruction, assisted by staff — brains more than weapons,” he said.Gaza’s technocratic committee will meet for the first time Thursday in Cairo, a Palestinian official told AFP.Five members of the committee currently in the Gaza Strip will travel via the Rafah Border Crossing to bordering Egypt for the meeting, another Palestinian official said.Palestinian factions including PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party and its rival Hamas expressed their support for the committee’s composition.Hamas has said it does not seek a role in any future governing authority in Gaza, and would limit its role to a monitoring capacity, but has not agreed to handover its weapons.One employee of an international organization working in the Palestinian territories, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that given his relatively low profile Shaath “didn’t strike me as an obvious choice.”Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

IDF says 6 gunmen killed Tuesday in Rafah firefight after ‘serious violation’ of truce-Weapons found on bodies of suspects after they approached forces on the Israel-controlled side of the Yellow Line, sparking a clash and airstrikes in the area By Stav Levaton,Noam Lehmann, Lazar Berman and Agencies 14 January 2026, 8:01 pm

The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday that all six of the gunmen identified during a clash in western Rafah on Tuesday were killed during the exchange of fire.In a statement, the military said troops from the 7th Armored Brigade had eliminated the six suspects. Searches were carried out in the area and various weapons were found on their bodies.The incident unfolded on the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line in the southern Gaza Strip after troops identified six armed individuals near their positions. Tanks moved in and opened fire, prompting the gunmen to return fire and triggering a firefight along with Israeli airstrikes.In the immediate aftermath of the clash, the IDF confirmed that it had killed at least two of the armed suspects and said it was searching the area for the remaining gunmen.The military reiterated its comments from Tuesday in the Wednesday statement, saying that the incident constituted a “serious violation” of the October ceasefire agreement, and said it would continue to act against any of the attempts by terror groups in Gaza to attack Israeli forces or civilians.Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored truce in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent ceasefire violations.Three IDF soldiers have been killed during the same period.The IDF published footage of Tuesday’s clash, in which gunmen could be seen firing at IDF tanks, with troops returning fire.The military also published photos of the weapons that were found on the suspects’ bodies after the clash.The flare-up in violence came even as Israel and other countries prepared for the onset of the Gaza ceasefire’s second phase, which the US publicly launched on Wednesday.Phase two is meant to establish longer-term governance and security frameworks for the enclave. But Israel is insisting that Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the final deceased hostage held in Gaza, be returned before the deal advances, and on Tuesday reiterated that it rejects claims by the Gaza terror groups that they can’t locate his body.Israel is “working every day, all day and night,” to return Gvili’s body to Israel, a senior government official said on Tuesday.“The efforts are being made through the negotiating team, and contacts with the mediators, also through connections with the Americans, as well as intelligence actions,” the official said.“There are those in the Islamic Jihad who know where Ran Gvili is,” the official continued, referring to the last slain hostage held in Gaza.“We are not going to give up on this. Information we have given to the mediators multiple times, including recently, must be translated into effective actions to bring him back,” said the official. “That message has been communicated.”Last week, multiple sources had told The Times of Israel that US President Donald Trump was aiming to begin the second phase of the ceasefire, even as Gvili remains held in Gaza. Trump is set to announce the Board of Peace, which will supervise Gaza’s on-the-ground government.Trump’s move comes as other key pieces of the ceasefire have yet to occur, such as Hamas’s disarmament, which the terror group has rejected, and the opening of the Rafah Border Crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

US could declare shift to phase 2 of peace plan on Wednesday-Palestinian technocrats invited to join transitional Gaza governing committee — sources-Former deputy PA minister to head panel; Gaza Chamber of Commerce head, who will also be a member, tells ToI he is ‘eager to start work to alleviate suffering of Gazans’By Jacob Magid-14 January 2026, 4:24 am

