Jan. 14: G7 threatens ‘additional restrictive measures’ over Iran protest crackdown

Six refueling tankers depart US base in Qatar as Washington shifts regional assets

As the US moves some assets away from its Al Udeid air base in Qatar ahead of possible conflict with Iran, six American KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft take off from the base, according to flight tracking websites.

It is unclear whether the KC-135s are repositioning to US bases further from Iran or are preparing to support a US strike in the region.

‘There is a calm. We are in full control,’ Iran foreign minister tells Fox News

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the government is in full control, as authorities carry out their most severe repression of protests in years.

“After three days of terrorist operation, now there is a calm. We are in full control,” Araghchi tells US broadcaster Fox News’s “Special Report” program.

Shin Bet chief Zini appoints new deputy

Shin Bet head David Zini announces that “Nun,” identified only by his first initial in Hebrew, has been appointed as the agency’s next deputy head, in a move approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and set to take effect in the coming month, Hebrew media reports.

The internal security service says Nun began his career in the organization as a coordinator in the Southern District and went on to serve in a range of operational and headquarters roles. After leaving the Shin Bet, he held several senior positions in Israel’s security and public sectors.

He is set to replace the current deputy director, Shin, who is stepping down after some 30 years of service in the security agency.

Channel 12 news previously reported that the resignation came due to serious and frequent differences of opinion between Zini and Shin.

Trump avoids saying military options shelved after claiming Iran executions called off

US President Donald Trump is pressed on who exactly told him that the killing of protesters has stopped.

“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 says.

“There was supposed to be a lot of executions today, and [those] won’t take place,” Trump says. “We’ve been told on good authority, and I hope it’s true, [but] who knows.”

Trump says footage of protesters in body bags are from previous days, suggesting that the extrajudicial killings have ceased more recently.

Pressed if this means that military strikes are off the table, Trump avoids answering definitively.

“We’re going to watch and see what the process is, but we were given a very good statement by people [who] are aware of what’s going on.”

Trump: US notified that killing of Iran protesters has ceased, executions won’t take place

US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, January 14, 2026, in Washington, DC. (AP/Alex Brandon)

US President Donald Trump says Washington has been informed that the killing of protesters in Iran has ceased and that the Islamic Republic will not proceed with executions as feared.

“We have been notified pretty strongly — but we’ll find out what that all means… We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, and it’s stopped,” Trump tells reporters in the Oval Office without elaborating on who passed along that message to Tehran.

Iran’s foreign minister had been in touch with Trump’s top aide Steve Witkoff over the weekend.

“There’s no plan for executions… I’ve been told that on good authority,” Trump says. “I’m sure if happens, we’ll all be very upset.”

Rights groups say the crackdown death toll in Iran over the past two-plus weeks of protests is well above the regime’s official count of 2,000.

Italy, Poland and Spain urge their citizens to leave Iran

The foreign ministries of Italy, Spain and Poland have issued statements urging their citizens to leave Iran due to the security situation there.

Last week, Australia told its citizens to leave the country “as soon as possible” due to the “volatile” security situation.

G7 threatens ‘additional restrictive measures’ over Iran protest crackdown

G7 nations says they are “deeply alarmed at the high level of reported deaths and injuries” in a protest crackdown in Iran and are ready to impose more sanctions if the violence continues.

“The members of the G7 remain prepared to impose additional restrictive measures if Iran continues to crack down on protests and dissent in violation of international human rights obligations,” the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the high representative of the European Union, say in a joint statement.

Man held in psych hospital after German synagogue fire

A man suspected of starting a fire outside a synagogue in Germany is being held in a psychiatric hospital, and an investigation is underway, the authorities say.

The 32-year-old German national is also suspected of making a Nazi salute outside the religious institution in the town of Giessen, near Frankfurt, on Tuesday evening.

He allegedly pushed several containers filled with cardboard and old papers on the street and in the synagogue’s entrance hall before setting them on fire, the Giessen prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

“Thanks to the swift intervention of a passerby, the fire was quickly brought under control, preventing the flames from spreading to the residential building and the synagogue,” the statement adds.

The suspect is being held in a psychiatric hospital, and the motivations behind the incident are under investigation.

Amnesty International: Iran committing mass unlawful killings ‘on unprecedented scale’

In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

Iranian authorities have committed mass unlawful killings “on an unprecedented scale” in their crackdown on protesters, Amnesty International says, citing verified video evidence and eyewitness reports.

“Security forces positioned on the streets and rooftops, including of residential buildings, mosques and police stations, have repeatedly fired rifles and shotguns loaded with metal pellets, targeting unarmed protesters frequently in their heads and torsos,” the UK-based group says in a statement.

It denounces a “coordinated nationwide escalation” in the security forces’ use of lethal force against protesters since January 8 when mass protests erupted and an internet shutdown came into force.

Palestinian technocratic committee reportedly to hold first meet Thursday in Cairo

Members of the independent Palestinian technocratic committee to which Hamas is supposed to cede power in Gaza will reportedly hold a first meeting tomorrow at the US embassy in Cairo.

Egypt announced earlier today that a consensus had been reached on the makeup of the 15-person committee.

Well-informed Palestinian sources cited by Saudi-owned UK newspaper Asharq al-Awsat say the technocrats will meet with Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, who has been tapped to serve as secretary-general of the Board of Peace that will oversee the Palestinian committee under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.

Committee members who are not already in Cairo are expected to arrive in the Egyptian capital today, and arrangements have been made for the remote participation of Gaza-based members in the event that they are not permitted to leave the Strip for Egypt, the sources say.

Lufthansa group limits flights to Israel amid fears of Iran escalation

The Lufthansa group of carriers says it will operate only daytime flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport in the coming days citing the “current situation in the Middle East.”

The Lufthansa group – whose carriers also include SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings – says it “has decided to operate flights to and from Tel Aviv and Amman from Thursday, January 15 as day flights until and including Monday, January 19, 2026.”

“This means that crews will fly back directly without an overnight stay on site,” a Lufthansa representative says in a statement. “Some flights may also be canceled.”

“Additionally Iranian and Iraqi airspace will be bypassed by all Lufthansa Group Airlines until further notice,” the airline says.

The Lufthansa Group says it is “monitoring the situation closely and will continue to assess the situation in the coming days. Affected passengers will be automatically rebooked and proactively contacted.”

IDF warns against misinformation as it boosts readiness over Iran threats

The IDF says it has stepped up its defensive posture and is closely monitoring developments amid reports of a possible US strike on Iran and Iranian threats of retaliation against Israel, while urging the public to rely only on official updates and avoid spreading rumors.

“I am aware of the reports over the past day and especially in the last few hours and request to clarify – the IDF is closely following the developments,” IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says in a statement posted on X.

He adds Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has been holding ongoing situational assessments in recent days, and that the military is on full alert.

