Daily brief
Israeli authorities have begun demolishing the UNRWA headquarters compound in East Jerusalem, citing a previous ban on the agency's activities. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen stated Israel will also cut off water and electricity to UNRWA facilities. The United Nations has strongly condemned the demolition.
Israel has blocked a US-approved committee of technocrats, sometimes called the 'Gaza Board of Peace,' from entering Gaza to oversee post-war administration. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, have expressed reservations about the plan and the participation of certain countries.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog criticized ICC arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant, calling them a 'reward for terror.' The criticism followed reports that Netanyahu and Gallant were excluded from the Davos forum.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel would not let anyone undermine stability through proxies in Gaza or elsewhere, in an oblique message to Turkey. He separately stated that Iran and Turkey must forget 'dreams of empires'.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich rejected the US-led 'Gaza Board of Peace' plan and called for the shuttering of the US-led coordination centre, while Qatar rejected Israel's reservations about its proposed role on the council.