Syria: Army warns civilians ahead of strikes against Kurdish forces east of Aleppo
The Syrian army has issued warnings to civilians ahead of strikes against Kurdish positions in Deir Hafer, east of Aleppo, a week after deadly fighting in this northern Syrian city, according to AFP.
"We call on the civilian population to stay away from this area," which is used "as a base for launching terrorist operations" towards the city of Aleppo and its surroundings, the army said, announcing the strikes.
Trump thanks Iran for canceling 'all scheduled hangings' of protesters
Donald Trump said "thank you" to the Iranian government for canceling "all scheduled hangings" of protesters, after threatening Tehran with "serious consequences" if the crackdown on the protest movement continued.
"I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday [more than 800 of them], have been canceled by Iran's leaders. Thank you!" the U.S. president wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"No one convinced me. I convinced myself," Donald Trump replied to a reporter who asked him if Arab or Israeli officials had dissuaded him from launching strikes against Iran.
Iran: Several countries call for an emergency meeting of the UN Human Rights Council
Several countries have called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council regarding the "alarming violence" in the crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran, which has left thousands dead, according to Reuters.
In a letter to the Council's president, the United Kingdom, Germany, Iceland, Moldova and North Macedonia requested that the U.N.'s main human rights body "hold a special session to address the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran."
"A special session is necessary due to the importance and urgency of the situation," according to the letter, a copy of which was seen by AFP.
The letter highlights "credible reports of alarming violence, repression of protesters, and violations of international law and human rights throughout the country."
The request, which must be supported by at least one-third of the 47 members of the Council to be validated, was made as Iran is rocked by some of the largest protests in its history and by a crackdown that, according to observers, has left thousands dead.
UNIFIL accuses Israeli army of shooting toward its position in Kfar Shuba
This morning, an Israel army “Merkava tank south of the Blue Line fired approximately 30 small-calibre bullets toward a UNIFIL position near [Kfar Shuba, Hasbaya],” UNIFIL said in a statement.
“The bullets hit a sentry post and one penetrated one of the position's living accommodations, probably after ricocheting. Fortunately, the occupant was not present when the bullet entered, and no one was hurt,” the statement said.
UNIFIL asked the Israeli army to “stop its fire through our liaison mechanisms.”
Amal MP Kabalan Kabalan tours towns of Mashghara and Sohmor
Amal MP Kabalan Kabalan toured the towns of Mashghara and Sohmor, both located in western Bekaa, one day after the Israeli strikes on the towns, our correspondent in the Bekaa reported.
Kabalan checked on the conditions of residents and inspected sites that were targeted and homes damaged. He reaffirmed his “support and solidarity with the people in confronting the repercussions of the ongoing Israeli aggression.”
Kabalan stressed that “the Israeli enemy, by its criminal and aggressive nature, has for decades not ceased killing, destruction, and violations of Lebanese airspace, waters and territory.”
He also called on the Lebanese state to accelerate the assessment of damages and emphasized “the urgent need to begin reconstruction.”
The son of the former Shah of Iran says he believes the Iranian regime will eventually 'fall'
The son of the former Shah of Iran has said he is convinced that the Islamic Republic will fall in the face of mass protests and has called for intervention "targeting" the Revolutionary Guards.
"The Islamic Republic will fall, it is not a question of 'if' but 'when'," Reza Pahlavi said at a press conference in Washington, adding that he will "return" to Iran.
Israel fires stun grenade on Aita al-Shaab
An Israeli drone fired a stun grenade on the town square of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), our correspondent in the south reported.
Israeli army kills 14-year-old Palestinian boy near Ramallah
A 14-year-old Palestinian boy was killed by Israeli gunfire in the village of al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah, according to the Palestinian news agency, Wafa.
Israeli forces entered the village, triggering confrontations during which they fired at residents. The boy, identified as Mohammed Saad Na’san, was shot in the back and chest.
Israeli forces also attacked worshippers as they left al-Mughayyir West Mosque after Friday prayers, firing stun grenades and tear gas.
The Israeli army claimed in a statement on X that they had received reports of "several militants who threw stones at Israeli civilians, set tires on fire, and blocked access roads to the area."
It added that the 14-year-old boy "was seen running toward them with a rock. In response, the forces fired several shots into the air and then fired to remove the threat, killing the militant who was holding the rock."
Israeli forces enter Syria's southern Quneitra countryside
Israeli forces have advanced into villages in Syria’s southern Quneitra countryside, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
The Israeli army deployed eight military vehicles and three tanks from the Tal al-Ahmar area westward towards Ain al-Zaywan and Sweisa in southern Quneitra.
