Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says if Hamas maintains control in the Gaza Strip, the group will pose a threat not just to Israel but the entire region.

“The rule of Hamas in Gaza is not only a danger for the security of Israel, but also a nightmare for the Palestinians themselves,” causing 15 months of grueling war in Gaza and the region, Sa’ar tells foreign media outlets during a briefing in Jerusalem. “If [Hamas] will stay in power, the regional instability it causes might continue,” he adds. Sa’ar echoes comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last night that what went into effect this morning is a “temporary ceasefire,” and that a more permanent truce will be negotiated only starting on day 16 of the agreement: “I hope we will reach it, but it’s not in our hands yet.”

If a deal suitable to Israel is not reached — including the toppling of Hamas and the return of all the hostages — then fighting will resume, adds Sa’ar.

Hostages Deal - Ceasefire: The government will convene in less than two hours, for a meeting that will last into Shabbat.

Amit Segel reports now that there has been a change in plans and that the government meeting to approve the deal will be today at 3:30 pm local time.

Iran: Tehran unveils blood-spattered mural proclaiming ‘no hostage will be released’

In a provocative move, authorities in #Tehran have unveiled a mural featuring blood-splattered images of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7th, accompanied by the Hebrew phrase “No #hostage will be released.” This mural, located in Palestine Square, was reported by Iran International and other local media outlets. Prominently displayed among the images is Noa Argamani, who, contrary to the mural's declaration, was rescued by #IDF forces in a June operation alongside three other hostages.

As an ally of #Hamas, Iran has intensified its aggression, orchestrating two large-scale aerial assaults on Israel since the onset of the conflict. Furthermore, the regime has been implicated in efforts to recruit Israeli citizens for espionage and assassination activities on its behalf.

No ceasefire deal ‘on the horizon’ Hamas claims

🔶️ Hamas representative tells Al Jazeera: negotiations for hostage deal in Cairo have seen no advancement

🔶️ Israel's Channel 12 reports an Israeli official saying 'we still do not see a deal on the horizon'

Dozens of Nukhba terrorists who participated in the massacre - arrested in Khan Yunis

The terrorists were taken in for questioning by AMAN and Shin Bet personnel and provided information on how hostages were held in the Strip.

Dozens of Nukhba terrorists who participated in the massacre on October 7 were arrested yesterday in a refugee camp in western Khan Yunis, this was published this evening (Sunday) here.

According to the report, a total of 60 terrorists were arrested in the operation in question, including many who were involved in the imprisonment and holding of Israeli hostages in the southern Gaza Strip.

The terrorists were taken in for questioning by Iman and Shin Bet personnel, and provided information on the manner in which abductees were moved from place to place within the Strip.

Terrorists even described how they handed over hostages who were under their care to other terrorists - and joined the fighting against IDF forces.

After the operation at the Nassar hospital, the IDF forces in the Gaza Strip are focusing mainly on Hamas infrastructure and working on everything related to the hostage. The security establishment estimates that many of the hostages are being held in the Rafah area alongside senior Hamas officials who are hiding there.

Ecuadorian authorities detain more than 1,300 rioters amid gang-fueled unrest

Ecuador’s armed forces and police have detained a total of 1,327 participants in the street riots that were sparked by recent gang-related disorder in the South American country’s prison system, the government of President Daniel Noboa announced in a statement.

"From January 9 to January 14, 2024, the Armed Forces detained 1,327 people nationwide, 143 of them on charges of terrorism. Five terrorists were eliminated, 11 police officers [held hostage] were released, while two police officers died in the line of duty," the Ecuadorian administration reported on its account on social network X.

Ecuador’s security forces seized almost 500 firearms and bombs, and more than five tons of narcotic substances. They also secured the release of 11 police officers and 201 correctional staff members that had been held hostage by rioters affiliated with criminal gangs.

The security situation in Ecuador deteriorated sharply on January 7 after Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, leader of the Los Choneros gang who is known by the alias "Fito," escaped from prison, prompting riots to break out in several correctional institutions. On January 8, Noboa declared a state of emergency in the country and imposed a curfew.

