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Spotlight on Iran

December 17-24, 2025 Editor: Dr. Raz Zimmt
The Iranian foreign minister (Tasnim, December 22, 2025)

The Iranian foreign minister (Tasnim, December 22, 2025)

Ahmad Wahidi (Tasnim, December 20, 2025)

Ahmad Wahidi (Tasnim, December 20, 2025)

Iran’s ambassador to the UN (Fars, December 19, 2025)

Iran’s ambassador to the UN (Fars, December 19, 2025)

Meeting of the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, the head of the Iraqi Border Ports Authority, and the governor of Ilam (Tasnim, December 20, 2025)

Meeting of the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, the head of the Iraqi Border Ports Authority, and the governor of Ilam (Tasnim, December 20, 2025)

Meeting of the Shiite Coordination Committee (Baghdad Today, December 22, 2025)

Meeting of the Shiite Coordination Committee (Baghdad Today, December 22, 2025)

Al-Wala’i’s meeting with senior Hamas figures (Abu Alaa al-Wala’i’s Telegram channel, December 21, 2025)

Al-Wala’i’s meeting with senior Hamas figures (Abu Alaa al-Wala’i’s Telegram channel, December 21, 2025)

The shoulder-fired missiles seized in Syria, near the Iraqi border (Telegram channel of the Syrian Interior Ministry, December 22, 2025)

The shoulder-fired missiles seized in Syria, near the Iraqi border (Telegram channel of the Syrian Interior Ministry, December 22, 2025)

