Hamas / Israel/Middle East…1/22/2025….Houthi’s…IDF in Gaza ‘combat’…Aid flowing to Gaza

The Mexican Foreign Ministry said it was “important to mention” that because the Houthis had conditioned the release of the crew upon the ceasefire and improvement of conditions in the Gaza Strip, it was the ceasefire agreement that “facilitated their release.” The Mexican ambassador to Saudi Arabia received the two Mexican crew members in Muscat, Oman, the ministry said.

A spokesman for the company that manages the Galaxy Leader, a Bahamian-flagged ship, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Despite the release, President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order to designate the Houthis a Foreign Terrorist Organization, citing its attacks against U.S. Navy warships in the region and maritime shipping in the Red Sea, as well as against infrastructure and civilian targets in Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump had first designated the Houthis as both an FTO and “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” group in the final days of his first term. Former president Joe Biden lifted those sanctions in response to concerns by humanitarian organizations that they prevented lifesaving assistance from reaching Yemeni civilians.

Here’s what else to know

• The Israeli military engaged in combat with “armed suspects” who posed an apparent threat to its troops in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday. The IDF noted that it acted “in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” and called on Palestinians to avoid approaching its soldiers in the area.
• The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group said in a video statement Tuesday that it would release “several enemy prisoners” it was holding in Gaza in coming days as part of the ceasefire deal. The next round of hostage and prisoner exchanges is scheduled to take place Saturday.
• Fifty-seven people are believed to remain as hostages in Gaza, but Israel has not given the full basis for its estimates. About 250 people were kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, of whom about 120 have been freed so far and 74 have been confirmed killed.
• A man carried out a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, leaving four people with mild to moderate injuries, according to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services. The suspect was killed at the scene, police said. Hamas and Islamic Jihad congratulated the attacker, though neither claimed responsibility.
• Humanitarian aid continued to surge into Gaza on Tuesday, with 897 aid trucks entering the enclave, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The agency said it is prioritizing food and health-care provisions, as well as repairing water networks….

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Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) announced the formation of joint operations rooms in the West Bank on January 22 with Hamas and al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades’ fighters.