Israel News Wed Jan 14

 Day 831

- Austrian Airlines flights to and from Tel Aviv tonight have been canceled

- US declares start of Gaza plan’s 2nd phase, threatens Hamas if hostage body not returned.

Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration's Middle East special envoy, announced the launch of Phase II of US President Donald Trump's Gaza Peace Plan. "Today, on behalf of President Trump, we are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President’s 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, 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. 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. Importantly, Phase One delivered historic humanitarian aid, maintained the ceasefire, returned all living hostages and the remains of twenty-seven of the twenty-eight deceased hostages. We are deeply grateful to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar for their indispensable mediation efforts that made all progress to date possible.

- According to reports, the Trump administration is expected to announce today a transition to Phase II of the Gaza ceasefire, while Ran Gvili, known as the Shield of Kibbutz Alumim, has not yet been returned to Israel.This morning, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, together with the Gvili family, is calling on Prime Minister Netanyahu to honor his commitment, as he promised the family in private conversations, not to proceed to Phase II until Ran is brought home.

- Great anger in Israel over the insufficient effort by the mediators and Hamas to return the body of the kidnapped soldier, Rani Gavili., "Israel transferred information that was supposed to lead to effective actions, but some of these actions did not occur. Effective searches based on the information were not conducted, and we expect them to be done." Israel continues on its part with operational and political efforts to locate the soldier and that frequent contact with the mediators continues, ahead of the expected announcement by President Trump on moving to the second phase of the President's plan for Gaza reconstruction.

- 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 terror group on Wednesday.

- Israel’s “Wing of Zion” Boeing 767  that flies the PM, briefly flew from Nevatim Airbase to Crete and then returned to Israel, a move the Israeli Air Force described as an evacuation drill, similar to flights seen ahead of past strikes against Iran.

- 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.

- Two rocket launchers were detected yesterday by IDF forces during operations in the northern and southern Gaza Strip. One of the launchers was loaded with a rocket aimed at  Israel

- The Palestinian Authority announced its support for forming a Palestinian committee to administer Gaza during a transitional phase, praising Donald Trump’s efforts to advance his peace plan, implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, and move toward phase two, including reconstruction.