Highlights[1]
  • The Iranian foreign minister stressed Iran’s opposition to a two-state solution to the Palestinian problem.
  • Senior Iranian officials continued to express opposition to Hezbollah’s disarmament: Iran’s deputy chief of staff declared that Israel does not dare to disarm the organization because it fears a ground campaign. According to a member of the Majles National Security Committee, if Hezbollah is disarmed, Israel will be able to do whatever it wants in Lebanon.
  • Iran’s ambassador to the UN said at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria that the Syrian residents’ “resistance” to Israel’s “aggression” exposes the inevitable consequences of an “ongoing occupation.”
  • Iran and Iraq have reached an agreement on the opening of a new border crossing between the two countries.
  • Several pro-Iranian militias in Iraq expressed willingness to relinquish their weapons, but the major militias clarified that the issue is not open for negotiation. It is assessed that the change in the militias’ position stems from a desire to integrate into a new government and in light of warnings of possible Israeli attacks.
  • The Islamic Resistance Front in Syria announced the death of its leader, without specifying the circumstances.
Iran and the Palestinian Arena
  • In an interview with the Russian television network Russia Today, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi referred to Iran’s position on the Palestinian issue. He noted that as long as justice is not done to the Palestinians and they have no hope for the future and the realization of their right to self-determination, it will not be possible to achieve lasting peace. He added that Iran has always believed that the two-state solution is not the solution to the problem, and that the only way is to move toward the establishment of a single democratic state in “Palestine” (Tasnim, December 22, 2025).
The Iranian foreign minister (Tasnim, December 22, 2025)
The Iranian foreign minister (Tasnim, December 22, 2025)
  • Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Ahmad Vahidi said in a speech at the first international conference commemorating Saeed Izadi (Haj Ramazan), the head of the Palestine Corps of the IRGC’s Qods Force who was eliminated during the 12-day war against Israel, that the Palestinian ideal was and remains the most important ideal of the Islamic Revolution, and that the liberation of “Palestine” is a condition for the revolution’s progress toward a great and bright future. He stated that the liberation of “Palestine” constitutes the heart of the “resistance,” and that one cannot consider oneself a revolutionary without placing the issue at the top of one’s agenda. Vahidi added that the voice of “Palestine” and the Gaza Strip is now heard throughout the world, and that there is no person of conscience today who does not defend “Palestine,” in which justice, humanity, and steadfastness are embodied. He further claimed that Israel has failed to eliminate the “resistance” in the Gaza Strip despite its “inhuman actions,” that it is growing stronger by the day, and that the entire Palestinian people have now become Hamas (Tasnim, December 20, 2025).
Ahmad Wahidi (Tasnim, December 20, 2025)
Ahmad Wahidi (Tasnim, December 20, 2025)
Iran and the Lebanese Arena
  • In the same speech, Ahmad Vahidi also addressed the issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament, claiming that the “Zionist regime” lacks the courage to disarm Hezbollah. He stated that while Israel enjoys air superiority in Lebanon, it does not dare to enter a ground war because it knows such a move would serve Hezbollah (Tasnim, December 20, 2025).
  • Former Iranian ambassador to Libya and Middle East commentator Jafar Qanadbashi noted that Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji’s reservations about bilateral talks with the Iranian foreign minister in Tehran reflect his personal position and do not represent Lebanon’s national interests. He argued that if Rajji truly opposed the Israeli presence in Lebanon, he should strengthen ties with forces opposing Israel in the region, first and foremost Iran, rather than relinquishing a lever that could best serve Lebanon’s national interests and security. Qanadbashi emphasized that the assumption that Israeli “aggression” can be prevented through negotiations is mistaken, and that Lebanon’s willingness to negotiate with Israel stems primarily from Western and Arab pressure and from a miscalculation of the outcomes. He added that Iran has a clear strategy of supporting all “forces opposing the occupation.” Regarding calls to disarm Hezbollah, Qanadbashi said this is impossible, since Israel is capable of operating from the air but is powerless on the ground, and because Hezbollah’s standing among the Lebanese public remains strong. He stressed that demands and plans to disarm Hezbollah have been raised for 25 years, and it is time for Western countries to acknowledge their failure on this issue (Tabnak, December 20, 2025).
  • Mohammad-Mahdi Shahriari, a member of the Majles Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, said in an interview that if it were not for Hezbollah, Lebanon would have become an Israeli colony. According to him, if Hezbollah is disarmed, Israel will be able to do whatever it wants in Lebanon. He noted that regional developments should not be ignored, especially after the assassination of Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and the 12-day war between Iran and Israel. However, he stressed that the Islamic Republic can still act to protect the Shiite community in Lebanon and that Lebanon, which is considered Iran’s front line, should not be abandoned. He added that it is necessary to examine how Iran could fulfill its role in Lebanon in a way that would protect the interests of the Shiites, while at the same time leading to the other groups in Lebanon cooperating with Hezbollah. He said that if the Lebanese government could truly defend the interests of the Shiites and stand up to Israel, Hezbollah would not object to disarming. However, it is clear that the Lebanese government is incapable of providing such protection (Shargh, December 22, 2025).
  • Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, met with the deputy chairman of Lebanon’s Supreme Shiite Islamic Council, Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, and discussed with him developments in Lebanon and the region (ISNA, December 22, 2025).
Iran and the Syrian Arena
  • Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani, said at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria that the increase in ISIS’s activity in Syria, including the recent terrorist attacks, continues to pose a serious and immediate threat to Syria and the entire region. The Iranian ambassador strongly condemned the continued Israeli attacks in Syria, saying they constitute a “serious war crime.” He stressed that the resistance of the local residents to the “aggression of the Israeli regime” with the support of the Syrian government clearly exposes the inevitable consequences of “prolonged occupation and ongoing acts of aggression.” According to him, Israel’s actions are part of a deliberate strategy aimed at consolidating the “occupation,” dismantling Syria, and weakening its national cohesion by encouraging separatist tendencies among the country’s minorities. He reiterated Iran’s support for preserving Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, noting that effective coping with the challenges in the country requires, first and foremost, an immediate cessation of “the aggression and occupation of the Zionist regime,” the fight against terrorism, and the continuation of the Syrian authorities’ activities to protect the rights of minorities and promote a political process that will enable the significant participation of all segments of Syrian society (Fars, December 19, 2025).
Iran’s ambassador to the UN (Fars, December 19, 2025)
Iran’s ambassador to the UN (Fars, December 19, 2025)
Iran and the Iraqi Arena
  • Iran and Iraq have reached an agreement on the opening of a new border crossing between the two countries. Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem Aal-e Sadeq, head of Iraq’s Border Ports Authority, Omar al-Waeli, and the governor of Iran’s Ilam province in western Iran, Ahmad Karami, agreed on this at a meeting held at the Iranian embassy in Baghdad. During the meeting, issues related to the common borders of Ilam province with neighboring provinces in Iraq were also discussed (Tasnim, December 20, 2025).
Meeting of the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, the head of the Iraqi Border Ports Authority, and the governor of Ilam (Tasnim, December 20, 2025)
Meeting of the Iranian ambassador to Iraq, the head of the Iraqi Border Ports Authority, and the governor of Ilam (Tasnim, December 20, 2025)
The Houthis in Yemen
  • “Informed sources” reported that Houthi elements are carrying out “increased activity” in Lebanon, especially in Beirut’s Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s main stronghold. The activity reportedly includes the exchange of military and technical expertise with Hezbollah, as well as logistical and economic coordination with the organization due to the tightening of American supervision of Hezbollah’s sources of funding in the recent period and the disruption of the organization’s supply lines through Syria after the fall of the Assad regime (Erem News, December 22, 2025).