Roughly a dozen Palestinians received official invitations on Tuesday to serve on the technocratic committee slated to manage Gaza’s daily affairs in place of Hamas, an Arab diplomat and a Palestinian official told The Times of Israel.The letters were signed by the Board of Peace’s designated high representative, Nikolay Mladenov, two of the technocrats who received the letters said.Mladenov, a Bulgarian diplomat who previously served as the UN special envoy to the Middle East, will be tasked with directly overseeing the technocratic committee on behalf of the Board of Peace. He held meetings last week with senior officials in Israel and the Palestinian Authority in preparation for the transition to phase two of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Gaza Strip, which could be announced as early as Wednesday, the Arab diplomat said.Inked in October, phase one saw the start of a fragile ceasefire along with a hostage-prisoner swap. Phase two is supposed to see the disarmament of Hamas, the completion of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the reconstruction of the Strip and the establishment of the various transitional bodies tasked with running the enclave before it is handed off to a reformed PA.One of those bodies is the Board of Peace, a panel of world leaders headed by Trump that will oversee the Palestinian technocratic committee, formally called the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCACG). Washington had aimed to unveil the Board of Peace last month, but that announcement has been delayed as its foreign policy priorities have shifted between Gaza, Venezuela and Iran.The US has also struggled to recruit international support for the plan, with the Arab diplomat citing heavy skepticism that Hamas will agree to disarm or that Israel will agree to further withdraw from the Strip and allow for its reconstruction.While the Trump administration had hoped to announce this week the world leaders joining Trump on the Board of Peace, those plans are up in the air, said a senior Arab diplomat.The US informed interlocutors last month that it secured commitments from Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany to have their leaders join Trump on the Board of Peace, four officials familiar with the matter revealed at the time.Washington still aims to hold the first meeting of the Board of Peace on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week, the Arab diplomat said on Tuesday.With the invitations sent out to the members of the Palestinian technocratic committee, the public unveiling of the panel could come as soon as Wednesday in Cairo, where several Palestinian factions are already gathered for talks on phase two.Those factions include Hamas, whose team headed by senior leader Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Cairo on Tuesday, according to a statement from the terror group.Hamas announced earlier this week that it had instructed its agencies to prepare to cede power to the US-backed technocratic committee.Notably absent in Cairo were officials from the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, which had hoped to play a more prominent role in the formation of the technocratic committee.However, Mladenov met with PA Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh last week in Ramallah, days after the latter traveled to Cairo along with PA intel chief Majed Faraj for talks with top Egyptian officials involved in the formation of the technocratic committee.The technocratic committee will be headed by Ali Shaath, who previously served as the PA’s deputy transportation minister, the Arab diplomat and Palestinian official said. Shaath is from Gaza but currently based in the West Bank.Gaza Chamber of Commerce chairman Ayad Abu Ramadan was also among those who received a letter from Mladenov on Tuesday. He said he has been asked to serve as the technocratic committee’s commissioner for Economy, Trade and Industry.Abu Ramadan said he is “eager to start working to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza.”Despite The Times of Israel being an Israeli news outlet, Abu Ramadan agreed to speak on the record, a stark contrast from the policy of Gaza’s current Hamas rulers.He said his apartment in Gaza City is one of the few that has not been completely destroyed in the war and that his building is surrounded by tents, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are living.“The people in Gaza are suffering immensely. They are living in inhumane conditions in a big jail,” he continued. “We’re looking forward to ending all of this, to starting recovery and reconstruction and to holding the world to its commitment to peace.”“Now, it’s President Trump’s turn to execute his plan, which we’re ready for and thrilled that it’s finally starting,” Abu Ramadan said before stressing that the “proper environment is needed for reconstruction and recovery” to move ahead.An Arab diplomat said that the US is working to coax Israel to agree to a series of steps that will give an initial boost to the technocratic committee’s legitimacy, including the reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt.Israel has pushed back on allowing Palestinians to return to the enclave, arguing that Hamas must first return the body of the last Israeli hostage, Israel Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili.The Trump administration told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the latter’s visit to the US late last month that it is committed to both bringing back Gvili and disarming Hamas, but is not prepared to condition the commencement of phase two of its peace plan on either, a US official and two sources familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel last week.Jerusalem has pushed back on proceeding with phase two before Hamas returns Gvili and hands over its weapons.The US has been in talks with mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which have assured Washington that Hamas will agree to a gradual disarmament plan that would begin with the terror group giving up its heavy weaponry and the launch of a “buy-back” program for lighter weapons, according to the US official and two Arab diplomats, who said the goal is to begin implementing the program in the coming weeks.It was not clear whether this framework will be sufficient for Israel. Hamas officials have publicly asserted that the organization will only agree to give up its weapons in a negotiated process that results in the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Analysis-Israel’s recognition of Somaliland brings danger and opportunity to a rough region-‘It is a mutually beneficial friendship,’ says breakaway region’s FM, though al-Shabab threats, Houthi risks and Middle East power games make the new ties with Jerusalem precarious By SAM METZ and Omar Faruk 14 January 2026, 10:30 am