“We are maintaining full oversight and are prepared for any development,” Defrin says, adding that Zamir “has instructed that defensive readiness be strengthened across all formations.”

Defrin also urges the public not to rely on unofficial information.

“Rely only on official IDF statements and avoid spreading rumors that could cause public concern,” he writes, stressing that “at this stage, there is no change in the Home Front Command’s defensive guidelines.”

“The IDF is prepared and will continue to act responsibly to protect the security of the citizens of the State of Israel,” he concludes, saying updates would be issued if necessary.

Gantz says it was a mistake to leave gov’t mid-war because ‘extremists’ were left in charge

Blue and White party chair Benny Gantz leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, December 29, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Blue and White party chairman Benny Gantz tells Channel 12 that it was a mistake to leave the government in June 2024 because it left “extremists” in charge for the remainder of the war in Gaza — a reference to far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

“It was a mistake in that the extremists remained with their hands on the wheel. The war dragged on for another year and more hostages were killed and all that was a shame,” Gantz says. “I think that because the extremists remained and embarrassed Netanyahu, it was a mistake.”

Gantz has come under significant criticism for having joined the government in the first place and for staying as long as he did, with anti-government activists arguing that it helped keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power.

Gantz has defended his conduct, arguing that he was acting based on the national interest, but Blue and White has consistently polled below the electoral threshold in recent months.

Report: Likelihood of US strike on Iran increases after Trump’s Tuesday meet with aides

The likelihood of a US strike on Iran has increased significantly after US President Donald Trump held a lengthy discussion with his advisers on the Iranian issue yesterday, Channel 12 reports.

“The bloodshed in Iran is continuing,” one American source is quoted as saying, adding that, at this rate, Trump “will have to do something within a day or two at the latest.”

The report also confirms that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in frequent contact with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in recent days, including conversations on Saturday and Monday, with another call expected later today.

However, it remains unclear whether Netanyahu has spoken directly with Trump in recent days, or whether a call between the two leaders is planned.

Addressing the possibility of Iranian retaliation against Israel, the report cites a senior Israeli security source as saying: “If Iran attacks, there won’t be another round – we will act to topple the regime.”

According to Channel 12, Arab diplomats have delivered similar warnings to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, threatening unprecedented consequences if it takes any aggressive action against Israel in the event of a US strike on Iran.

US official says Iran’s focus on internal crisis offers opportunity to disarm Hamas

A senior US official tells Channel 12 that he believes the internal crisis in Iran has created a unique opportunity to implement phase two of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the Gaza war.

The official argues that Arab countries are pressing Hamas to disarm and that the terror group is out of options because Iran is too focused on its own internal affairs to come to the rescue.

“There’s a big opportunity to demilitarize Gaza,” the US official says.

After legal twists, Arab Israeli reportedly granted asylum by UK over fear of persecution in Israel

The UK has reportedly granted asylum to an Arab Israeli national who claimed a “well-founded fear of persecution” if he were to return to Israel because of his pro-Palestinian activism.

The decision, which comes after an initial rejection and several legal twists and turns, would apparently be the first time that the UK has granted asylum to an Arab Israeli.

The 26-year-old, whose real name is barred from publication but who is referred to by his lawyers as “Hasan,” has lived almost entirely in the UK.

The Guardian reports that Hasan was granted asylum status just before Christmas, and received a letter from the UK Home Office asserting, “We accept you have a well-founded fear of persecution and therefore cannot return to your country, Israel.”

Hasan first applied for asylum in 2019, based on fear that he would face persecution in Israel for his involvement in pro-Palestinian activism in the UK, in addition to his identities as a Palestinian and a Muslim in Israel.

That request was denied in 2022, on the basis that there was no real risk of persecution.

Shortly before a tribunal was set to take up Hasan’s appeal, however, a representative of the UK Home Office communicated to his lawyers that it expected he would be granted relief — an expectation the lawyers shared with the press. After that story made headlines, the Home Office revisited the deliberations, and ultimately decided against Hasan.

In a decision last year, a judge determined that the Home Office had created a “substantive legitimate expectation,” on which Hasan acted, that relief would be granted; the subsequent disagreement within the agency did not suffice as justification for making an about-face, the court said, citing a Home Office communiqué that described granting relief as “within the range of reasonable decisions.”

As phase 2 announced, Netanyahu tells Ran Gvili’s parents his return is top priority

An image distributed by the Prime Minister's Office and apparently manipulated by Sara Netanyahu, showing her, center, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, second right, with US President Donald Trump, second left, flanked by the family of hostage Ran Gvili, December 29, 2025. (Amos Ben-Gershom / GPO / Sara Netanyahu)

After the US announces the start of phase two of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with the parents of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last remaining slain hostage in Gaza.

According to Netanyahu’s office, he tells 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 says 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% effort to return all fallen hostages, until the very last one — Ran Gvili, a hero of Israel,” says Netanyahu’s office in a statement.

Iran ready to respond ‘decisively’ to Israel, US — Revolutionary Guards chief

Iran is ready to respond “decisively” to its foes Israel and the United States, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says, accusing their leaders of being behind protests that swept the Islamic republic.

The Guard is at “the height of readiness to respond decisively to the miscalculation of the enemy,” says IRGC Commander Mohammad Pakpour in a written statement quoted by state television, accusing US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being the “murderers of the youth of Iran.”

Mideast mediators welcome establishment of Palestinian technocratic committee for Gaza

Mediating states Egypt, Qatar and Turkey issue a joint statement welcoming the formation of the Palestinian technocratic committee that will replace Hamas in running Gaza’s daily affairs.

The mediators confirm 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 say, expressing their hope that it will also pave the way for further implementation of phase two of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the Gaza war.

“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 adds.

Witkoff declares start of Gaza plan’s 2nd phase, says US expects Hamas to comply with commitments

Palestinians gather around the bodies of those killed in Israeli strikes, outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, January 12, 2026. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

US special envoy Steve Witkoff announces the launch of phase two of President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the Gaza war.

Witkoff says 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 says.

“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 adds.

“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 says, 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 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.

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.

While Witkoff’s statement speaks 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.

Hezbollah said to tell foreign diplomats it won’t strike US, Israel unless Iran leadership in existential danger

Diplomats have sought guarantees from Hezbollah that it will not take military action if the United States or Israel carried out on an attack on Iran, a Lebanese source familiar with the terror group’s thinking tells Reuters.

The source says the Iran-backed group was approached through diplomatic channels last week. Hezbollah did not offer explicit guarantees but has no plans to act if the strike on Iran is not “existential” for Iran’s leadership, the source adds.

Hamas-led Palestinian factions join those welcoming formation of Gaza technocratic committee

The majority of Palestinian factions and the presidency offered their support for the Palestinian technocratic committee meant to govern Gaza, after mediator Egypt announced on Wednesday that all parties had agreed on its members.