  • “Sources in Yemen” reported that the new Houthi chief of staff, Youssef al-Madani, has prepared a plan to rebuild the Houthis’ military infrastructure, which includes the construction of military facilities and underground infrastructure in various areas of the capital Sana’a and in the provinces of Taiz, Ibb, and Dhammar, alongside the restoration and expansion of tunnels and weapons depots in Saada and Amran. According to the sources, the Houthis are working to disperse their strategic weapons by deploying them in sites in central and western Yemen and by converting underground spaces into facilities for the production and assembly of missiles and drones. It was also reported that the Houthi leadership gives priority to the plan and allocates considerable resources to it at the expense of civilian projects for the benefit of the population (Erem News, December 22, 2025).
The Pro-Iranian Militias in Iraq
The issue of disarming the militias
  • Several armed Shiite militias have agreed to limit weapons to the state. Shibl al-Zaidi, head of the Imam Ali Brigades, was the first to stress that for the sake of national unity and sovereignty, weapons must remain solely in the hands of official institutions. Similar statements followed from Haidar al-Gharawi, secretary-general of Ansar Allah al-Awfiya; Qais al-Khazali, secretary-general of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haqq; and Kazem al-Fartousi, spokesman for the Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades (Ultra Iraq, December 20, 2025).
  • By contrast, Kata’ib Hezbollah clarified that it still maintains the position that “resistance is a right and its weapons will remain in the hands of its fighters.” The statement said that sovereignty, security preservation in Iraq, and preventing foreign interference in all its forms are prerequisites for discussing a state monopoly on weapons (Kata’ib Hezbollah Telegram channel, December 20, 2025). The Nujaba Movement likewise stated that “resistance is a legitimate right of peoples whose sovereignty has been usurped and whose lands have been occupied,” and that it derives its legitimacy “from the pride and dignity of the Iraqi people who will not accept humiliation” (Nujaba Movement Telegram channel, December 20, 2025).
  • Despite the support of the secretary-general of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haqq for the state’s monopoly on arms, the militia’s military spokesman, Jawad al-Talibawi, issued a statement in which he clarified that the movement is still committed to the idea of “weapons and resistance” and that it is not a negotiable issue. He noted that “there is no place in our dictionary for giving up weapons, giving up resistance, or forgetting what the enemies are planning for us” (Shafaq News, December 22, 2025).
  • The Coordination Committee of the Shiite parties, including the pro-Iranian militias, also issued a joint statement expressing support for the state’s monopoly on weapons in accordance with “an integrated national project and a clear legal mechanism in such a way that the sovereignty of the state is strengthened, security and stability are maintained, and the best interests of the state are achieved” (Baghdad Today, December 22, 2025). Committee member Adi Abd al-Hadi said that the implementation of the state monopoly would be carried out in three stages: identifying the parties involved, organizing the procedures that would enable smooth implementation, and ultimately, gradual implementation of the plan (Baghdad Today, December 23, 2025).
Meeting of the Shiite Coordination Committee (Baghdad Today, December 22, 2025)
Meeting of the Shiite Coordination Committee (Ba
ghdad Today, December 22, 2025)
  • A “knowledgeable political source” said that following the formation of the new government, a bill regulating weapons under state control will be submitted, and if approved, all militias will be disarmed, regardless of political affiliation and without exception. He added that a high-level committee with defined authorities would be established to oversee the process, including medium and heavy weapons, such as drones, and any party that fails to hand over its weapons will be dealt with in accordance with the law. According to the source, the Shiite militias demanded guarantees, including commitments that their leaders and bases would not be targeted as a result of disarmament (Shafaq News, December 23, 2025).
  • “Observers and knowledgeable sources” assessed that the change in the militias’ position stems from political calculations ahead of the formation of a new government. After winning approximately ninety parliamentary seats, the militias are seeking to leverage their success to obtain key government positions, while also attempting to soften American opposition to their inclusion in government (Al-Araby al-Jadeed, December 20, 2025).
  • At the same time, “informed sources” reported that the Iraqi government and other political parties had received two “exceptional” warning messages from an Arab country and a Western intelligence body regarding the possibility that Israel would soon carry out large-scale attacks against targets in Iraq. According to the report, the attacks are expected to focus, among other things, on government institutions linked to the militias and the Popular Mobilization Forces, the umbrella organization of the Shiite militias. “A senior official in the Coordination Committee of the Shiite Militias” admitted that the messages had changed the balance of power and pushed the leadership of the Shiite parties to take steps regarding the weapons of the militias (Asharq Al-Awsat, December 21, 2025). In response, the National Intelligence Service in Baghdad vehemently denied the report and called on the media to “be accurate regarding issues affecting our national security” (Iraqi News Agency, December 21, 2025).
  • US Special Envoy for Iraq Mark Savaya welcomed the militias’ statements but stressed that it was not enough. Savaya said the disarmament process must include all militias and be irreversible and should be implemented through a “clear and binding national framework.” According to him, Iraq faces a decisive crossroads – progress on a path of stability and prosperity, or remain trapped in a cycle of insecurity, in which illegal armed groups exploit national resources for personal gain and external agendas, thereby weakening the authority of the state” (Mark Savaya’s X account, December 22, 2025).
The Militias’ Ties with Hamas
  • The secretary-general of Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades, Abu Alaa al-Wala’i, met in Iraq with senior Hamas figures Osama Hamdan and Taher al-Nunu and discussed the efforts of the “resistance factions,” the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and the negotiation process. A statement issued after the meeting said that al-Wala’i stressed the importance of unity of arenas “as a firm approach to confronting the Zionist project,” and noted the support of Baghdad and the militias for the Palestinian cause, which he described as “a central issue for the nation.” Hamas officials praised the role of the “Iraqi resistance” as a support front for the Palestinians (Abu Alaa al-Wala’i’s Telegram channel, December 21, 2025).
Al-Wala’i’s meeting with senior Hamas figures (Abu Alaa al-Wala’i’s Telegram channel, December 21, 2025)
Al-Wala’i’s meeting with senior Hamas figures
(Abu Alaa al-Wala’i’s Telegram channel, December 21, 2025)
Smuggling on the Syria-Iraq Border
  • The Syrian Interior Ministry announced the seizure of SAM-7 shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile systems in the Albukamal area, near the Iraqi border. According to the announcement, the systems were intended for smuggling out of the country (Telegram channel of the Syrian Interior Ministry, December 22, 2025). A “security source in the Syrian Interior Ministry” later said that the systems were intended for smuggling into Iraq and Lebanon. He added that the weapons were seized without an exchange of fire (Shafaq News, December 23, 2025).
The shoulder-fired missiles seized in Syria, near the Iraqi border (Telegram channel of the Syrian Interior Ministry, December 22, 2025)
The shoulder-fired missiles seized in Syria, near the Iraqi border
(Telegram channel of the Syrian Interior Ministry, December 22, 2025)
  • A video posted on Syrian social media showed a long tunnel used by pro-Iranian militias in the Albukamal area, on the Syria-Iraq border, during the Assad regime. The tunnel was discovered near the Imam Ali base, the center of activity of the IRGC and the militias in the border area (Deir ez-Zor 24 X account, December 20, 2025).
The entrance to the tunnel on the Syria-Iraq border (Deir ez-Zor 24 X account, December 20, 2025)
The entrance to the tunnel on the Syria-Iraq border (Deir ez-Zor 24 X account, December 20, 2025)
The Militias in Syria
  • In the early morning hours of December 24, 2025, the Islamic Resistance Front in Syria – Possessors of Might (Uli al-Baas, UAB) issued a statement announcing the death of the organization’s leader (“commander-in-chief”), Abu Jihad Rida al-Hussein. The circumstances of his death were not disclosed, but he was presented as a shaheed who “walked the path of jihad in the midst of many sacrifices that testified to the greatness of his integrity and the depth of his faith in the cause for which he gave his life” (Telegram channel of the Islamic Resistance Front in Syria – Possessors of Might, December 24, 2025). It should be noted that Rida’s identity is unknown, but it was claimed in the past that he was discharged from the Syrian army about 25 years ago at a junior rank, was active in several Palestinian and Lebanese organizations, and left them in 2021 after developing a different political and military vision.[2]
Resistance in Syria – Possessors of Might, December 24, 2025)
The announcement of the death of Abu Jihad Rida al-Hussein (Telegram channel of the Islamic Resistance in Syria – Possessors of Might, December 24, 2025)

