🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- Israeli Defense Minister Katz has cancelled all administrative detention orders against West Bank settlers.

Administrative detention is the practice of arresting individuals and holding them without trial for upwards of 6 months, although it may be indefinitely renewed by Israeli authorities. The practice is primarily used against Palestinians, however many settlers are held in administrative detention as well.

With the Defense Minister's order to release all West Bank settlers from administrative detention, this could have dire consequences for Palestinians living in the West Bank.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- "The minister's [Smotrich] demands were accepted after he assured Netanyahu that he would resign if the army did not return to a full scale war in Gaza." - Walla, citing sources close to Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich.

⚡️🇷🇺🇸🇾 Russia prepares first visit to new Syria?

❗️Moscow intends to send a delegation to Damascus amid active contacts with the country's new authorities

Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian Deputy FM may become the first Russian official to visit Syria since the fall of the Assad regime. However, the date of the visit has not yet been set and the originally planned trip is to be postponed.

Russian FM Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is ready to cooperate with Syria's new leadership. Bogdanov had emphasised relations between Russia and Syria are entering a new qualitative turning point, and both sides must build on the deep legacy of friendship between the Russian and Syrian peoples.

Lavrov discussed the situation in Syria with the Saudi FM. The ministers spoke in favor of establishing inclusive dialogue on Syria that would involve all political forces, ethnic groups, and confessions as well as foreign players who push for maintaining Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity.

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🇺🇸⚡️- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has selected Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill Senator Marco Rubio's seat in the United States Senate.

Marco Rubio will presumably resign his seat in the United States Senate on Sunday, possibly Monday, as he takes his post as Secretary of State in the next Trump administration.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- "The release of the first Israeli hostages in Gaza will begin at 4:00 PM (Israel Time) on Sunday, January 19th." - Israel Channel 12, citing Israeli security sources.

Ben Gvir: “I will ensure Netanyahu continues as Prime Minister, but I will leave because the agreement that was signed is disastrous.”

“The deal harms Israel's ability to defend itself in the Philadelphi corridor and other important points and cancels all the war's successes.”

“If the deal is passed, I will leave the government with a heavy heart and will leave a position in which I have invested all my strength over the past two years.”

“We want to see the kidnapped released, but not by surrendering to Hamas, but by stopping the entry of aid.”

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- The Israeli cabinet has begun its meeting to discuss the ceasefire deal.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- "They did not contact us to receive our comment on the security implications." - Statement by the Israeli interior security service, Shin Bet.

🇺🇸🇨🇦⚡️- In response to President-elect Trump's remarks on annexing Canada, the leader of Canada's Green Party, Elizabeth May, has suggested Canada should welcome California, Oregon, and Washington as new provinces of Canada.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- "Subject to approval by the Cabinet and the government, and the agreement coming into effect - the release of the hostages can be realized according to the planned outline, in which the hostages are expected to be released as early as Sunday." - Office of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- BREAKING: The Israeli cabinet has approved the ceasefire deal.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- The Gaza ceasefire will officially come into effect on Sunday, January 19th.

🇸🇾🇪🇺⚡️- Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) will meet a delegation from the European Commission today in Damascus.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- The Times of Israel reports that the ceasefire will begin at 4:00PM local time (9:00AM EST,) coinciding with the release of prisoners from Gaza back to Israel.

🇮🇷🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- Al-Mayadeen reports rallies across Iran celebrating the emergent Gaza ceasefire.

🇾🇪🛢⚡️- Reuters reports that oil prices have dropped amid expectations that, as a result of the ceasefire in Gaza, Ansarullah's attacks on shipping in the Red Sea will end.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- Statement from Hamas on the ceasefire deal:

"With the gracious efforts of mediators, the obstacles that arose due to the occupation’s failure to adhere to the terms of the ceasefire agreement were resolved early this morning. The movement has worked towards a comprehensive national prisoner exchange involving all factions and members of our people. We affirm that the lists of prisoners released in the first phase of the exchange, as part of the ceasefire agreement, will be published by the Prisoners’ Office in accordance with the stages and procedures of the exchange."

🇱🇧🇺🇸🔜 U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Lebanon to inaugurate the new U.S. embassy upon its completion, marking the first visit by an American president to Lebanon - (Journalist Ibrahim Rihan)

🇺🇸⚡️- President-elect Donald Trump has selected Sean Curran (pictured on the right in sunglasses during Trump's famous raised fist photograph) to be the Director of the United States Secret Service.

🇺🇸⚡️- "Biden discussed pardoning Trump, sources say; unclear if seriously being considered." - NBC News.