In a statement, Palestinian factions including Hamas and Islamic Jihad say 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 vows to “continue to work for national unity,” calls for an independent Palestinian state and urges mediators to pressure Israel to withdraw from Gaza. There is no mention of Hamas’s weapons, which the terror group must surrender to international forces under Trump’s plan.

The Ramallah-based Palestinian presidency also announced its support in official media, with a source from the office telling AFP the statement “reflects the position of the Fatah movement because President [Mahmoud] Abbas is also the head of Fatah.”

IDF footage shows Rafah firefight that killed six gunmen

Weapons recovered on the bodies of gunmen involved in a Rafah clash with IDF troops, in a photo cleared for publication on January 14, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF publishes new footage from yesterday’s clash between troops and gunmen in western Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, in which all six armed suspects involved were killed.

According to the military, forces from the 7th Armored Brigade identified six gunmen on the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line. Tanks moved in and opened fire, after which the suspects returned fire at one of the tanks, triggering a firefight that also included strikes by the air force.

The IDF called the incident a “serious violation” of the October ceasefire agreement and said it will continue to act against any attempts by terror groups in Gaza to carry out attacks on Israeli forces or civilians.

The video shows the gunmen firing at IDF tanks, with troops returning fire.

The military also publishes photos of the weapons that were found on the suspects’ bodies after the clash.

IDF footage shows a tank clashing with gunmen in west Rafah, in a video cleared for publication January 14, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

German-Israel deal strengthens cyber defense, German minister says

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt addresses a press conference in Berlin on November 5, 2025. (Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)

A new German-Israel agreement aims to counter cyberthreats and enhance security infrastructure, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt tells parliament.

Dobrindt signed the agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem over the weekend.

The collaboration includes the development of a joint “cyber dome” system, an artificial intelligence and cyber innovation center, drone defense cooperation, and improved civilian warning systems.

“We have already had a trusting partnership in the past, which we want to strengthen further,” Dobrindt says. “Israel has extensive experience in cyber defense. We want to benefit from that.”

The German Interior Ministry said on Monday the agreement would extend to protecting energy infrastructure and connected vehicle networks, in addition to enhancing collaboration in civil protection, counter-terrorism, and criminal prosecution.

European countries are facing increasing pressure to fortify their cyber defense systems against sophisticated attacks.

US welcomes PA’s support for implementation of Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan

The US State Department welcomes the Palestinian Authority’s support for the establishment of the technocratic committee that will replace Hamas in managing daily affairs in Gaza.

We welcome the Palestinian Presidency’s support for President Trump’s historic 20-Point Peace Plan. The U.S. remains committed to bringing an end to the war in Gaza and promote peace and stability in the Middle East. https://t.co/Brw6KTk9wR

— U.S. State Dept – Near Eastern Affairs (@StateDept_NEA) January 14, 2026

Anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace condemns New York’s proposed buffer zone for synagogue protests

The entrance to Park East Synagogue, with dueling protesters on each side, separated by police, in New York City, November 19, 2025. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Anti-Zionist activist groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace, condemn New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal for a buffer zone around synagogues to prevent the harassment of congregants during protests.

The activist groups, led by the legal advocacy organization Palestine Legal, call the proposal a “serious threat to New Yorkers’ First Amendment rights.”

The proposal does not seek to ban protests, but would establish a buffer zone of 25 feet (7.5 meters) around houses of worship where protests would not be allowed. The proposal would also protect non-Jewish houses of worship.

Hochul said the proposed law’s aim is “so those who simply want to pray can do so without fear or harassment.”

The proposal comes after two protests at New York City synagogues raised alarms in the Jewish community.

The demonstrators said they were targeting events connected to West Bank settlements, but the protesters chanted in support of terrorism and violence and harassed Jews with discriminatory epithets.

One of the protests, last week in Queens, took place more than 25 feet from the synagogue, so the law would not have had any effect.

“This proposed regulation sends a dangerous message that if people want to insulate their violations of international law from dissent, they need only relocate their events into houses of worship to suppress protest,” the anti-Zionist groups say in a joint statement also signed by the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Center for Constitutional Rights and Pal-Awda, the group that led the two synagogue protests.

German police arrest man suspected of trying to torch synagogue

German police have arrested a 32-year-old man suspected of trying to burn down a synagogue yesterday in what is believed to be an antisemitic attack, local media reports.

Security camera footage outside the Beith-Jaakov synagogue in the city of Giessen shows a man wearing a black backpack raising his arm in what appears to be a Nazi salute, according to reports. He then lit a pile of cardboard boxes stacked against the building and walked away.

The fire caused damage to the synagogue’s entrance but did not spread further. No one was injured.

Police told German media that the suspect appeared to have acted alone and that his motive remains under investigation.

The incident is part of a growing trend exemplified by the arson attack on a Mississippi temple in the US on Saturday, says Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of the European Jewish Association.

“There is no doubt that this was an antisemitic attack, following the same pattern of synagogue attacks we have seen over the past two years,” Margolin writes on social media. “In the last two years, 21 synagogues have been set on fire, and an alarming number of synagogues have been targeted.”

Margolin called on leaders to increase the security measures to ensure that Jewish institutions remain safe.

BREAKING: A man set fire overnight to a synagogue in Giessen, Germany 🇩🇪, then gave a Nazi salute.

Security footage shows him arriving at the synagogue, pouring a flammable liquid at the entrance, and setting it ablaze. After igniting the fire, he raised his arm in a Nazi… pic.twitter.com/cfIENxgVSm

— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 14, 2026

US to suspend visa processing for 75 nations next week

The Trump administration is suspending all visa processing for visitors from 75 countries starting January 21, Fox News reports, citing a memo from the US State Department.

Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria and Thailand are among the affected countries, according to the report.

Representatives for the State Department do not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported memo, which Fox News says directs US embassies to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses its procedures. No time frame was provided.

The reported pause comes amid the sweeping immigration crackdown pursued by Republican US President Donald Trump since taking office last January.

In November, Trump had vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries” following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member.

Abbas expresses support for Gaza technocratic committee, despite sidelining of PA

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attends a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron (not in picture) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, November 11, 2025. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas expresses its support for the new Palestinian technocratic committee that will be tasked with managing daily affairs in Gaza in place of Hamas.

The members of the new panel have not yet been formally announced but they have received official letters from Board of Peace High Representative Nickolay Mladenov to serve on the transitional committee.

The PA had hoped to 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.

Instead, a former PA deputy minister, Ali Shaath, will head the technocratic committee.

The statement from Abbas’s office welcoming the new panel lauds US President Donald 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 stresses the importance of not separating Gaza from the West Bank and urges countries to take actions to prevent the further tightening of Israel’s grip on the latter territory.