[1] The weekly study includes the activities of Iran, the Shiite militias in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen.
[2] For further information of the organization, see the ITIC study from September 1, 2025, “Southern Syria as a ***terror threat to Israel: The Islamic Resistance Front in Syria as a Test Case

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (December 16-23, 2025)

"Resistance" security notice preparing the public for the execution of "collaborators" (al-Sayyad Telegram channel, December 16, 2025)

Colonel Khaled Abu Sanida, chief of staff of the Popular Forces counterterrorism unit during the military exercise (Facebook page of the counterterrorism unit, December 20, 2025)

Colonel Khaled Abu Sanida, chief of staff of the Popular Forces counterterrorism unit during the military exercise (Facebook page of the counterterrorism unit, December 20, 2025)

Police securing the ceremony (Facebook page of the Hamas police, December 18, 2025)

Police securing the ceremony (Facebook page of the Hamas police, December 18, 2025)

Police securing the ceremony (Facebook page of the Hamas police, December 18, 2025)

Police securing the ceremony (Facebook page of the Hamas police, December 18, 2025)

Repaving al-Thalathini Street (Facebook page of the Gaza City Municipality, December 20, 2025)

Repaving al-Thalathini Street (Facebook page of the Gaza City Municipality, December 20, 2025)

Mahmoud Abbas and the Greek prime minister (Wafa, December 22, 2025)

Mahmoud Abbas and the Greek prime minister (Wafa, December 22, 2025)