AP — Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has thrust the breakaway territory into the international spotlight, causing an uproar in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East as a surprise new factor in regional power struggles.For Israel, the decision reignites questions about the contentious proposal raised last year by American and Israeli officials for Somaliland to take in Palestinians displaced from Gaza. Israel also could use Somaliland as a base to more closely respond to attacks from Iran-backed Houthis rebels in Yemen, just across the Gulf of Aden.Israel also would get a diplomatic win. Somaliland’s foreign minister told The Associated Press that it aims to join the Abraham Accords, bilateral agreements between Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority countries.“It is a mutually beneficial friendship,” Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adan said in an interview. In return, “Somaliland gains open cooperation with Israel in trade, investment and technology.”But the first international recognition of Somaliland as an independent nation also could make it a target. Analysts warn that its ties with Israel could become a rallying cry for Islamic extremists, destabilizing an already volatile region in which Somaliland has prided itself as an oasis of relative calm.Al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab, based in Somalia and the key challenge to that country’s stability, is already making threats. The group has rarely carried out attacks in Somaliland, which broke away in 1991 as Somalia collapsed into conflict.“Members of the movement reject Israel’s attempt to claim or use parts of our land. We will not accept this, and we will fight against it,” al-Shabab spokesperson Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rageal said in an audio message posted on one of the group’s sites.Strategic location-Somaliland sits along one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors. It has drawn interest from foreign investors and military powers who see it as a potential alternative to neighboring Djibouti, which is home to the premier African bases for the American and Chinese militaries, and those of several other nations.Somaliland lies less than 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Yemen, where the Houthis have been targeting commercial and other ships in response to the Israel-Hamas war. The attacks have upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods pass annually. The Houthis also fired scores of missiles and drones at Israel during the war in Gaza, triggering long-range strikes by Israel’s air force.“If you are trying to watch, deter or disrupt Houthi maritime activity, a small footprint (in Somaliland) can provide disproportionate utility,” said Andreas Krieg, a military analyst at King’s College London.Shortly after Israel’s recognition, the Houthis threatened Somaliland.‘No limits’ to cooperation-Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Somaliland last week, and Somaliland’s president is expected to visit Israel soon.“This is a natural connection between democratic countries — both in challenging regions,” Sa’ar said in defending Israel’s recognition.Israel and Somaliland have said their new ties would include defense cooperation, but officials declined to elaborate. Somaliland’s foreign minister said that details would follow his president’s visit to Israel.“There are no limits as to what areas we can work with,” Adan said.He expressed hope that Israel’s recognition would bestow new legitimacy on Somaliland and prompt others to recognize its sovereignty, even as Somalia has angrily rejected it.“Before Israel’s recognition, we were worried so much that other powers like Turkey and China would squeeze us,” Adan said, mentioning two of Somalia’s top benefactors. “I’m very hopeful that in the near future there will be many other countries that will follow Israel.”But the foreign minister insisted there has been no discussion with Israel about taking in Palestinians from Gaza. US and Israeli officials told the AP last year that Israel had approached Somaliland about the proposal.Warnings of violence-Israeli recognition of Somaliland has pushed the region into uncharted waters, said Mahad Wasuge, director of Somali Public Agenda, a think tank.“It could increase violence or bring proxy wars, particularly if the Israelis want to have a presence in the port of Berbera to counter threats in the Red Sea,” he said, referring to Somaliland’s largest port.The 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the African Union continental body, have condemned Israel’s recognition.Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said it threatens his country’s sovereignty. He said that Somalis wouldn’t accept their nation being used by a foreign power accused of harming civilians — meaning Palestinians in Gaza — and warned that the establishment of foreign military bases would further destabilize the region.Somali territory “cannot be divided by a piece of paper written by Israel and signed by [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” Mohamud said in a televised address.Adan dismissed the criticism from Mogadishu, calling Somalia a “failed state.”Great power rivalries-Already, Israel’s recognition has rocked the balance of powers in a region where rich Gulf countries and others have a growing interest.On Monday, Somalia annulled its security and defense agreements with the United Arab Emirates, a key regional ally of Israel that has long invested in Somaliland’s Berbera port, saying it was meant to safeguard “unity, territorial integrity, and constitutional order.”For the UAE, the area is important for its proximity to Sudan, where it has been accused of funding and arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in that country’s civil war. And last week, Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of using Somaliland as a transit point to smuggle the leader of a separatist group out of southern Yemen.Asher Lubotzky, an analyst with Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said that Somaliland is one of several examples of the emerging alliance between Israel and the UAE, which have sought to align with US foreign policy and shown a willingness to eschew international norms while countering extremist groups.“We know the Israeli interest is with the Houthis, but Somaliland also has an interest in some kind of an external protection,” he said.Others put on alert by Israel’s recognition are Turkey, Somalia’s largest investor and a rival to Israel, and China, which has long viewed Somaliland with suspicion over its ties with Taiwan. A rare visit to Somalia by China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, set for last week did not occur as the Chinese embassy cited “scheduling reasons.”Closer to home, landlocked Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country, sees Somaliland next door as a key route to the sea. It has remained silent on Israel’s recognition — perhaps scrambling, like many other countries, to understand what might come next.