Security forces recover firearm used in Nablus attack on IDF troops

A firearm uncovered by security forces, which was used in a shooting attack on IDF troops in Nablus, January 14, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Security forces say they have located the weapon used in Sunday’s shooting attack on IDF troops in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, in which one soldier was moderately wounded.

In a joint statement, the IDF, Shin Bet and Border Police say that overnight, troops operating in Nablus under Shin Bet guidance found the firearm used by the assailant, who had already been arrested. A magazine and ammunition were also recovered.

Egypt says all parties agree on Gaza technocratic committee members

A photograph shows tent shelters housing displaced Palestinian families set up along the shore in Gaza City as strong winter winds sweep the Palestinian enclave on January 13, 2026. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announces that “a consensus has been reached on the members” of the 15-person Palestinian technocratic committee to govern the besieged Gaza Strip.

“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 says, indicating that all Palestinian factions back the members of the new committee.

Abdelatty stresses 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 expresses his hope that an announcement will soon be made revealing the 15 members and commencing the start of the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.

Some of the members of the technocratic committee are located in Gaza while others are outside the of Strip. Haaretz says 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, as the US is still working to fundraise for the initiative with reportedly limited success.

The committee will be headed by former Palestinian Authority deputy transportation minister Ali Shaath.

UK interior minister has no confidence in police chief after Israeli soccer fan ban

Anti-Israel signs seen ahead of an Aston Villa - Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer game in Birmingham, UK, November 6, 2025. (Screenshots via X, via Deen1fied on Instagram)

British interior minister Shabana Mahmood says she no longer has confidence in one of Britain’s top police officers after his force recommended Israeli fans be barred from attending an Aston Villa soccer game last year.

The ban, imposed on security grounds, was condemned by both the British and Israeli governments, while Jewish community leaders accused the force of misrepresenting intelligence and undermining public confidence.

“We have witnessed a failure of leadership that has harmed the reputation and eroded public confidence in West Midlands Police and policing more broadly,” Mahmood tells parliament.

Craig Guildford, West Midlands chief constable, has offered his “profound apology” after admitting that an erroneous reference to a fictitious West Ham-Maccabi Tel Aviv match in a report about the decision was generated by Microsoft’s Copilot artificial intelligence tool. He had previously said AI was not used in the report.

His police force has been accused of misrepresenting the threat from Maccabi’s fans to justify the ban recommendation, raising questions about its priorities to different groups in the local diverse community.

“I must declare today that the chief constable of West Midlands Police no longer has my confidence,” Mahmood says, after citing a report that highlighted shortcomings in the force’s decision.

At a parliamentary hearing earlier in January, West Midlands Police said its recommendation was driven by public safety concerns, citing intelligence that some local residents were planning to “arm themselves” against visiting supporters.

However, lawmakers expressed frustration that no contemporaneous documentation was provided and the information only surfaced via a media report on the day of the hearing on January 6.

Qatar says precautionary steps taken at US-run base after some personnel evacuated

Qatar says precautionary measures have been taken at the US-run Al Udeid Air Base, including the departure of some personnel, because of rising regional tensions, according to its International Media Office.

The office says the steps were part of broader efforts to safeguard the security of citizens and residents and to protect critical infrastructure and military facilities, adding that any further developments would be announced through official channels.

Wing of Zion lands back in Israel after departure sparked speculation of Iran escalation

Flight tracking sites show that Israel’s Wing of Zion official state plane has landed back in Israel after its departure just before noon this afternoon sparked speculation of an imminent escalation with Iran.

The plane departed Israel ahead of past rounds of fighting with Iran to avoid it being targeted by Iranian missiles.

Unnamed officials cited by several outlets deny the move had to do with Iran, saying the plane was engaged in a regularly scheduled training mission.

After taking off at 11:27 a.m. from Beersheba, it landed in the Greek island of Crete at 1:14 p.m. before taking off again less than an hour later and landing back in Beersheba at 3:14 p.m.

COGAT says Palestinian teachers on strike in Jerusalem received entry permits, doesn’t address allegation that days limited

Responding to a strike declared by the General Secretariat of Christian Educational Institutions in Jerusalem, COGAT, the Israeli body that oversees entry permits for Palestinians coming in from the West Bank, says “the claim that there are dozens of teachers without approved crossing permits is incorrect.”

“All teachers who are eligible for crossing permits received a designated permit following the required security screening,” a spokesman for COGAT says.

But Richard Zananiri, director of the private St. George’s School and a member of the Secretariat, says the problem is that the new entry permits exclude Fridays and Sundays, when schools hold educations programs and extracurricular activities.

The move affects more than half of the roughly 300 teachers employed across all private schools in the city, while the strike, now in its fourth day, affects around 20,000 students, including 8,500 pupils in 15 Christian schools, according to Zananiri.

Lebanese military source: Preparations underway to seize non-state weapons north of Litani

A senior Lebanese military source cited by Al Jazeera says the military is surveying the area between the Litani and Awali rivers in preparation for the second phase of its effort to enforce a monopoly on arms in the country.

The first phase concerned the area between the Litani and the border with Israel, while the second phase concerns areas north of the Litani. The Litani runs about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the Israeli border, while the Awali runs between 60 and 90 kilometers (36 and 54 miles) north of the border.

“We’ve reinforced checkpoints in all areas to prevent the transfer of weapons north of the Litani,” Al Jazeera quotes the unnamed military source as saying.

The source also expresses concern about the expected withdrawal of UNIFIL from south Lebanon. The international peacekeeping force’s mandate is set to expire at the end of this year.

According to the source, the Lebanese military will require some 4,000 more troops to fill the gap that will be left by UNIFIL. “If no alternative is found for UNIFIL, we may witness clashes between the Israeli and Lebanese armies,” the source says.

Separately, the source says Lebanon has detained 160 members of the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations since the start of 2026.

The Lebanese army and UNIFIL were required to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure south of the Litani under a November 2024 ceasefire deal, which ended over a year of hostilities that saw Israel invade Lebanon to ensure the safe return of some 60,000 residents of northern Israel displaced by Hezbollah’s near-daily attacks.

Israel was required to pull out of southern Lebanon, but has held on to five border points, accusing the Lebanese military of failing to completely dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure.

The Lebanese government that took power early last year has vowed to uphold a monopoly on arms — a thinly veiled threat against Hezbollah’s extensive arsenal.

US withdrawing troops from key Middle East bases as precaution, US official says

People walk past a large patriotic banner depicting the Iranian flag in Enghelab Square in Tehran on January 14, 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

The United States is withdrawing personnel from key bases in the region as a precaution given heightened regional tensions, a US official tells Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The disclosure follows remarks by a senior Iranian official who told Reuters earlier that Tehran had warned neighbors hosting US troops that it would hit American bases if Washington strikes.