  • IDF forces continued operating in the areas of the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip and eliminated militants who posed a threat. An IDF soldier was wounded by a stray bullet.
  • An initiative of experts on hunger determined that no area in the Gaza Strip was “famine-stricken,” but warned that 77% of the population was suffering from food insecurity. The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories accused the report of being biased and based on partial data.
  • Hamas security forces announced the closing of the window for “collaborators” to surrender and threatened to use force against networks of collaborators with Israel.
  • The organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla announced that they would launch a new and larger flotilla to the Gaza Strip in the spring of 2026.
  • A Hamas delegation met with the head of Turkish intelligence to discuss the continuation of negotiations on the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. Representatives of the mediating countries called on all parties to meet their commitments and expressed support for the establishment of a Peace Council.
  • The Palestinian terrorist organizations and the Fatah movement expressed anger with the Palestinian Authority over its suspension of the payments to the families of the shaheeds, the wounded and the prisoners.
The IDF
  • IDF forces continued operating in the areas of the Yellow Line (the area under IDF control) in the Gaza Strip, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, and eliminated terrorists who infiltrated the area or posed a threat to IDF activity. A reserve soldier was wounded by a stray bullet (IDF spokesperson, December 16–23, 2025).
  • On December 19, 2025, IDF forces reportedly fired artillery at a school used as a shelter for displaced persons in the al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of six civilians (Anadolu Agency, December 19, 2025). The IDF spokesperson reported that several suspected terrorists were identified in buildings located west of the Yellow Line which commanded the area, and the forces fired at the suspects (IDF spokesperson, December 19, 2025). However, according to reports, the incident is still under investigation (Israeli media, December 22, 2025).
  • The Hamas government media information office accused Israel of more than 875 “violations” of the ceasefire agreement, including shooting at civilians, incursions by military vehicles into residential areas and the demolition of buildings. According to the claim, more than 400 people were killed and more than 1,100 were wounded (Telegram channel of the Hamas government media information office, December 22, 2025). Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem claimed that the escalation of Israeli “violations” increased the risk of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Strip. Hamas called on the mediators to take “serious action” to stop the “violations” (Hamas Telegram channel, December 21, 2025).
The Situation in the Gaza Strip
  • The Hamas civil defense force called on people living in buildings classified as unfit for human habitation to evacuate immediately and comply with the instructions of the safety teams, especially ahead of winter, to prevent loss of life. The warning was issued after Gazans returned to live in houses that had previously been damaged and marked as dangerous by a committee of experts. Reportedly, since the onset of severe weather on December 10, 2025, 22 houses partially or completely collapsed, 18 people were killed, and four are still missing, presumably under the rubble (Telegram channel of journalist Hani al-Shaer, December 21, 2025).
  • The Hamas deputy minister of health in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Youssef Abu al-Rish, claimed that the public health system in the Strip faced severe challenges, especially a sharp shortage of medicine and medical equipment, allegedly because supplies and delegations were prevented from entering the Strip (Telegram channel of the ministry of health in Gaza, December 18, 2025). The ministry claimed there was allegedly a shortage of 52% of 321 types of medicines, and 71% of medical equipment (Facebook page of the ministry of health in Gaza, December 21, 2025).
  • According to a new report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative (IPC), no area in the Gaza Strip was “famine-stricken,” contrary to the August 2025 report, but despite the improvement, the food security situation remained critical. According to the initiative, as of November 2025, about 1.6 million people, 77% of the population, suffered from critical food insecurity, including more than one hundred thousand Gazans whose situation was “catastrophic” (IPC report, December 19, 2025). In response, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) accused the organization of presenting a distorted and biased picture, relying on gaps in data collection and on sources which did not reflect the full picture. The COGAT stated that between 600 and 800 aid trucks entered the Strip daily, about 70% of them carrying food, and since the beginning of the ceasefire about thirty thousand trucks had entered, bringing more than 500,000 tons of food, in addition to about one hundred thousand food trucks which entered during the war, exceeding needs according to accepted international methodologies. The COGAT called on the international community to rely on verified data, while committing to continue allowing the entry of aid and to prevent its exploitation by Hamas (COGAT, December 19, 2025).
  • Gazans living in the Nuseirat refugee camp criticized the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), claiming it had reneged on the bread distribution agreement, according to which 70% was to be sold at specific points and the rest distributed free of charge. According to camp residents, the program halted the free distribution and only supplied shops, making it particularly difficult for needy families (Telegram channel of Hamas’ Sahm Unit 103, December 16, 2025).
Security Governance
  • “Sources” reported that Hamas’ revolutionary courts in the Gaza Strip had completed investigations of several defendants involved in cases of collaboration with Israel and treason after they were arrested by the “resistance” security forces.[2] According to reports, the courts handed down death sentences for some of the defendants (al-Sayyad Telegram channel, December 17, 2025).
"Resistance" security notice preparing the public for the execution of "collaborators" (al-Sayyad Telegram channel, December 16, 2025)
“Resistance” security notice preparing the public for the execution of “collaborators”
(al-Sayyad Telegram channel, December 16, 2025)
  • Hamas’ “resistance” security forces announced the end of Operation Opening the Gates of Repentance, the name given to the window of time opened after the killing of Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of the Popular Forces militia, for “collaborators” to surrender.[3] According to the announcement, some of those involved turned themselves in and their files were being dealt with. As for the others, the security apparatuses would continue to dismantle networks of “collaborators” supported by Israel (Izz al-Din Brigades combat information Telegram channel, December 19, 2025).
  • The al-Majd al-Amni channel, dedicated to raising “security awareness,” warned the Gazans not to expose themselves to Israeli media outlets issuing statements intended to create internal confusion, particularly regarding the continued presence of IDF forces within the Yellow Line. The channel claimed Israel was waging psychological warfare, and therefore the public was required to remain steadfast and not spread frightening information (Telegram channel of al-Majd al-Amni, December 19, 2025).
  • The American Gaza Soup Kitchen charity organization complained that its team in the Gaza Strip had experienced “repeated disruptions and interference in its activity” from “activists”[4] in the Hamas security forces. According to the organization, demands were made for data and information it could not provide because of moral and legal obligations. As a result, the organization decided to reconsider continuing its activity in the Strip and said that if the issue had not been addressed by December 26, 2025, it would be forced to cease its work immediately. It also said it did not intend to establish contact with the Hamas administration in the Strip, also its policy in other places, adding that its activity was “humanitarian and public, and its team is known to all and is not clandestine” (Facebook page of the Gaza Soup Kitchen, December 22, 2025). Social media activist Hamza al-Masri noted that Hamas frequently arrested businessmen and entrepreneurs, and harassed institutions, demanding large sums of money (Telegram channel of Hamza al-Masri, December 22, 2025).
  • The counterterrorism forces commanded by Ghassan al-Dahini, the new commander of the Popular Forces militia, announced a tactical exercise called Ensuring the Commander 1 (Ahd al-Qa’ed 1), involving the main arms of the Forces and with the participation of all its operatives. Reportedly, the exercise would last three days and its objective was to test maximum readiness in emergency situations and assess coordination among units (Facebook page of the counterterrorism forces, December 20, 2025). Al-Dahini revealed the existence of another militia operating in western Rafah, called the Popular Defense Forces – the Khalil al-Wazir Battalion[5] (Facebook page of Ghassan al-Dahini, December 19, 2025).
Colonel Khaled Abu Sanida, chief of staff of the Popular Forces counterterrorism unit during the military exercise (Facebook page of the counterterrorism unit, December 20, 2025)
Colonel Khaled Abu Sanida, chief of staff of the Popular Forces counterterrorism unit during the military exercise (Facebook page of the counterterrorism unit, December 20, 2025)
  • The Popular Army in the Northern Gaza Strip District, an anti-Hamas militia commanded Ashraf al-Mansi, announced the addition of a new unit. The operatives of the new force are undergoing training focused on military discipline, preparedness and the protection of civilians, and its mission is to defend civilians in areas under its control (Facebook page of the Popular Army in the Northern Strip District, December 18, 2025).
Civilian Governance
  • Reportedly, Hamas is embroiled in an ongoing economic crisis, with difficulties in transferring funds to the Gaza Strip and paying salaries. According to the report, Hamas renewed partial payments to operatives after delays, with senior leadership figures and operatives of the military wing receiving the highest amount, sometimes up to about 80% of their salaries, while da’wah [Islamist religious instruction] and welfare workers received less, and government employees and security operatives received only around 60%, at times dropping to 35%. Meanwhile Hamas continues to pay the families of the shaheeds, the prisoners and the wounded, and assists some families for whom the Palestinian Authority has stopped payments, alongside budgets for aid projects such as food, water and soup kitchens (al-Sharq al-Awsat, December 18, 2025).
  • Hamas police in the central Gaza Strip District secured a mass wedding ceremony for 203 couples in the town of al-Zawayda. It was organized by the Turkish al-Ribat Association (Anadolu Agency, December 18, 2025; Facebook page of the Hamas police in, December 18, 2025).
Police securing the ceremony (Facebook page of the Hamas police, December 18, 2025)     Police securing the ceremony (Facebook page of the Hamas police, December 18, 2025)
Police securing the ceremony (Facebook page of the Hamas police, December 18, 2025)
  • Reconstruction work continues throughout the Strip: the Gaza City Municipality began reconstruction on Jamal Abdel Nasser Street, usually called al-Thalathini, opposite al-Azhar University in western Gaza City, after the street was destroyed during the war (Facebook page of the Gaza City Municipality, December 20, 2025).
Repaving al-Thalathini Street (Facebook page of the Gaza City Municipality, December 20, 2025)
Repaving al-Thalathini Street (Facebook page of the Gaza City Municipality, December 20, 2025)
The Flotilla to the Gaza Strip
  • The organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, whose arrival in the Gaza Strip was prevented by the Israeli navy in early October 2025, announced their intention to launch another, larger flotilla in the spring of 2026. According to the announcement, there will be about 3,000 activists aboard more than one hundred vessels, more than double the size of the previous flotilla. The organizers claimed it would be an “unarmed civilian” activity to assist efforts to break the “siege” on the Gaza Strip (Telegram channel of the Global Sumud Flotilla, December 22, 2025).
Announcement of the new flotilla to the Gaza Strip (Telegram channel of the Global Sumud Flotilla, December 22, 2025)
Announcement of the new flotilla to the Gaza Strip
(Telegram channel of the Global Sumud Flotilla, December 22, 2025)
