US, Israel will seek to ‘exploit’ tensions within Hamas, Gaza as ceasefire steps into effect

💬 “There are going to be those who question the strategy, question the legitimacy of those who are taking the political side of Hamas, trying to represent Hamas as a political organization, and those who are fighting on the ground,” Dr. Isa Blumi told Sputnik, commenting on the challenges facing the group amid a shaky ceasefire with Israel.

💬 “I think the future of the conflict itself is going to reflect these tensions, which are going to be exploited by the Americans and their puppet, the Israeli state,” Blumi, an associate professor at Stockholm University’s Asian and Middle Eastern Studies department, explained.

◻️ Pointing to the assassinations of Hamas’ leaders, the “considerable depletion” of its military wing, and the utter physical and human devastation in Gaza, the academic said it will be difficult now for Hamas to reach out and represent “all the elements” of society “that have emerged during this very brutal war against Israeli forces.”

◻️ In addition, details on the ceasefire agreement, which Blumi warned was “not a done deal,” remain vague regarding potential reconstruction, including what the professor said were efforts by Qatar “to commandeer and claim representation of Hamas and larger Gaza interests.”

◻️ Finally, Blumi said, “Netanyahu and Israel and the far-right in the United States have not necessarily abandoned the idea of completely ethnically cleansing Gaza or large parts of Gaza of its Palestinian population, not only because of the development possibilities in terms of property, but also the offshore gas fields that need to be exploited.”

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Ramaswamy leaves DOGE to run for governor

Next week, DOGE co-manager Vivek Ramaswamy is campaigning for Ohio governor and is leaving the newly founded party, NBC News reports, citing sources.

“He’s leaving DOGE. He’s going to announce early next week for governor,” one of the sources told the news outlet. “It became increasingly clear over the last week that pursuing the governor’s race and running DOGE were not compatible. He’s leaving on good terms with Trump, Elon, and the team.”

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Trump stops foreign aid for 90 days. Will Ukraine lose its funding too?

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order, temporarily suspending all American foreign aid programs for 90 days in order to determine whether or not they are aligned with his political goals.

What are the main points?

Why?

✍️Foreign aid is not aligned with US interests and is antithetical to American values, the order reads.

✍️These programs “serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries.”

What now?

🔶All responsible for US foreign aid programs must immediately pause new obligations.

🔶All further United States foreign assistance must be aligned with the foreign policy of the US President.

🔶All existing programs should be reviewed within 90 days.

What's next?

👉Aid programs could be resumed after revision.

👉Any new foreign assistance programs must be approved by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State may pause the specific programs.

Trump has often opposed foreign aid, despite it usually representing just around 1% of the federal budget. However, exceptions like the substantial military support sent to Ukraine have drawn his sharpest criticism, with Trump frequently questioning the scale of aid provided to the country.

Just in early January, the Biden team announced another tranche of military aid to Ukraine of about $500 million.

According to the latest data, Biden administration's foreign aid amounts to $68 billion. However, some of the biggest recipients, Israel ($3.3 billion per year), Egypt ($1.5 billion per year), and Jordan ($1.7 billion per year), are unlikely to be influenced by the order, AP reports, as those amounts are included in long-term packages.

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What are new US Secretary of State Rubio’s flamboyant statements on foreign policy issues?

The US Senate has voted 99-0 to confirm Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, President Donald Trump's first cabinet pick to be confirmed by the upper chamber.

Rubio earlier made an array of statements during his hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which pertained to the conflict in Ukraine, China, the Gaza war, and Greenland.

👉On Ukraine conflict:

▫️  The release of the West’s anti-Russian sanctions could play an important role in possible talks on ending the Ukraine conflict;

▫️  It’s “unrealistic to believe” that Ukraine can push Russian forces back to where they were before the start of Moscow’s special military operation;

▫️  Both Russia and Ukraine should make “some concessions” in order to clinch a potential peace deal;

▫️  The US’ “official policy” on the Ukraine conflict is that Washington wants to see it end.

👉On Gaza war:

▫️  The US should work hard to take advantage of the opportunity regarding the Gaza ceasefire deal and the release of hostages.

👉On China:

▫️  China is “an extraordinary challenge” to the US, something that will most likely define the 21st century.

👉On Greenland:

▫️  Greenland will remain on the US’s radar amid America’s push for more clout in the Arctic.

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🟠Trump’s inauguration: meeting with Putin, Ukraine conflict, Gaza war, EU as US sphere of influence, TikTok deal, WHO withdrawal

🟠Sputnik experts comment on Trump’s decisions: US global twist, disturbance of deep state

🟠Trump stops foreign aid for 90 days. Will Ukraine lose its funding too?

🟠Marco Rubio becomes US Secretary of State, here is what extravaganza he said on foreign policy issues

Other topics we have covered:

◻️How does Trump plan to shake up US Venezuela policy?

◻️US, Israel will seek to ‘exploit’ tensions within Hamas, Gaza as ceasefire steps into effect

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Trump postponed blocking of TikTok in US for 75 days

The order directs the US Department of Justice not to enforce the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The law required TikTok to either sell to an American or allied company or face a ban in the US starting January 19.

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❗️China's leader Xi Jinping and Russia's President Vladimir Putin held a video conversation, China Central Television reports

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🇷🇺🇦🇲Foreign ministers of Russia and Armenia held a face-to-face meeting in Moscow, Russia

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❗️Russian troops have liberated the settlement of Volkovo in the Donetsk People's Republic, Russia's Defense Ministry announced

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🇷🇺🪖More statements from the Russian MoD daily briefing on the special military operation's progress: 

◻️ Ukraine lost up to 510 servicemen in the Russian Zapad Battlegroup's combat zone.

◻️ Russian air defense systems shot down four Hammer guided bombs, six HIMARS missiles, and 156 Ukrainian drones.

◻️ Ukraine lost up to 580 militants and seven armed vehicles in the Russian Tsentr Battlegroup's combat zone.

◻️ Ukraine lost up to 160 soldiers in the areas of responsibility of Russia's Battlegroups Dnepr and Sever.

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🇷🇺🤝🇨🇳The joint work of Russia and China plays an important stabilizing role in international affairs — Putin

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🚨GRIFTER ALERT! Pastor who sang at Trump's inauguration launches his own memecoin

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Ukrainian forces lost over 270 militants in the Russian Kursk region over the past day, an Abrams tank and a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle were destroyed, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

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