Trump reiterates desire for Greenland following high-stakes diplomatic meeting-US Secretary of State Rubio and VP Vance meet with Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers, but Washington’s position remains unchanged; Greenland stresses its unity with Denmark-By Nandita Bose, Simon Lewis and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen Today, 1:03 pm-JAN 14,26

WASHINGTON/NUUK (Reuters) — US President Donald Trump reiterated on Wednesday that the US needs Greenland and that Denmark cannot be relied upon to protect the island, even as he said that “something will work out” with respect to the future governance of the Danish overseas territory.The remarks, which came after a high-stakes meeting between US, Danish and Greenlandic officials, indicate that there are still fundamental, if not intractable, differences between how Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk see the political future of the island.“Greenland is very important for the national security, including of Denmark,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “And the problem is there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland, but there’s everything we can do. You found that out last week with Venezuela,” he said.After meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Wednesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt said the US and Denmark would form a working group to discuss a broad array of concerns regarding the island that could meet in the coming weeks.Greenland ‘not for sale,’ Copenhagen and Nuuk say-But they also made clear that Washington had not budged on its position that it must acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark that is strategically located and rich in minerals. Rasmussen and Motzfeldt described such an outcome as an unacceptable breach of sovereignty.“We didn’t manage to change the American position,” Rasmussen told reporters outside the Danish embassy in Washington. “It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland.”Trump has not ruled out taking Greenland by force. Before the two-hour meeting, he argued on social media that NATO would become far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the US. “Anything less than that is unacceptable,” he wrote.In recent weeks, he has frequently repeated longstanding claims that acquiring Greenland is a national security imperative and that Denmark is not capable of warding off Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic region.Greenland and Denmark say the island is not for sale, that threats of force are reckless and security concerns should be resolved among allies. Prominent EU countries have backed Denmark, a member of the NATO alliance.Ahead of the meeting, Greenland and Denmark said they had begun to increase their military presence in and around Greenland in close cooperation with NATO allies, as part of their promise to beef up Arctic defense.Late on Wednesday, a Danish Air Force plane landed at Nuuk airport and personnel in military fatigues disembarked, footage showed. The Danish military will support the preparation of exercise activity, according to the nation’s Joint Arctic Command.Germany, Sweden and Norway have also announced that they would send military personnel to the island.The increased military presence would include a range of exercise activities throughout 2026, according to the Danish defense ministry.Avoiding a Zelensky moment at the White House-In their remarks to reporters, Rasmussen and Motzfeldt called the meeting respectful and emphasized that Denmark shared US concerns about Arctic security. But they firmly rejected the idea of the island becoming American.While Trump has at times portrayed the island as besieged by Russian and Chinese ships, Rasmussen rejected that characterization, saying “it is not a true narrative that we have Chinese warships all around the place.”The meeting presented an opportunity for Copenhagen and Nuuk to de-escalate the crisis and find a diplomatic path to satisfy US demands for more control, analysts said.Noa Redington, an analyst and former political adviser to previous Danish premier Helle Thorning-Schmidt, said concerns were high in Denmark and Greenland that Motzfeldt and Rasmussen could be treated in the same way as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, when he suffered a public humiliation in a meeting with Trump and Vance at the White House in February 2025.“This is the most important meeting in modern Greenland’s history,” he told Reuters.Denmark and Greenland had originally sought a meeting with Rubio, hoping to have a discussion among top diplomats on resolving the crisis between the two NATO allies. But Denmark’s Rasmussen said Vance had also wanted to participate.European diplomats had said the White House had for months brushed off Denmark’s attempts to engage on Greenland at a high level. Wednesday’s meeting was the first principal-level encounter between US and Danish officials on the issue.Anxiety has been high in Greenland.“I have been sleeping very, very badly, really,” said Liv Aurora Jensen, a craftswoman and designer in Nuuk, right before she watched the Motzfeldt and Rasmussen press conference on television.“I was talking to my sister yesterday and I told her: ‘I’m trying not to get a panic attack.'”Greenlandic leaders appear to be shifting their approach to handling the diplomatic crisis. Until recently, they were stressing Greenland’s path to independence, but now their public statements put more emphasis on Greenland’s unity with Denmark.“It’s not the time to gamble with our right to self-determination, when another country is talking about taking us over,” Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told Greenland daily Sermitsiaq in an interview published on Wednesday.“That doesn’t mean that we don’t want something in the future. But here and now we are part of the kingdom and we stand with the kingdom,” he said.Motzfeldt had a similar message.“We choose the Greenland we know today – as part of the Kingdom of Denmark,” she said in a statement released by the Danish ambassador to the US late on Tuesday.Trump’s desire for Greenland contrasts with Americans’ opposition to annexation of the Arctic island, according to a new poll.Just 17 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland, and substantial majorities of Democrats and Republicans opposed using military force to annex the island, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found.Some 47% of respondents disapproved of US efforts to acquire Greenland, while 35% said they were unsure, in the two-day poll which concluded on Tuesday.

