Mediators: Hamas Truce Demands Unacceptable + Russia & Ukraine Agree to Prisoner Swap in Istanbul + USAF Sentinel ICBM Program Update + More

For review:1. Syria’s interim government has requested Turkey’s support to strengthen its defense capabilities following sectarian violence over the past two weeks.2.  US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack has urged Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to recalibrate his policies and embrace a more inclusive approach after a new round of sectarian bloodshed last week, or risk losing international support.3. Hezbollah has informed Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that it will not surrender its weapons to the government, contradicting previous indications that the terror group was willing to disarm- even if Israel were to withdraw from the five strategic points it has been holding since a ceasefire between the adversaries came into effect in November.4. Mediators: Hamas Truce Demands Unacceptable. Hamas has demanded that Israel further withdraw toward the Gaza border; end the operations of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation; and raise the ratio of security prisoners who will be released for each Israeli hostage.5. Russia & Ukraine Agree to Prisoner Swap in Istanbul. An exchange of around 250 Russian and 250 Ukrainian prisoners of war will be completed along the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. The two sides had also agreed “that in the near future an exchange of at least 1,200 more prisoners of war from each side will be carried out.”6. Turkey and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding on the export of Eurofighter Typhoon jets. Turkey is reportedly seeking to buy as many as 40 of the jets.7. Rafael Advanced Systems will supply Spyder short-range air defense systems to Romania for over $2 billion, the Romanian Ministry of Defense announced this week. The Spyder is a mobile air defense system whose components are mounted on combat vehicles, and is built around Python-4 heat-seeking missiles and radar-guided Derby missiles, designed to intercept targets at low altitudes and at a distance of tens of kilometers. 8. Romania and Poland are advancing plans to increase their tracked vehicle fleets.9.  USAF Sentinel ICBM Program Update.