  • A Hamas delegation led by the head of the political bureau in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya, met in Istanbul with the head of Turkish intelligence, Ibrahim Kalin, to discuss the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. According to reports, Hamas demanded that Israel meet its commitments to the first stage and expressed commitment to continuing the ceasefire and to moving to the second stage. Hamas representatives also thanked Turkey for supporting the Palestinians, and noted the need to strengthen Palestinian unity and safeguard national principles to establish a Palestinian state (Hamas Telegram channel, December 20, 2025).
  • On December 16, 2025, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) hosted a meeting in Doha, Qatar, in preparation for establishing the international stabilization force which is supposed to arrive in the Gaza Strip for the second stage of the ceasefire agreement. The meeting addressed areas of deployment and financing, but no official statement was issued. Bishara Bahbah, the Palestinian-American mediator close to the American administration, claimed that most countries had rejected the deployment model sought by Israel and preferred a force which would engage in monitoring and create a buffer between IDF forces and civilian-populated areas, without engaging in disarmament. He said Washington particularly supported Turkey’s participation because of its ability to influence Hamas on the issue of weapons, and the American administration was expected to pressure Israel for acceptance (al-Sharq al-Awsat, December 17, 2025). “Western sources” reported that United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio asked Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to consider sending troops to participate in the international force (al-Akhbar, December 21, 2025).
  • Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the Peace Council was supposed to concentrate on enlisting resources and oversee the Gaza Strip reconstruction funds, while the international stabilization force would focus on monitoring the ceasefire and assisting at crossings and in enforcing order, with control inside the Strip remaining under the authority of a Palestinian police force. Regarding the issue of weapons, Abdelatty claimed that the plan was to restrict weapons and gradually regulate them as part of an internal Palestinian agreement (al-Sharq al-Awsat, December 18, 2025). On another occasion, he claimed that understandings had been reached among the “factions”[6] regarding restricting weapons under a “Palestinian organizational framework” (RT channel, December 21, 2025).
  • Representatives of the mediating countries met in Miami to discuss implementing the first stage of the ceasefire agreement and the transition to the second stage. Reportedly, the participants reviewed the next steps for the full implementation of the peace plan, while emphasizing their commitment to all of its clauses, and called on all parties to meet their commitments, exercise restraint and cooperate with oversight arrangements. They also expressed their support for the establishment of the Peace Council and said it was necessary to make it possible for a governing body in the Strip, operating under a unified Gazan authority, to protect Gazans and maintain public order (X account of Steven Witkoff, December 21, 2025).
  • It was later reported that the Palestinian terrorist organizations had begun discussions to formulate a unified position in response to the American proposals relating to the second stage of the ceasefire agreement, which were conveyed to Hamas after the meeting of the mediating countries’ representatives. A “Palestinian source” said that details of the discussions held between the mediators and the American administration had been presented to the Hamas leadership, including how the second stage would be carried out and the implications of deploying the international force. According to the “source,” the organizations were examining all the proposals and discussing two issues: the scope of deployment and the authority the international stabilization force would have, and the issue of the weapons of the “resistance”[7] (al-Quds al-Arabi, December 21, 2025).
  • Fatah spokesperson Abdel Fattah Doula criticized the remarks of the “external” Hamas leader, Khaled Mashal, in an interview with the American investigative site Drop Site. He warned that any attempt to impose disarmament would lead to confrontation, proposed holding a long-term ceasefire with Israel, and expressed a desire for direct ties with the American administration. According to Doula, any political initiative which did not rest on national unity, on the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinians, and on “ending the occupation” as its goal served the “occupation project” and would lead to the dismantling of the Palestinian issue. He added that if the results of October 7, 2023 were the destruction of the Gaza Strip, many dead, and the achievement of limited political understandings, it was “a national disaster and not an achievement” (Facebook page of Ouda TV channel, December 17, 2025).
  • According to reports, the mediation efforts of Egypt and Qatar failed to advance reconciliation between Fatah and the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the one hand and Hamas on the other. Reportedly, Fatah and the PA did not respond to the proposal to establish a “national committee,” despite Hamas’ declaring that it did not oppose a committee headed by a minister from the PA government in Ramallah. In addition, it was claimed that the PA had reneged on previous understandings and renewed its demand for the full handover of the Strip, while at the same time conducting contacts to establish an alternative body for the Supreme Follow-Up Committee in the Gaza Strip without Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which was opposed by the Palestinian terrorist organizations in the Strip (al-Akhbar, December 23, 2025).
Plans for Rebuilding the Strip
  • “Sources” reported that preparations were underway for a Qatari project to build a residential city at an estimated cost of $250 million, including 500 five-story buildings with five apartments on each floor, in the al-Khashashin area between Rafah and Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. The buildings would be made of prefabricated concrete imported from China. The project is supposed to get underway during the second stage of the ceasefire agreement. An UNRWA project is planned at a cost of about $15 million to establish a caravan camp with medical centers, schools, services and open spaces in western Rafah. The projects would be carried out by Egyptian companies with operational services from local Palestinian companies (al-Iqtisadiya website, December 16, 2025).
  • An American presentation entitled Project Sunrise: Building a New and United Gaza, which was leaked to the media, presented a phased reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip. According to the plan, it would begin in Rafah and Khan Yunis and then progress in stages to the central camps and finally to Gaza City. At each stage clearing rubble, dealing with unexploded ordnance, and the scanning and handling of “underground infrastructure” and tunnels had to be carried out first, and only afterward would permanent housing and infrastructure be rebuilt. In addition, four “cities” or main rehabilitation hubs would be established (Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2025). United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that no one would be willing to invest in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip as long as there was concern that everything built could be destroyed again in a future war, and therefore the disarmament of Hamas was a central condition for rehabilitation (X account of the White House, December 19, 2025).
  • Hamas figures Osama Hamdan and Taher al-Nunu met in Iraq with Abu Alaa al-Wala’i, secretary general of the pro-Iranian Shi’ite militia Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhadaa, to discuss the activity of the “resistance” factions, the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and the ceasefire agreement negotiations. Hamdan and al-Nunu praised the role of the “Iraqi resistance” as a supporting front, while al-Wala’i emphasized the importance of “the unity of the arenas as a steadfast approach to confronting the Zionist project,” and noted the support of Baghdad and the militias for the Palestinian cause (Telegram channel of Abu Alaa al-Wala’i, December 21, 2025).
Counterterrorism
  • This past week, Israeli security forces continued routine counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria, during which suspects and wanted individuals involved in terrorist activity were detained, weapons were seized and tens of thousands of shekels used to finance terrorist activity were confiscated. As part of the activity, 35 drones of various sizes were taken from a shop in Hebron on suspicion of future use for terrorist purposes. The forces eliminated a terrorist who threw a brick at them in Qabatiya and a terrorist who threw an explosive device in al-Silat al-Harithiya (IDF spokesperson and police spokesperson, December 16–23, 2025).
  • Hamas’ military wing reported that one of its operatives was killed in Qabatiya (Hamas Telegram channel, December 20, 2025), and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Judea and Samaria (PIJ) announced that the operative killed in al-Silat al-Harithiya belonged to its military wing (Telegram channel of the Jerusalem Brigades, December 21, 2025). In the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm, residents evacuated their homes ahead of demolition by the IDF (Telegram channel of the Nur Shams refugee camp, December 17, 2025).
  • The Palestinian terrorist organizations strongly criticized the PA, accusing it of stopping payments to the families of the shaheeds, the wounded and the prisoners after the Economic Empowerment Institution announced that payments to families would now be made only according to socio-economic needs, regardless of political or security background. The organizations claimed that the decision showed “moral deterioration and [was] an unforgivable sin” and called for “urgent popular actions” to protect the struggling families (al-Risalah, December 22, 2025). The PIJ also condemned the decision and called it a “political and moral crime” (PIJ Telegram channel, December 22, 2025). Criticism also came from within the Fatah movement. The head of the authority for prisoners and released prisoners’ affairs, Raed Abu al-Hamess, personally attacked the head of the fund and PLO Executive Committee member Ahmed Majdalani, asking, “Where does the audacity come from to allow you speak in this manner? What have you sacrificed compared to what the shaheeds, the prisoners, the wounded and their families have sacrificed? Enough of your arrogance!” (Facebook page of the authority for prisoners and released prisoners’ affairs, December 21, 2025). Branch secretaries in the districts of Judea and Samaria warned that “our shaheeds, prisoners and wounded are a red line.” They called for convening an emergency meeting of the Central Committee, the Revolutionary Council, and Fatah branch secretaries to formulate a unified position on the issue (X account of fateh_pal65, December 21, 2025).
  • PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas met in Ramallah with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss recent developments in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. At the joint press conference, Abbas called for pressure to be exerted on Israel to stop “damaging [the chances for] the two-state solution through settlement expansion and settler terrorism,” while the Greek prime minister noted his country’s support for the two-state solution and said Greece was prepared to assist in strengthening the PA’s institutional and operational capacities (Wafa, December 22, 2025).
Mahmoud Abbas and the Greek prime minister (Wafa, December 22, 2025)
Mahmoud Abbas and the Greek prime minister (Wafa, December 22, 2025)
  • Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas, claimed that Israel continuously “violated” international law and legitimacy, citing as an example the Israeli government decision to establish 19 new settlements in Judea and Samaria, in violation of UN resolutions. At the same time, he called on the international community, especially the United States, to exert pressure on Israel to allow and expedite the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. He also complained of the continuation of military operations in Judea alongside violence by Israeli settlers (Wafa, December 16, 2025). Hamas claimed that the intention to build 19 settlements was “a dangerous escalation in settlement and annexation policy” and a “violation” of international law (Hamas Telegram channel, December 19, 2025).
  • Shortly after Mahmoud Abbas’ visit to Italy in early December 2025, the speaker of the Italian parliament, Lorenzo Fontana, announced his support for recognizing a Palestinian state. He said recognition should be carried out within an appropriate framework of international guarantees, adding that his statement reflected Italy’s commitment to supporting international efforts to achieve regional peace and stability (Amman News Facebook page, December 18, 2025).