Israeli footballer Sagiv Yechezkel imprisoned in Turkey overnight; hopes to be brought to Israel today

Sagiv Yechezkel, after scoring a goal for his Turkish team showed a band he had on his hand to mark of 100 days of war and the Israeli hostages. During the night, he was arrested.

Sagiv Yechezkel is supposed to land in Israel today after the assistance of senior officials in the Foreign Ministry.

The Antelispor player has already almost closed a private flight, in order to avoid a border inspection alongside various parties who are looking for his harm. But then, shortly before midnight, he was taken for questioning at the request of the Minister of Justice of Antalya.

Yehezkel was imprisoned during the night and his cell phone was taken from him. He will be brought before a judge during the morning, at this stage it is not clear if and when he will return to Israel.

The gang members in Ecuador taking over a TV station while launching other attacks is a case of "violent lobbying," a term coined by Benjamin Lessing

🔶️ It's an extreme example of gangsters in LatAm using this insurgent-like tactic but it's not the first.

⬛️ Here are other cases:

🔶️ Colombian capo Pablo Escobar unleashed massive violence against the government and civilians to get his way and exert pressure. His most infamous act was using a hitman to down Avianca Flight 203 in 1989. It killed all 107 occupants. As this included Americans, US courts acted.

🔶️ In 2006, Brazil's PCC gang - or First Commando of the Capital - rose up in prisons in São Paolo and carried out almost 300 attacks, burning banks,busses, and police stations and killing dozens of officers. The attack was likely in response to the prison transfer of its leaders.

🔶️ In 2015 in Jalisco, Mexico, gunmen from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel burned cars and trucks in what are called narco bloqueos and attacked police, soldiers. It was in response to an attempt to arrest boss El Mencho. They shot down an army helicopter, probably with a 50 cal.

🔶️ In 2019, gunmen for the Sinaloa Cartel rose up in Culiacán, Mexico, following the arrest of Ovidio, son of El Chapo. They took hostages, fought with soldiers and blockaded streets. The Mexican government finally let Ovidio go - although the Mexican army re-arrested him in 2023.

🔶️ It is "violent lobbying" because the gangsters are using bloodshed and terror to exert pressure. They want the government to back off or release a suspect or stop raiding their dope.

🔶️ It makes the government pay a cost to go after them - and governments will often back down.

[BREAKING] IDF elite unit arriving with #hostages to Israel!
An elite unit of the IDF and a force of the Shin Bet are now accompanying the abductees returning to Israel, after undergoing an initial assessment of their medical condition in Israel.

Israeli forces are accompanying the returnees until they reach their families in the hospitals.
The commanders of the IDF and its soldiers salute and hug the returning abductees upon their return home. We will continue to work together with the bodies of the security system for the return of all the abductees.

The IDF spokesman asks the public to show patience and sensitivity and to respect the privacy of the returnees and their families.

Syria has called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect nuclear facilities in Israel and take them under control, the Syrian foreign ministry said on Sunday.

"The International Atopic Energy Agency (IAEA) must inspect nuclear facilities in Israel and take measures to establish control over them," the SANA news agency quoted its statement.

According to the agency, Damascus is concerned over Israel’s speculation on a possibility of the use of an A-bomb in the Gaza Strip "under the false pretext of self-defense."

The Syrian foreign ministry "strongly condemns such statements which prove that Israel has been hiding the fact of its possession of nuclear weapons for years," it said. "Israeli nuclear facilities are outside the system of international control thanks to the support offered by the American administration and Western countries to the Jewish state."

The Israel Hayom newspaper reported earlier that Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu has suggested that Israel stops sacrificing its soldiers for the sake of releasing Hamas-held hostages but drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza instead.

When asked by a Kol berama radio host about a possibility of using a nuclear bomb in the Gaza Strip, Eliyahu said that "this is one of the options." Later, he said that it was a "metaphorical" suggestion but Israel "definitely needs a powerful and disproportionate response to terrorism."

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid demanded Eliyahu be sent to resignation for damaging Israel’s international authority. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu barred Eliyahu from taking part in cabinet meetings until further notice and rejected his words on the possible use of nuclear weapons in Gaza.