The force spread through Sweisa for about an hour before moving towards the small village of Dawayah, as tanks simultaneously entered the Abu Qubais hill, SANA reported.
Local sources said the forces remained there briefly before withdrawing, with no reports of arrests or casualties.
The latest incursion occurred despite an agreement reached earlier this month between Syria and Israel to establish a U.S.-supervised communication mechanism aimed at reducing military escalation and facilitating coordination, according to a trilateral statement issued following talks in Paris.
12 killed, 18 injured by Israeli attacks on Gaza
At least 12 Palestinians have been killed and 18 injured by Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.
Two more bodies were recovered from the rubble of previous Israeli attacks, the ministry said in a statement published on Telegram.
Israel has killed 463 and injured 1,269 Palestinians in Gaza since the Oct. 10 cease-fire, it added.
Since Israel’s war on Gaza broke out in October 2023, at least 71,455 Palestinians have been killed and 171,347 injured, the ministry concluded.
Iran's deadly crackdown appears to have broadly quelled protests for now, according to a rights group and residents, as state media reported more arrests on Friday in the shadow of repeated U.S. threats to intervene if the killing continues, Reuters reported.
Fears of a U.S. attack have retreated since Wednesday, when President Donald Trump said he'd been told killings in Iran were easing, according to Reuters.
Lufthansa decreases flights to and from Israel
The Lufthansa Group announced Friday it will continue to operate flights to and from Israel only during daytime hours through the end of January.
The group, which includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, had originally announced it would operate only daytime flights to and from Ben-Gurion Airport "to allow air crews to return to their base without overnighting in Israel" until Monday, Jan. 19.
In its statement, the group stressed that most of the nighttime flights had been moved to daytime hours, and only a few flights had been canceled. The airlines added they would continue to monitor the situation over the next few days.
"The safety of the passengers and the crew is always our top priority," the statement said.
Iranian media says 3,000 arrested in recent protests
Around 3,000 people were arrested during the recent protests in Iran, according to security officials cited by the country's Tasnim news agency on Friday.
The 3,000 people detained included "armed individuals and rioters" and "members of terrorist organizations," according to Tasnim, which is considered close to security forces in Iran.
Rights groups have estimated that up to 20,000 people have been arrested.
Israeli military is 'prepared for any threat,' it says
The Israeli military has strengthened its capabilities and increased its readiness, its spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effi Defrin said in a statement.
"It is important for every citizen in Israel to know that we're prepared and ready at all times and extensively, both in defense and attack," Defrin said.
Defrin addressed the rumors of an impending Iranian attack, saying: "We understand well the sense of uncertainty and alertness that has been created in recent days, when public and media discourse is concerned with regional developments. This is natural and completely understandable."
Pezeshkian thanks Putin for Russian support at UN in call: presidency
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian thanked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Friday for Moscow's support at the United Nations in the wake of recent protests, his office said, according to AFP.
In a phone call with the Russian leader on the day after the protests were discussed at the U.N. Security Council, Pezeshkian thanked Putin for "Russia's position," adding that "the role and direct involvement of the United States and the Zionist regime [Israel] in recent events in Iran is evident," his office said.
At Thursday's U.N. Security Council session in New York, Russia's U.N. ambassador accused the United States of "stoking tensions and fuelling hysteria" in relation to the recent protests in Iran.
Mossad director visits US for Iran consultations: Axios
The director of Israel's Mossad spy agency, David Barnea, arrived in the U.S. on Friday morning for talks on the situation in Iran, according to an Israeli source and another source with knowledge of the meeting, who spoke to Axios.
Barnea's visit is part of the consultations between the U.S. and Israel over the protests in Iran and possible U.S. military action in response to the regime's crackdown.
Barnea is expected to meet in Miami with White House envoy Steve Witkoff, who is managing the direct channel of communication between the U.S. and Iran.
It's not yet clear whether Barnea will meet Trump in Mar-a-Lago over the weekend.
6 'militants' killed by Israeli army in Rafah
The Israeli army claimed six armed individuals were killed in a strike near Rafah, in southern Gaza, following clashes yesterday, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders.
According to the Israeli army, the individuals were identified during a security operation in the western Rafah area. During the exchange of fire, the six were killed. Various weapons were reportedly found at the site.
South Lebanon: Israeli drone drops sound bomb on Odaisseh
An Israeli drone dropped a sound bomb on Odaisseh (Marjayoun), our correspondent in south Lebanon reported.
Putin in contact with Israel, Iran leaders to help 'de-escalate'
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday, the Kremlin said, as cited by Reuters.
Putin will continue efforts to de-escalate the situation in the region, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Earlier on Friday Putin discussed Iran and the Middle East with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call, the Kremlin said.
