Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (January 7 – 14, 2025)
IDF forces continued extensive operations in the northern, central and southern Gaza Strip. They eliminated dozens of terrorists from the air and on the ground and destroyed terror facilities. According to reports, Hamas operatives were using tunnels in northern Gaza and had restored communication systems. Twelve IDF soldiers were killed in the fighting in the northern Gaza Strip; A breakthrough was reported in the indirect negotiations in Qatar, and final responses from Israel and Hamas regarding the first stage of the agreement are pending. Senior Hamas figures discussed the negotiations with the Emir of Qatar and the head of Turkish intelligence; A senior Hamas figure said they had agreed to establish a support committee to administer the Gaza Strip based on technocrats, and claimed the movement did not seek to control the Strip. According to reports, the Palestinian Authority (PA) informed Egypt of its opposition to the idea of the support committee; A new "popular" movement was announced in the Gaza Strip, accusing Hamas of not representing the public and intimidating local residents; According to reports, internal elections to choose the new head of the political bureau to replace Yahya Sinwar will take place in March 2025; Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria. Two terrorists en route to carry out an attack were detained; The PA security forces continued their operations against armed terrorists in the Jenin refugee camp. Seventeen booby-trapped vehicles and more than 240 explosive devices were neutralized. Hamas condemned the PA's actions and called on the public to stop them.
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