Earlier today, some personnel were advised to leave the US military’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by this evening.

Al Udeid is the Middle East’s largest US base, housing around 10,000 troops. Ahead of the US airstrikes on Iran in June some personnel were moved off US bases in the Middle East.

Germany looking closely at its trade volume with Iran, says spokesperson

A demonstrator displays a placard calling for dialogue with Reza Pahlavi at an anti-Iranian regime protest in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, on January 12, 2026. (John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

The German government will take a close look at its trade volumes with Iran, including the types of goods, with an eye to how Berlin could increase pressure on Tehran, a German government spokesperson says.

German-Iranian trade volume amounted to approximately 1.5 billion euros ($1.75 billion) in 2024 and likely declined further in 2025 due to sanctions by the US and EU, an economy ministry spokesperson says at the same press conference.

Western official: Iranian regime not on brink of collapse, crackdown restored some calm

A Western official tells Reuters it does not appear the Iranian government is facing imminent collapse and its security apparatuses remain in control.

The crackdown had restored some calm, though the authorities have been impacted, the official adds.

Beijing tells Chinese firms to stop using US and Israeli cybersecurity software

Chinese authorities have told domestic companies to stop using cybersecurity software made by roughly a dozen firms from the US and Israel due to national security concerns, two people briefed on the matter say.

As trade and diplomatic tensions flare between China and the US and both sides vie for tech supremacy, Beijing has been keen to replace Western-made technology with domestic alternatives.

The US companies whose cybersecurity software has been banned include Broadcom-owned VMware, Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet, while the Israeli companies include Check Point Software Technologies, the sources say.

Reuters was not able to establish how many Chinese companies received the notice that the sources say was issued in recent days.

Chinese authorities expressed concern that the software could collect and transmit confidential information abroad, the sources say. They decline to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation.

Trump says anything less than having Greenland in US hands is ‘unacceptable’

US President Donald Trump says that anything less than US control of Greenland is unacceptable, hours before Vice President JD Vance is to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks.

In a post on his social media site, Trump reiterates his argument that the US “needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security.” He adds that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it” and that otherwise Russia or China will.

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump writes. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

Greenland is at the center of a geopolitical storm as Trump is insisting he wants to own the island — and the residents of its capital, Nuuk, say it is not for sale. The White House has not ruled out taking the Arctic island by force.

Vance is to meet Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt in Washington to discuss the island, which is a semiautonomous territory of the United States’ NATO ally Denmark.

Ahead of the meeting, France’s foreign minister denounced what he described as US “blackmail” over Greenland in the latest sign of irritation among America’s allies.

Herzog warns ministers: Disobeying a court order would be destructive for Israel

President Isaac Herzog speaks at a Bible studies event at his residence in Jerusalem on December 30, 2025. (Haim Zach/GPO)

President Isaac Herzog emphatically warns that threats not to obey court rulings and orders would be a “real danger” for Israel and its democracy, averring that failing to abide by a judicial ruling would be “destructive” for the country.

The president’s remarks come following multiple threats by senior cabinet ministers not to obey potential court rulings on various cases, as well as what the attorney general said Monday was the government’s ongoing violation of a court order regarding the enforcement of military conscription for ultra-Orthodox men.

“We need to know that without a legal system we could not exist as a society and as a state,” Herzog says in remarks delivered at the Mekor Haim yeshiva high school in the Kfar Etzion settlement in the West Bank.

“It is unthinkable that anyone would consider disobeying a court ruling. When one disobeys a court ruling, or when one calls for disobeying a ruling — one endangers the State of Israel, Israeli society, social order, and endangers our ability to live together,” says the president.

“To think that a court order should not be obeyed or that is is forbidden to obey the court, or to say that one should not obey a ruling, is a disaster, and it is a great danger to the state,” continues Herzog.

“It is a real danger, and therefore I warn against it in the strongest possible terms. Do not go there and do not speak of it. Debate, yes — debate is legitimate. But God forbid that we cast doubt on our ability to respect court rulings.”

The president’s warning comes after three senior cabinet ministers sent a letter yesterday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that if the High Court of Justice were to order him to remove National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from office for violating court orders regarding police practice, he should ignore the order.

Several other cabinet ministers have made similar threats over different cases in recent weeks.

Nurse reported killed by IDF in southern Gaza

Gaza hospitals received the bodies of two people killed by IDF gunfire within the past 24 hours, the Strip’s Hamas-run health ministry says in a report. The report does not identify the dead or specify where and when they died.

According to Palestinian media, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, received the body of a man killed by the IDF this morning in nearby Bani Suheila, on the Israeli-controlled side of the Gaza ceasefire line. He was identified as Hatem Abu Salah, 46, and reportedly worked as a nurse at Nasser Hospital. The IDF has not commented on the reports.

🎥_ تشييع جثمان الشهيد حاتم إبراهيم أبو صالح (46 عامًا)، أحد كوادر التمريض في مجمع ناصر الطبي، الذي ارتقى إثر استهدافه بإطلاق نار من طائرة كواد كابتر على دوار بني سهيلا، أثناء توجهه لجلب ملابس شتوية لأطفاله والاطمئنان على منزله شرق خانيونس pic.twitter.com/irRcWfeDZz

— عربي بوست (@arabic_post) January 14, 2026

Another man died last night of wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike on Jabalia in northern Gaza on Sunday. He was identified as Ahmed Abu Hussein. His age was not reported.

The IDF said Sunday that it struck two suspects who crossed the ceasefire line in the area of Jabalia and approached troops in a manner that “posed an immediate threat.”

Meanwhile, the Hamas-run health ministry says in its daily report that a person was killed and another injured in the partial collapse of a building due to strong winds and heavy rain.

The statement does not specify where the collapse took place. Palestinian media reported yesterday afternoon that a man was killed by bricks that fell from a damaged mosque onto his tent in central Gaza City, in the Strip’s north. The mosque was reportedly bombed by Israel during the war.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 25 people have been killed in the collapse of damaged buildings in Gaza this winter season, starting last month.

Hamas, Egyptian officials discuss Gaza governing committee

Hamas officials says the group has opened talks with Egyptian mediators in Cairo on the formation of a technocratic committee to govern Gaza as part of the US-brokered truce plan for the Palestinian territory.

Under a 20-point program proposed by US President Donald Trump in October, Gaza would be administered by a transitional Palestinian committee operating under the supervision of a so-called “Board of Peace” to be chaired by Trump himself.

The Cairo meeting between a Hamas delegation and Egyptian mediators aims to address the formation of the committee, including its operational mechanisms, a senior Hamas official tells AFP on condition of anonymity.