Sharaa expected in Berlin on Tuesday
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is expected in Berlin on Tuesday, according to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's schedule published on Friday.
Sharaa is expected to meet with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose schedule has not yet been made public. Merz's spokesperson declined to confirm the visit on Wednesday.
This is Sharaa's second trip to an E.U. country after his visit to France in May 2025.
Guterres condemns Israel's forced closure of UNRWA health center
The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Israel’s entry into a U.N. facility in occupied East Jerusalem and the temporary closure of a key health center run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
In a statement, Guterres said Israeli authorities “unlawfully” entered the UNRWA Jerusalem Health Centre on Jan. 12, ordering its closure. The facility provides primary healthcare to hundreds of Palestinian refugees each day and is, for many, their only access to medical services, the statement added.
Guterres said he had raised “grave concerns” directly with Israel’s prime minister and alerted the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council.
He also warned that UNRWA had been informed that electricity and water supplies to several of its facilities in occupied East Jerusalem could soon be cut.
Israeli strikes kill 2 in south Lebanon
The Health Ministry announced that this morning's Israeli strike on Mansouri (Sour) killed one person.
Last night's strike between Zawtar Sharqieh and Mayfadoun (Nabatieh) killed one person, the ministry added.
South Lebanon: UNIFIL condemns Thursday's Israeli strike 'about 30 meters' away from peacekeepers
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) condemned on Friday the Israeli army strike that landed “about 30 meters from U.N. peacekeepers” a day earlier in Odaisseh (Marjayoun). No injuries were reported, according to the U.N. force.
“Any actions that put peacekeepers at risk are serious violations of Security Council resolution 1701, and undermine the stability all of us are working to achieve,” it wrote.
At the time of the incident, UNIFIL was preparing to inspect a house after being warned by locals about a potential danger at a home," in which they "discovered an explosive device connected to a detonating cord."
According to our information on Thursday, an Israeli army unit had infiltrated the area at dawn to blow up houses in the area.
South Lebanon: One wounded in drone strike on Mansouri
An Israeli drone strike on a van in Mansouri, in the Sour district, wounded one person, our correspondent in the South reported. He was transported to a hospital by emergency teams from the al-Rissala Scouts association, affiliated with the Amal Movement.
The targeted van was used for scrap metal collection, our correspondent added. The Israeli missile did not directly hit the van. It instead hit the ground, and shrapnel struck the vehicle, lightly wounding the driver.
Witkoff hopes for 'diplomatic resolution' in Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said last night at a conference of the Israeli-American Council in Florida that he hoped a “diplomatic resolution” would be found in Iran, stressing that Washington favors diplomacy over military action on this issue.
Asked about the possibility of a strike on Iran, Witkoff reiterated that he hoped for a diplomatic outcome and said the Iranian people were “incredibly courageous” for rising up against the regime. He also said Iran’s “internal crises,” mainly economic, could push authorities to make compromises, and confirmed that direct contacts had been initiated at Trump’s request with Iranian officials to prevent the execution of protesters.
New Zealand closes its embassy in Iran
New Zealand announced it has temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran and evacuated its diplomats due to the deteriorating security situation in Iran, AFP reported. Diplomatic staff left Iran safely aboard commercial flights overnight, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
Embassy operations in Tehran have been transferred to Ankara, Turkey, due to the “deterioration of the security situation.”
“We continue to advise against all travel to Iran. New Zealanders currently in the country should leave immediately,” the spokesperson said.
South Lebanon: Israeli strike on a car in the Nabatieh district kills a Hezbollah member
Late Thursday evening, shortly before 11 p.m., an Israeli drone fired two missiles at a car traveling between the towns of Zawtar Sharqieh and Mayfadoun (Nabatieh district). The vehicle caught fire and the driver was killed instantly, our correspondent in south Lebanon reported.
Hezbollah announced that the man killed was Walid Illaik, one of its members, who died “as a sacrifice for Lebanon and its resisting people.” He was from Zawtar Gharbieh, in the same district, according to our correspondent.
Gaza: Board of Peace tasked with governing Gaza during its transition has been 'formed,' Trump says
U.S. President Donald Trump said last night that the Board of Peace for Gaza had been formed, a central step in the U.S. plan for the Palestinian territory, adding that the members of the body he will chair will be announced soon.
The council is tasked with overseeing a temporary, apolitical Palestinian committee of 15 technocrats.
"I am backing a newly appointed Palestinian Technocratic Government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, supported by the Board's High Representative, to govern Gaza during its transition," Trump said on Truth Social.
This is a key component of the second phase of the U.S. plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip, which came into effect on Wednesday.
Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, a former U.N. envoy for the Middle East peace process, is expected to lead the board’s field operations. Read his portrait here.
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