[1] Click https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en to subscribe and receive the ITIC's daily updates as well as its other publications.
[2] Operatives of Hamas and the other terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip.
[3] For further information, see the December 2025 ITIC report, The Gaza Strip Following the Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab
[4] Terrorist operatives.
[5] Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad) was one of the founders of the Fatah movement and the PLO, headed the organization’s military wing, and was responsible for numerous terrorist attacks. He was eliminated in an IDF operation in Tunis in April 1988.
[6] Palestinian terrorist organizations.
[7] The terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip.

Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (December 15-22, 2025)

The command chain of Hezbollah's secret maritime project, revealed in Amhaz' interrogation (IDF spokesperson, December 19, 2025)

The command chain of Hezbollah's secret maritime project, revealed in Amhaz' interrogation (IDF spokesperson, December 19, 2025)

Mahmoud Qamati (Lebanon On TV, December 18, 2025)

Mahmoud Qamati (Lebanon On TV, December 18, 2025)

The prime ministers of Lebanon (right)and Egypt (Lebanese National News Agency, December 19, 2025)

The prime ministers of Lebanon (right)and Egypt (Lebanese National News Agency, December 19, 2025)

commander of the Lebanese army, Haykal, with his French counterpart (X account of the Lebanese army, December 18, 2025)

commander of the Lebanese army, Haykal, with his French counterpart (X account of the Lebanese army, December 18, 2025)

al-Mousawi (al-Manar, November 19, 2025)

al-Mousawi (al-Manar, November 19, 2025)

The shipment of confiscated RPGs (Telegram channel of the Syrian Interior Ministry, December 17, 2025)

The shipment of confiscated RPGs (Telegram channel of the Syrian Interior Ministry, December 17, 2025)