Palestinian sources tell Reuters they expect Trump to move forward on Gaza plan today

Destroyed homes seen on January 6, 2026, in the Hamad City area, north of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. (Abed Rahim Khatib/FLASH90)

Four Palestinian sources tell Reuters that US President Donald Trump is indeed expected to push ahead with his phased plan for Gaza’s future by announcing the administration that will run the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, as previously reported.

Israel and Hamas in October signed off on Trump’s 20-point plan which says that a technocratic Palestinian body overseen by an international “Board of Peace” is meant to govern Gaza for a transitional period. It is not to include Hamas representation.

The 14-member Palestinian body will be headed by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Western-backed Palestinian Authority who had been in charge of developing industrial zones, the Palestinian sources say.

Other members tapped by Nickolay Mladenov, the former UN Middle East envoy who is expected to represent the Board of Peace on the ground, include people from the private sector and NGOS, according a list of the names obtained by Reuters.

UK’s West Midlands Police admits using false AI info as part of decision to ban Maccabi fans

Screen grab taken from the UK's Parliament TV of Chief Constable of West Midlands Police Craig Guildford giving evidence to the Home Affairs Committee on soccer policing, January 8, 2026. (House of Commons/PA Images via Getty Images)

The head of the UK’s West Midlands Police has admitted that in compiling data ahead of a decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a soccer game last fall, the force used erroneous information on a previous match supplied by AI.

It is not clear to what degree the fake information, on a 2023 match that never took place, contributed to the highly controversial decision to ban the Israeli fans from the Aston Villa game over “public safety concerns.”

“On Friday afternoon I became aware that the erroneous result concerning the [previous] West Ham v Maccabi Tel Aviv match arose as result of a use of Microsoft Co Pilot,” Chief Constable Craig Guildford writes to the Home Affairs Select Committee.

He said he and a deputy had, “up until Friday afternoon, understood that the West Ham match had only been identified through the use of Google… I would like to offer my profound apology to the Committee for this error.”

Guildford has faced growing pressure to resign over the handling of the affair, and Jewish groups have asserted that police “reached a decision first, and then searched for evidence to justify it, apparently influenced by the threat posed by local extremists.”

Former IDF chief Herzi Halevi called to give testimony in Bild leak affair

Former IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi attends the funeral ceremony of slain hostage Tamir Adar at Kibbutz Nir Oz, southern Israel, on October 23, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Former IDF chief Herzi Halevi has been summoned to give testimony in the Bild affair, in which aides to the prime minister are suspected of leaking classified intelligence to the German tabloid in summer 2024 in order to influence Israeli public opinion about hostage negotiations with Hamas.

Additionally, in recent days Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, has been questioned over suspicions he attempted to obstruct the investigation into the leak.

Netanyahu’s former spokesman and the key suspect in the Bild leak affair, Eli Feldstein, alleged last month that Braverman knew of a covert investigation into the leak months before it was publicized and had assured Feldstein that he’d be able to quash the probe.

In an interview with the Kan public broadcaster last month, Feldstein said Braverman asked to meet him late at night in an underground parking lot in the Kirya military headquarters, where he informed him that the IDF had launched an investigation into the leak.

The Bild affair followed the execution of six Israeli hostages at the hands of their Hamas captors, when Israeli troops approached the tunnel where they were located in the southern Gaza city of Rafah at the end of August 2024. The execution sparked massive public uproar against the government, which critics saw as the obstacle in ceasefire negotiations due to Netanyahu’s perceived prioritization of an amorphous “total victory” over Hamas at the expense of hostages’ lives. The document leaked to Bild appeared to be an attempt by Netanyahu’s office to shift the blame for the failure of talks to Hamas.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards point to battle readiness and increased missile stockpiles

Iran’s stockpile of missiles has increased since its 12-day war with Israel last year, Revolutionary Guards’ Aerospace Commander Majid Mousavi says according to state media, following US President Donald Trump’s threats of intervention amid anti-government protests in Iran.

“We are at the peak of our readiness,” Mousavi is 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.

State plane Wing of Zion leaves Israeli airspace amid fears of new fighting with Iran

The Wing of Zion plane ahead of a trip by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States, February 2, 2025. (Lazar Berman/Times of Israel)

Israel’s “Wing of Zion” official state plane leaves Israeli airspace, heading out over the Mediterranean from the Nevatim Air Force base near Beersheba, per flight tracking sites.

The plane departed Israel ahead of past rounds of fighting with Iran to avoid it being targeted by Iranian missiles.

Unnamed officials cited by several outlets deny the move is to do with Iran, saying the plane is engaged in a regularly scheduled training mission.

On June 13, hours after Israel launched its attack on Iranian nuclear and ballistic missiles 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.

Hostages Forum urges Netanyahu not to move forward with Gaza plan until Ran Gvili returned

A poster of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is seen at a rally calling for Hamas to return his remains from Gaza, in the southern Israeli community of Meitar, December 13, 2025. (Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90)

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, together with the family of Ran Gvili — the last hostage still held in Gaza — urges Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to move forward with the second phase of the ceasefire until Gvili’s body is returned, amid reports that US President Donald Trump is expected to announce the transition later today.

In a statement, the group says Netanyahu promised the family in private conversations that Israel would not proceed to phase two of the deal until Gvili is brought home, calling on the premier to honor that commitment.

The forum warns that advancing the agreement now would mean “giving up the most significant source of leverage” and could “effectively condemn Ran to permanent disappearance.”

“Until Ran is returned, the State of Israel will not be able to close its deepest open wound or begin the process of recovery and healing that it so desperately needs,” the statement says, adding that the next stage of the ceasefire “cannot be implemented while Ran remains in captivity.”

Turkey stresses need for negotiations to resolve regional issues in call with Iran

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stresses the need for talks to resolve current regional tensions in a call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source says.

A Turkish diplomatic source separately says Turkey was also in touch with US officials, amid US President Donald Trump’s threats to intervene in nationwide protests in Iran.

Some personnel advised to leave US military base in Qatar, diplomats say

Some personnel were advised to leave the US military’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by this evening, three diplomats tell Reuters.

The US embassy in Doha has no immediate comment.

Al Udeid is the Middle East’s largest US base, housing around 10,000 troops. Ahead of the US airstrikes on Iran in June some personnel were moved off US bases in the Middle East.

IDF finds, destroys two apparently old rocket launchers in Gaza

A multi-barrel rocket launcher found in southern Gaza, January 13, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF says its troops located and destroyed two rocket launchers during operations in the Gaza Strip yesterday, as part of efforts to dismantle terror infrastructure along the Yellow Line.

According to the military, a unit from the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade found a launcher loaded with one rocket in northern Gaza aimed toward Israeli territory.

In a separate operation in southern Gaza, troops from the 188th Armored Brigade located a multi-barrel launcher and a rocket beside it, which were also destroyed.

A military official says the launchers were likely old and had been positioned in the areas before the October ceasefire came into effect.