Israeli official: US has decided to intervene, scope unclear-Some US personnel told to leave Qatar base as Iran touts ‘peak readiness’ for conflict-Official says move is ‘posture change’; Tehran signals fast trials and executions for protesters as official death toll in crackdown passes 2,500, though actual number may be much higher By Agencies, Lazar Berman and ToI Staff 14 January 2026, 4:52 pm

Amid concerns of a new round of fighting with Iran, some personnel were advised to leave the US military’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Wednesday and Israel’s official state plane was briefly flown out of the country, as Iran said it was at “peak readiness” for potential conflict.Tehran has said it will attack Israel and US military bases in the Middle East if US President Donald Trump were to carry out strikes in response to Iran’s mass killing of anti-government protesters.According to an Israeli assessment, Trump has decided to intervene, although the scope and timing of this action remains unclear, an unnamed Israeli official told Reuters.Three diplomats told the news agency that some personnel had been advised to leave the US military’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.One of the diplomats described the move as a “posture change” rather than an “ordered evacuation.”There was no sign of a large-scale movement of troops off the base to a nearby soccer stadium and shopping mall, as took place last year in the hours before Iran targeted the base with missiles in retaliation for US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear targets.The US embassy in Doha had no immediate comment and Qatar’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Al Udeid is the Middle East’s largest American base, housing around 10,000 troops. Ahead of the US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program in June, some personnel were moved off US bases in the Middle East.Also on Wednesday, Israel’s state Wing of Zion plane took off from the Nevatim Air Force base near Beersheba and headed out over the Mediterranean, landing in Greece’s Crete.The plane had departed Israel ahead of past rounds of fighting with Iran to avoid it being targeted by Iranian missiles, sparking speculation that this was the case.However, the plane returned to Israel hours later, after unnamed Israeli officials cited by Hebrew-language media said it was engaged in a regularly scheduled training mission.On June 13, hours after Israel launched its attack on Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile sites, Wing of Zion took off from Ben Gurion Airport. Prior to Iran’s April 13, 2024, missile and drone attack on Israel, Wing of Zion was flown out from Nevatim Airbase, which was later targeted.Trump has been openly threatening to intervene in Iran for days, though without giving specifics.In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, the US president vowed “very strong action” if Iran executes protesters. “If they hang them, you’re going to see some things,” he said. He also urged Iranian to keep protesting and take over institutions, declaring “help is on the way.”Relatives of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, who was detained last week, have said they have been informed he would be executed on Wednesday. A relative said that a court had issued a death sentence “in an extremely rapid process, within just two days.”Hengaw, an Iranian Kurdish human rights group, told Reuters on Wednesday it had not been able to confirm whether the sentence had been carried out.Protests have taken place across all of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. It said Wednesday that at least 2,571 people had been killed and more than 18,100 had been arrested in the more than two weeks of protests. The Mossad is said to believe the death toll is more than twice as high.On Wednesday, a funeral ceremony was held in Tehran for over 100 members of the security forces killed in the wave of protests.The ceremony, attended by thousands of people waving flags of the Islamic Republic, began with prayers being read out for the dead outside Tehran University, according to state media.Meanwhile, Revolutionary Guards’ Aerospace Commander Majid Mousavi claimed that Iran’s stockpile of missiles has increased since its 12-day war with Israel last year, and that the Islamic Republic was at “peak readiness” ahead of the potential fighting.“We are at the peak of our readiness,” Mousavi was quoted as saying by state media, adding that wartime damages have been repaired and output in various areas by the Guards’ aerospace forces is higher than before June 2025.Last month, NBC reported that Israeli officials were concerned about Iran’s growing ballistic missile program, with one source warning that, left unchecked, the country’s production could climb to as many as 3,000 missiles per year.Another report has suggested that Israel believes Iran currently possesses some 2,000 ballistic missiles, roughly the same number it had on the eve of the 12-day war. Analysts are said to have concluded that the damage Israel inflicted on Iran’s ballistic missile program during the conflict with the Islamic Republic was “less severe” than initially assessed.

