Siddhant Kishore, Annika Ganzeveld, Katherine Wells, Kelly Campa, and Nicholas Carl

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Hamas announced that the next round of hostage releases will occur on January 26. Hamas released three female Israeli hostages on the first day of the ceasefire on January 19. Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners into the West Bank in exchange.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) facilitated the entry of 630 humanitarian aid trucks into the Gaza Strip on January 19. Israel is required to support the entry of 600 aid trucks into the Gaza Strip daily during the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas.

The IDF fired warning shots at approaching Gazans in the Gaza Strip on January 20. Palestinian medical officials reported that IDF injured eight Gazans in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. A Palestinian journalist reported that the IDF also injured two individuals in the central Gaza Strip. The IDF warned Gazans on January 19 to avoid approaching Israeli forces in designated areas.

Key Takeaways:

• Gaza Strip Ceasefire: Hamas announced that the next round of hostage releases will occur on January 26.

• West Bank: The IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said that the IDF must be prepared for “significant operations” in the West Bank in the “coming days.”

• Northern Syria: Likely Arab tribal forces have engaged the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in several locations along the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in SDF-controlled territory.

• Northern Syria: Anti-SDF outlets have continued to circulate unconfirmed reports that the HTS-led Department of Military Operations deployed forces to the SDF-SNA frontlines near Manbij. An HTS decision to send fighters to reinforce the SNA would represent a significant departure from current HTS efforts to coerce the SDF to disarm.

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