Hezbollah warns Lebanese state against expanding disarmament push

Lebanese army soldiers secure the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in the southern Lebanese village of Deir Kifa on November 19, 2025. (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)

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 armed group.

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.

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 says 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 says, though he adds that Hezbollah will not be dragged into a confrontation with Lebanon’s army.

The Lebanese army said last week that it had taken operational control in the area between the Litani River and Israel’s border. The Lebanese cabinet has asked the army to brief it in early February on how it would pursue disarmament in other parts of the country.

Direct Iran-US communications have been suspended, senior Iranian official says

Direct communications between Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been suspended, a senior Iranian official tells Reuters, after US President Donald Trump’s threats to intervene amid nationwide protests in Iran.

The senior official adds that US threats undermine diplomatic efforts and that potential meetings between the two officials to find a diplomatic solution to a decades-long nuclear dispute have been canceled.

Iran warned regional countries of strikes on US bases if attacked, official says

Iran warned regional countries it will strike US military bases in those countries in case of a US attack, a senior Iranian official tells Reuters, following President Donald Trump’s threats to intervene amid nationwide anti-government protests.

“Tehran has told regional countries, from Saudi Arabia and UAE to Turkey, that US bases in those countries will be attacked if the US targets Iran… asking these countries to prevent Washington from attacking Iran,” the official says.

IDF demolishes terrorist’s West Bank home two and a half weeks after deadly attack

The IDF says it demolished the home of Ahmed al-Rub in the West Bank town of Qabatiya overnight, two and a half weeks after he carried out a stabbing and car-ramming attack in northern Israel that killed two people.

In the December 26 attack ,Shimshon Mordechai, 68, and Aviv Maor, 19, were killed and several other civilians were wounded.

שבועיים וחצי לאחר הפיגוע: כוחות חטיבת מנשה הרסו בקבאטיה את ביתו של המחבל שביצע את הפיגוע המשולב בעמק חרוד

כוחות סיירת נח״ל, יחידת יהל״ם ומג"ב יפתח, פעלו במהלך הלילה בקבאטיה שבחטיבת מנשה להריסת ביתו של המחבל אחמד אבו אלרוב, שביצע את הפיגוע המשולב בעמק חרוד ב-26 בדצמבר 2025, בו… pic.twitter.com/KyPg3phuHt

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 14, 2026

The home was sealed shortly after the attack and was formally demolished overnight by Nahal Brigade reconnaissance troops, the Yahalom engineering unit and Border Police forces, according to the military.

During the operation, the IDF says troops also carried out arrests and interrogations of suspects in the area in connection with suspected terror activity.

Iran nationwide internet shutdown has now lasted over 130 hours — monitor

The nationwide shutdown of the internet by authorities in Iran, which activists fear is aimed at masking the true scale of a deadly crackdown on protests, has now lasted over 130 hours, a monitor says.

“Metrics show #Iran remains offline as the country wakes to another day of digital darkness,” says Netblocks in a post on X.

⚠️ Update: Metrics show #Iran remains offline as the country wakes to another day of digital darkness.

With the internet blackout now past its 132nd hour, early reports indicate thousands of casualties. The true extent of the killings is obscured by the absence of connectivity. pic.twitter.com/KVNqOTH848

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) January 14, 2026

Iran judiciary chief vows fast trials for suspects arrested over protests

Anti-Iranian regime protesters burn an image of the Iranian flag, during a gathering outside the Iranian Embassy, central London, on January 12, 2026. (Henry NICHOLLS / AFP)

Iran’s judiciary chief vows fast-track trials for suspects arrested over a wave of protests that the authorities have dismissed as “riots,” state television says.

“If a person burned someone, beheaded someone and set them on fire then we must do our work quickly,” Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei says on a visit to a prison holding protest detainees, in comments broadcast by state television.

Iranian news agencies also quote him as saying the trials should be held “in public” and say he spent five hours in a prison in Tehran to examine the cases. Rights groups say thousands have been arrested and fear the judiciary will make extensive use of capital punishment.

China says it opposes outside interference in Iran’s internal affairs

China opposes any outside interference in Iran’s internal affairs, the Chinese foreign ministry says, after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would take “very strong action” against Tehran.

China does not condone the use or the threat of force in international relations, Mao Ning, spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry, says at a regular news conference when asked about China’s position following Trump’s comments.

Trump told CBS News in an interview that the United States would take “very strong action” if Iran starts hanging protesters. Trump also urged protesters to keep protesting and said that help was on the way.

IDF says 6 gunmen killed in yesterday’s Rafah firefight, a ‘serious violation’ of truce

The IDF says that all six of the gunmen identified during a clash in western Rafah yesterday were killed during the exchange of fire.

In a statement, the military says troops from the 7th Armored Brigade 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.

The IDF reiterates that the incident constitutes a “serious violation” of the October ceasefire agreement and says it will continue to act against any attempts by terror groups in Gaza to carry out attacks on Israeli forces or civilians.

French FM: Iran crackdown could be most violent in its contemporary history

France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot arrives to attend a Franco-German cabinet meeting in Toulon, south-eastern France, on August 29, 2025. (Manon Cruz / POOL / AFP)

France suspects that Iran’s crackdown on demonstrations across the country is the most violent in the country’s contemporary history, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot says.

“What we suspect is that this is the most violent repression in Iran’s contemporary history and that it must absolutely stop,” Barrot says.

Wall Street Journal: US will announce movement to phase two of Gaza plan today

A photograph shows tent shelters housing displaced Palestinian families set up along the shore in Gaza City as strong winter winds sweep the Palestinian enclave on January 13, 2026. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

The US is poised to announce today a transition into phase two of its Gaza peace plan, and the formation of a Palestinian technocratic committee to oversee the enclave in the immediate future, The Wall Street Journal reports.

That would line up with what an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel yesterday.

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.

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 as long as the terror group does not do so.

Jacob Magid contributed to this report.

Person said critically wounded in shooting in Jerusalem’s Pisgat Zeev

Police dispatch officers to the scene of a shooting in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Zeev in which a person was reportedly critically wounded.

A statement from the force says it isn’t yet clear whether the shooting is a suspected terror attack.

Starlink now offering free internet service inside Iran

A Starlink antenna for aircraft on display at Al-Maktoum International Airport during the Dubai Airshow 2025 in Dubai on November 20, 2025. (Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)

The satellite internet provider Starlink now offers free service in Iran, activists say.

Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based activist who has helped get the units into Iran, tells The Associated Press that the free service has started. Other activists also confirm in messages online that the service is free.

Starlink has been the only way for Iranians to communicate with the outside world since authorities shut down the internet Thursday night as nationwide protests swelled and they began a bloody crackdown against demonstrators. Starlink itself doesn’t immediately acknowledge the decision.