4.2-magnitude earthquake recorded in southern Israel; no reports of injuries-JAN 15,26

The earthquake that set off alerts in the Dead Sea and southern Negev regions measured 4.2 on the Richter scale, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre says.The epicenter of the quake was near Dimona, it says.The Magen David Adom emergency service says it has not received any reports of injuries as a result of the earthquake.
 
4hr ago-Earthquake alerts activated in Dead Sea, southern Negev areas-The Home Front Command publishes an earthquake warning for the Dead Sea area and the southern Negev Desert.Residents of the areas report feeling the earthquake.

JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITE SOME BELIEVE)
35  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN/BUSHEHR NUCLEAR SITE) the chief of their might.(MOST DANGEROUS NUKE SITE IN IRAN)
36  And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven,(IRANIANS SCATTERED OR MASS IMIGARATION) and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
37  For I will cause Elam (IRAN-BUSHEHR NUKE SITE) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(ISRAELS NUKES POSSIBLY) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(IRAN AND ITS NUKE SITES DESTROYED)
38 I will set My throne in Elam,And will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the Lord.
39 ‘But it shall come to pass in the latter days:I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the Lord.”

Ezekiel 32:24
24 There [is] Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23  Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24  Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25  How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26  Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27  And I will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN DAMASCUS)

UN Security Council to meet on demonstrations-Iran’s nationwide protests appear smothered, with fate of potential US action unclear-Oil prices fall as chance of conflict seems to recede; Tehran says protester’s execution called off; Iran’s airspace reopens after closing for several hours By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 1:21 pm-JAN 15,26

The nationwide protests challenging Iran’s theocracy appeared to be smothered Thursday, a week after the regime shut the country off from the world and escalated a bloody crackdown that activists say killed thousands.In Tehran, witnesses say recent mornings saw no new signs of bonfires lit the night before or debris in the streets. The sound of gunfire, which had been intense for several nights, has faded.Meanwhile, Iranian state media announced wave after wave of arrests by authorities, targeting those it calls “terrorists” and also apparently looking for Starlink satellite internet dishes, the only way to get videos and images out to the internet.“Since January 8, we saw a full-fledged war and anybody who was in the gathering since then is a criminal,” said Justice Minister Amin Hossein Rahimi, according to a report Wednesday from the judiciary’s Mizan news agency.But there are multiple indications that the threat of mass executions after the protests is receding. Iranian state media on Thursday reported that Essam Soltani, 26, a man who was due to be executed, would not be given the death sentence. US President Donald Trump said he had been told that killings in the regime’s crackdown were subsiding.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday there would not be any “hanging today or tomorrow,” despite earlier vows from Tehran to fast-track trials for protesters. He said that the regime was back in “full control.”The activity followed days of speculation over whether Trump would follow through on threats to strike Iran in response to the killings of thousands of protesters. Trump’s comments about the easing of killings may have implied a hold-off on military action, even as the US evacuated some of its personnel from a military base in Qatar that Iran bombed last year. An NBC report, citing a US official, said Trump would want any strike to be “definitive.”Amid the uncertainty, Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for hours on Wednesday night, but reopened it Thursday morning.The apparent receding of chances for a strike prompted a fall in oil prices.The UN Security Council was due to meet over the demonstrations later Thursday, as countries in the region urged stability.Estimates of the death toll range from under 3,000 to over 12,000. A days-long shutdown of the internet by the Iranian regime meant that information about the protests and violence was hard to access and verify. Iran and its Western foes have both described the unrest as the most violent since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that installed Iran’s system of Shiite clerical rule.Earlier this week, rights organization Hengaw reported that the protester, Soltani, arrested in connection with demonstrations in the city of Karaj, was due to be executed on Wednesday. However, on Thursday, Iranian state media said that while Soltani was being charged with “colluding against the country’s internal security and propaganda activities against the regime,” the death penalty does not apply to such charges if they are confirmed by a court.The human rights group said there were “serious and ongoing concerns” regarding Soltani’s life.In an interview with Fox News, Araghchi said on Wednesday that “there is no plan” by Iran to hang people “today or tomorrow,” when asked about the protests.“There is no plan for hanging at all,” he said. “Hanging is out of the question,” he added.Araghchi claimed in the interview, without citing evidence, that the violence surrounding the protests was the result of an “Israeli plot.”Earlier Wednesday, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, Iran’s judiciary chief, had said the government must act quickly to punish more than 18,000 people who have been detained, through rapid trials and executions. Mohseni-Ejei’s comments about rapid trials and executions were made in a video shared by Iranian state television.“If we want to do a job, we should do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly,” he said. “If it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn’t have the same effect. If we want to do something, we have to do that fast.”Tensions escalated on Wednesday, as Iran said it had warned neighbors it would hit American bases in the region in the event of US strikes, and a US official said the United States was withdrawing some personnel from bases in the region. Several Western officials had said US military intervention could be imminent.The NBC report also said that Trump was due to be presented that day with different military options designed to achieve goals that he had outlined during a briefing with his national security team a day earlier.Qatar said drawdowns from Al Udeid air base, the biggest US base in the Middle East, were “being undertaken in response to the current regional tensions.” Iran launched missiles at Al Udeid last year in response to US airstrikes on its nuclear installations during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.But Trump then said he’d learned that the killings were being halted.“We have been informed by very, very important sources on the other side, and they said the killing has stopped, and the executions won’t take place,” Trump said.Trump said it was possible the government in Tehran could fall due to the protests, but that in truth “any regime can fail.”“Whether or not it falls or not, it’s going to be an interesting period of time,” he said.Trump’s comments on Wednesday led oil prices to retreat from multi-month highs, and gold eased from a record peak on Thursday.According to the report in NBC News, Trump told his top national security aides that he wanted any military action against Iran to deal a swift and decisive blow to the regime while not triggering an extended conflict that lasts for weeks or months.Citing a US official and people familiar with the matter, the broadcaster said that Trump’s advisers had not been able to guarantee that the Islamic Republic would swiftly fall if struck by the United States, and also cited concerns that they don’t have the military assets in place across the Middle East to defend against an Iranian response.Therefore, if Trump does decide to attack, he could initially greenlight more limited strikes on Iran, while keeping open the possibility of later escalation, according to the report, which described the situation as quickly evolving and stressed that no decision had been made.The sources quoted in the report emphasized, however, that Trump is prepared to follow through on his repeated pledge that the US is coming to the aid of anti-government protesters.“If [Trump] does something, he wants it to be definitive,” one of the people told NBC.The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on Iran at the request of the United States on Thursday afternoon.Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with Araghchi on Thursday to discuss regional developments and ways to support security and stability in the region, Saudi state media reported.And Turkey’s top diplomat on Thursday called for dialogue to resolve the crisis. “Hopefully, the United States and Iran will resolve this issue among themselves — whether through mediators, other actors, or direct dialogue,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told journalists in Istanbul.Iran’s airspace closure began overnight Wednesday and ran for over four hours, according to pilot guidance issued by Iran, which lies on a key east-west flight route. International carriers diverted north and south around Iran, but after one extension, the closure appeared to have expired and several domestic flights were in the air just after 7 a.m. Thursday (5:30 a.m. Israel time).Around midday, Iranian state television carried a statement from the country’s Civil Aviation Authority saying that the nation’s “skies are hosting incoming and outgoing flights, and airports are providing services to passengers.” It did not acknowledge the closure.Iran previously shut its airspace during the 12-day war against Israel in June, and when it exchanged fire with Israel during the Israel-Hamas war.Website SafeAirspace said that, nonetheless, the situation continued to affect aviation.“Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace,” said the site, which provides information on conflict areas and air travel. “The situation may signal further security or military activity, including the risk of missile launches or heightened air defense, increasing the risk of misidentification of civil traffic.”