Sydney Sweeney meets freed hostages Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or

Freed hostages Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or, who were captured by Palestinian terrorists from Gaza during the October 2023 invasion of southern Israel, met with American movie star Sydney Sweeney, according to a photo published by the pro-Israel group Stand With Us.

Actress Sydney Sweeney alongside Hamas captivity survivors Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or.

Noa and Avinatan were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, from the Nova Festival in southern Israel. Noa was rescued from Gaza in June 2024 during an IDF operation, and… pic.twitter.com/yYBhMfN89n

— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) January 13, 2026

Israel said to suggest US wait to strike Iran until heat further turned up on regime

A member of the Secret Service (L) looks on as US President Donald Trump (R) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) leave at the conclusion of a joint press conference at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 29, 2025. (Jim WATSON / AFP)

Israeli and Arab officials have suggested the Trump administration hold off on striking Iran for now, believing that the Islamic Republic may not be sufficiently weakened in order for an American attack to topple it, NBC News reports.

Citing a US official, an-ex US official briefed on the matter, a person familiar with Israeli leaders’ thinking and two Arab officials, the network says that the Israeli and Arab officials prefer the US wait to strike until the Iranian regime is further stretched.

The report says these messages were relayed in talks held the past few days involving US political and military leaders.

According to NBC, Israeli officials told their American interlocutors that they strongly support regime change and US efforts to bring it about, but are worried that foreign military action may not be enough.

They also reportedly suggested the US act in other ways to destabilize the regime and support the protesters, who could do more to undermine the Islamic Republic until strikes could have a decisive role. Among the actions that NBC says Israel proposed are assisting Iranians get around the communications shutdown, toughening economic sanctions, engaging in a cyberattack or launching targeted strikes against specific senior leaders in Iran that could help spur the regime’s demise.

One of the Arab officials quoted in the report says there is a “lack of enthusiasm from the neighborhood” for an American attack on Iran at the moment, while the other is worried that “any attack or escalation by Israel or the US will unite Iranians.”

Iran claims US, Israel to blame for ‘loss of innocent civilian lives’ in deadly protest crackdown

Iran is accusing US President Donald Trump of encouraging political destabilization, inciting violence, and threatening the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security, Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani writes to the Security Council.

“The United States and the Israeli regime bear direct and undeniable legal responsibility for the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives, particularly among the youth,” he writes in the letter, which was also sent to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Tehran doctors say Iranian security forces intentionally firing at protesters’ eyes and heads

Over 400 eye wounds from gunshots have been documented at a Tehran hospital by an ophthalmologist working there, according to the Guardian.

The British newspaper reports that it received three messages from doctors about the conditions in hospitals, which they say have been overwhelmed by demonstrators with gunshot wounds — most of them to the eyes and heads.

“[Security forces] are deliberately shooting at the head and the eyes. They want to damage the head and the eyes so they can no longer see, the same thing they did in [2022],” one of the doctors is quoted as saying. According to the doctor, many of the injured had to have their eyes removed and were blinded as a result.

“Eyes were hit by birdshot pellets and it was deliberate, they are shooting to kill.”

Senior Khamenei aide speaks with Qatari PM about protests after calling Trump, Netanyahu ‘main killers’ of Iranians

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, attends a ceremony at Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's grave in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, marking the first anniversary of Nasrallah's assassination in Israeli airstrikes. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Iranian and Qatari officials speak amid the deadly crackdown in Iran and America’s escalating threats to intervene if protesters are not spared.

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, speaks by phone with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister.

In a statement on X, Al Thani says he “reaffirmed the State of Qatar’s backing of all de-scalation efforts, as well as peaceful solutions to enhance security and stability in the region.”

Qatar got caught in the crossfire during Israel’s 12-day war in June when the Islamic Republic retaliated on US airstrikes on its nuclear facility by targeting US forces at Al Udeid Air Base outside of Doha.

Earlier, after Trump’s social media post urging Iranians to “take over” government institutions, Larijani posted on X: “We declare the names of the main killers of the people of Iran: 1- Trump 2- Netanyahu.”

Heading into briefing, Trump says he’ll soon have ‘accurate numbers’ on Iran protest death toll

US President Donald Trump enters the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on January 13, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)

US President Donald Trump says he is about to be briefed on the situation in Iran, during which he is expecting to receive a more accurate figure of protesters killed by the regime.

“We’ll get some accurate numbers as to what’s happening with regard to the killing. The killing looks like it’s significant, but we don’t know yet for certain… I’ll know in about 20 minutes,” Trump tells reporters after landing back in Washington after a brief trip to Detroit.

“It looks like they’re killing a lot of people, but it has not been confirmed,” he adds.

Trump says he knows what the possible responses to Iran’s killing of protesters might be, but has not yet decided on which action the US will take.

Trump threatens ‘very strong action’ if Iran starts hanging protesters

US President Donald Trump listens to Corey Williams, Ford River Rouge Plant Manager, left, and Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford, during a tour of the Ford River Rogue complex, January 13, 2026, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

US President Donald Trump warns of unspecified “very strong action” against Iran if its authorities go ahead with the threatened hanging of some protesters.

Trump tells CBS News that the United States would act if Iran began hanging protesters, after Tehran prosecutors said Iranian authorities would press capital charges of “moharebeh,” or “waging war against God,” against some suspects arrested over recent demonstrations.

“I haven’t heard about the hanging. If they hang them, you’re going to see some things… We will take very strong action if they do such a thing,” says the American leader, who has repeatedly threatened Iran with military intervention.

“When they start killing thousands of people — and now you’re telling me about hanging. We’ll see how that’s going to work out for them,” Trump adds.

He also says “no one has been able to give us accurate numbers” on how many demonstrators the Islamic Republic has killed in its crackdown on the unrest.

“It looks like it could be a pretty substantial number, and that’s going to be a lot of problems for them,” Trump says. “I’ve heard two numbers, but we’ll see what that is.”

Asked what is “the end game” in Iran, Trump answers, “the end game is to win. I like winning.”

EXCLUSIVE: In an interview with @TonyDokoupil, President Trump says the U.S. will take “very strong action” in Iran if the regime starts hanging protesters. "We don't want to see what's happening in Iran happen," he said. "It's not gonna work out good."

Watch more tonight on the… pic.twitter.com/0q1pu791dt

— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) January 13, 2026

US says American citizens in Iran ‘should leave now,’ consider departing to Turkey or Armenia

The US urges its citizens to leave Iran immediately, and advises them to consider departing by land to Turkey or Armenia, according to a new notice released by the US virtual embassy in Tehran.

“US citizens should leave Iran now. Consider departing Iran by land to Türkiye or Armenia, if safe to do so,” the notice says.

Iran is currently seeing its biggest anti-government demonstrations in years as the administration of US President Donald Trump weighs how to respond to the situation in the Middle Eastern nation.