Hezbollah warns Beirut that expanded disarmament push could cause ‘chaos, civil war’Terror group official says forcing it to fully give up arms would be ‘the biggest crime,’ day after Lebanese FM says IDF has right to strike in country as long as Hezbollah holds weapons By Reuters and ToI Staff 14 January 2026, 12:27 pm

A senior Hezbollah official has warned Lebanon’s government that pressing on with efforts to disarm the group throughout the country would trigger chaos and possibly civil war, according to comments circulated by the terror group on Wednesday.Lebanon has pledged to bring all arms in the country under state control, in line with a 2024 agreement that ended a devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel, and Beirut’s foreign minister admitted Tuesday that the deal permits Israel to continue striking in the country as long as the Iran-backed group refuses to give up its arms.Hezbollah insists that deal only applies to the southernmost region of Lebanon that borders Israel and has refused to relinquish its arsenal elsewhere.In an interview with Russian state media outlet RT, senior Hezbollah political official Mahmoud Qmati said pursuing a state monopoly on arms further north would be “the biggest crime committed by the state.”“The path taken by the Lebanese government and state institutions will lead Lebanon to instability, chaos and perhaps even civil war,” Qmati said, though he added that Hezbollah would not be dragged into a confrontation with Lebanon’s army.The Lebanese government claimed last week to have disarmed Hezbollah south of the Litani River — around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border — in line with the deadline it had set for itself, saying it had “achieved the objectives of the first phase” of its plan in an “effective and tangible way.”’It said it has extended operational control over the south, except for the handful of areas still controlled by Israeli troops. Hezbollah, which has rejected efforts to disarm, did not immediately comment.Israel sounded a cautious note on the announcement, saying the efforts from Beirut to disarm the terror group were “encouraging” but insufficient, and adding in a second statement that “Hezbollah is rearming faster than it is being disarmed.”Hezbollah has said that Israeli troops must withdraw from five hilltop positions they still hold in southern Lebanon, halt near-daily airstrikes on Lebanon and release detained Lebanese before any further disarmament is discussed.“There will be no talk or dialogue about any situation north of the Litani River before Israel withdraws from all Lebanese territory, liberates the South and the prisoners, and stops its violations against Lebanon,” said Qmati.While Hezbollah considers Israel’s frequent strikes in Lebanon to be a violation of the ceasefire, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji on Tuesday disputed this, saying that the agreement allows for Israeli strikes as long as Hezbollah continues to hold onto its arms.“The ceasefire agreement stipulates that the Lebanese government will disarm Hezbollah,” Rajji said in an interview with Sky News Arabia. “As long as Hezbollah still holds weapons, Israel, regrettably, has the right to continue its attacks against them.”Rajji’s comments appeared to be the first admission from a Lebanese government official that Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah targets in the country are approved by Beirut.Since the ceasefire, the IDF has killed around 400 operatives and struck hundreds of additional Hezbollah-linked targets. The IDF has repeatedly asserted that the activity at the targeted sites constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.The conflict began on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah started firing rockets and drones at northern Israel, one day after its fellow Iran-backed terror group Hamas launched a shock assault on southern Israel, sparking the war in Gaza.