Overview[1]
  • The IDF continued attacking Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon to enforce the ceasefire agreement, which prohibited the organization’s presence south of the Litani. The IDF reported that in the year since the ceasefire, more than 370 terrorist operatives, most of them from Hezbollah, had been eliminated and there had been approximately 1,200 targeted ground operations to destroy terrorist infrastructure and damage the organization’s military capabilities.
  • The IDF continued its activity to enforce the ceasefire agreement and prevent Hezbollah’s military buildup, attacking targets in south Lebanon and in the northern Beqa’a Valley, including a training camp. Two Hezbollah terrorist operatives and one from Amal were eliminated. The IDF revealed details about a covert Hezbollah project for attacking Israel from sea.
  • Hezbollah said the “resistance” was prepared to defend itself and Lebanon if attacked and would operate from anywhere in the country even if it had no presence south of the Litani River.
  • According to reports, the monitoring meeting of the Israeli and Lebanese delegations ended without progress because Israel refused to withdraw from the points it held in south Lebanon until the Lebanese army implemented the disarmament plan as required.
  • A UNIFIL spokesperson claimed that UN forces had not identified any Hezbollah presence or new facilities in south Lebanon since the ceasefire at the end of November 2024.
  • Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, said he expected to announce the disarmament of the area south of the Litani River at the beginning of 2026, after which the second stage would begin, disarming the area between the Litani River and the Awali River. However, Hezbollah rushed to state that it was committed only to disarmament south of the Litani and that there was pressure on the Lebanese government to impose new “rules of engagement.”
  • The commander of the Lebanese army met with the envoys of the United States, France and Saudi Arabia and briefed them on the progress of the army’s plan to ensure a state’s monopoly on weapons. France is reportedly working with the United States and Israel to expand the Lebanese army’s freedom of action south of the Litani, but the Lebanese army said it would not conduct searches in private homes without consent or a warrant.
  • Power struggles reportedly continue in Hezbollah between the moderates, headed by secretary general Na’im Qassem and the conservatives, concerning the issues of disarmament and military buildup, affecting appointments in the organization’s top ranks and eroding Hezbollah’s public legitimacy.
  • Hezbollah figures in the Beqa’a Valley region were suspended on suspicion of embezzling $9 million from funds earmarked for Lebanese who were displaced in the war with Israel.
  • Al-Qard al-Hassan Association, Hezbollah’s financial arm, denied reports that it intended to change its current name to circumvent American pressure.
  • Two London residents were charged with membership in Hezbollah and training at a base used by Hezbollah’s aerial wing for UAV activity.
Israel-Hezbollah Tension
The IDF
  • This past week the IDF continued attacking Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon and the northern Beqa’a Valley to enforce the ceasefire agreement of November 2024, prevent Hezbollah’s renewed military-terrorist buildup and keep it from replenishing its arsenal. The IDF attacked military facilities and launch sites at a Hezbollah training camp, and buildings used to store weapons. Two Hezbollah terrorist operatives were eliminated (IDF spokesperson, December 15–22, 2025). Media outlets in Lebanon reported three fatalities in the IDF attacks, including two Hezbollah operatives and an Amal operative, and ten wounded (al-Nashra and the Telegram channel of South Lebanon – Watching the Enemy, December 15–22, 2025).
  • The IDF revealed that Hezbollah had developed a covert maritime project for maritime terrorist activity under a civilian cover to attack Israeli and international targets. The information was revealed during the interrogation of Imad Amhaz, a leader of the project who was captured in a naval commando operation in north Lebanon in November 2024 during the war with Hezbollah. Amhaz underwent military training in Iran and Lebanon, and at the Lebanese Marseti civilian maritime institute. During questioning Amhaz said the project was directly managed by Nasrallah and Hezbollah’s former military commander Fuad Shukr, who was eliminated in July 2024, and under the command of Ali Abd al-Hassan Nour al-Din (IDF spokesperson, December 19, 2025).
The command chain of Hezbollah's secret maritime project, revealed in Amhaz' interrogation (IDF spokesperson, December 19, 2025)
The command chain of Hezbollah’s secret maritime project, revealed in Amhaz’ interrogation
(IDF spokesperson, December 19, 2025)
Hezbollah
  • The deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, Mahmoud Qamati, said that in any future confrontation the organization would immediately act “defensively,” without consultations, and would “defend Lebanese land under all circumstances,” even if it was not deployed south of the Litani. He claimed Hezbollah operated as “ghosts” and would act from anywhere required. He rejected the demand to disarm and claimed Hezbollah did not sanctify the weapons themselves but their role “in defending Lebanon,” which he claimed faced existential threats. He called on Arab states to support Hezbollah, claiming that the “resistance”[2] was “a first line of defense” against Israel and the consequences of its regional activity, while at the same time criticizing American pressure to disarm the organization while extensive military aid was being funneled to the Lebanese army (Lebanon On TV, December 18, 2025).
Mahmoud Qamati (Lebanon On TV, December 18, 2025)
Mahmoud Qamati (Lebanon On TV, December 18, 2025)
  • Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, also accused that the “Zionist enemy” of exerting security, military and political pressure to eliminate the “resistance” and its weapons, but rushed to add that the “resistance” was still ready to defend Lebanon and its interests. He said Hezbollah had no intention of surrendering and the “resistance” had the right to defend itself if attacked (al-‘Ahed, December 21, 2025).
  • Ali Fayyad, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, said it would be “dangerous” if during negotiations with Israel, Lebanon moved from discussing Israeli withdrawal from the “occupied” sites, the cessation of “aggression” and the release of Lebanese prisoners to discussing an economic or political issue. He said the unconditional return of village residents to south Lebanon, the application of state sovereignty over all its territory, the deployment of the army, particularly in the south of the country, and Lebanon’s right to defend itself had to be the pillars of the Lebanese position and should not be retreated from. Fayyad claimed that Lebanon’s agreement to negotiate despite the continuation of daily Israeli eliminations and aerial attacks exposed “the magnitude of futile concessions to the enemy” (al-‘Ahed, December 21, 2025).
  • Ali Haidar, the Israel affairs commentator at Hezbollah’s daily al-Akhbar, wrote an op-ed piece claiming that since the beginning of the ceasefire in November 2024, Israel had been trying to remove Hezbollah from controlling the internal Lebanese arena and overseeing the direct confrontation with Israel. According to Haidar, Israel had failed to leverage tactical achievements into strategic decisions and to end the war on its own terms or fundamentally change the rules of engagement. Israel changed its strategy to garnering achievements after the war, with American assistance, while trying to defeat Hezbollah through the internal Lebanese arena. However, he claimed, that also failed, since Hezbollah did not disarm, dismantle its facilities or change its “operational concept.”[3] Haidar argued that Hezbollah’s lack of response did not indicate collapse or loss of capability, but rather a strategic calculation of cost versus benefit, whose objective was to prevent comprehensive escalation, preserve internal stability, enable rehabilitation and “renew preparation,”[4] while Israel was acting without a clear horizon (al-Akhbar, December 16, 2025).
The Lebanese Government
  • On December 19, 2025, another meeting of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism was held in Naqoura with the participation of Israeli and Lebanese delegations. Before the meeting, Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, instructed the head of the Lebanese delegation, former ambassador Simon Karam, to present Israel with four demands: an official commitment to halt the attacks, the return of Lebanese prisoners, a gradual or full withdrawal from Lebanese territory and initiating a discussion on amending the Blue Line, while Beirut would not agree “to be dragged” into discussion about politics or normalization (al-Madan, December 18, 2025). After the meeting Karam briefed Aoun, who said the return of border village residents to their homes was a precondition for any further discussion (X account of the Lebanese presidency, December 19, 2025). Hezbollah’s daily al-Akhbar claimed that the meeting ended in a stalemate after Israel refused to withdraw from the points under its control in south Lebanon, to halt the attacks or to release Lebanese prisoners, arguing, with American backing, that the Lebanese army was not implementing the disarmament plan as required (al-Akhbar, December 20, 2025).
  • Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, referring to the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah facilities in south Lebanon and in the Beqa’a Valley on December 18, 2025, called them a message sent by Israel before the meeting of the Lebanese army commander, Rodolph Haykal, with representatives of France, the United States and Saudi Arabia, which took place in Paris shortly afterwards. Berri called the attacks a “belt of fire” in honor of the monitoring mechanism meeting the following day (Telegram channel of the Amal Movement, December 18, 2025).
  • Meanwhile, Egypt continued its efforts to prevent further escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. Egypt’s prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, visited Beirut and met with President Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Berri. Madbouly stressed Cairo’s opposition to Israeli “violations” and the continuation of the “occupation” in south Lebanon and called on Israel to respect the ceasefire agreement and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and to withdraw immediately from Lebanese territory. He also expressed support for the Lebanese army’s expanding the authority of the state (Lebanese National News Agency, December 19, 2025). Egypt’s ambassador to Lebanon met with Muhammad Raad, head of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, who said the organization was not prepared to discuss the “containment of weapons” north of the Litani River, claiming that Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement applied only south of the river (al-Madan, December 19, 2025). According to reports, contacts took place between Egypt and Hezbollah “at the highest levels and through back channels, away from the media,” to find common denominators that would make it possible to emerge from “the current deadly stalemate.” “Sources” said that understandings were at an advanced stage due to mutual desire, “Egyptian admiration” for the organization’s “realism” and understanding of Hezbollah’s concerns in light of Israel’s “continued obstinacy” (al-Diyar, December 21, 2025).
The prime ministers of Lebanon (right)and Egypt (Lebanese National News Agency, December 19, 2025)
The prime ministers of Lebanon (right)and Egypt
(Lebanese National News Agency, December 19, 2025)
The Lebanese Army
  • A Lebanese army force located a Hezbollah tunnel on the outskirts of the town of Toulin in south Lebanon. According to reports, army soldiers arrived at the site accompanied by UNIFIL forces in accordance with a request by the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, after information received from Israel indicated the existence of the tunnel. During the digging, an opening was found that led to a small room that was empty of weapons and equipment (al-Mayadeen, al-Akhbar and Lebanon Debate, December 17, 2025).
  • The commander of the Lebanese army, Rodolph Haykal, met with the state secretary at the German Ministry of Defense, Nils Hilmer, to discuss bilateral military cooperation. They signed two agreements to support the Lebanese army’s facing the “current challenges,” which included the supply of fuel to the army and the strengthening of the military medical corps (X account of the Lebanese army, December 15, 2025).
UNIFIL
  • UNIFIL spokesperson Candice Ardell claimed that UN forces had not found evidence of the entry of new weapons into Lebanese territory since the ceasefire agreement went into force at the end of November 2024, nor were new facilities built by non-state actors or military movements by non-state actors found. She said the situation in south Lebanon remained fragile, but the peacekeepers continued their efforts to maintain stability (German News Agency, December 19, 2025).
Challenges for Hezbollah[5]
Disarmament
  • Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, said in practice, the state had authority south of the Litani River to the border except for the points still held by Israel. “Lebanese sources” reported that the Lebanese army had confiscated and destroyed thousands of tons of weapons and uncovered about a hundred tunnels. Salam said the completion of the first stage would be declared at a government meeting held at the beginning of 2026 and afterward the second stage of the army’s plan was expected to begin, focusing on the area between the Litani River in the south and the Awali River in the north. The third stage is supposed to be carried out in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, the fourth in the Beqa’a Valley, and afterward the rest of the country. According to Salam, the transition to the second stage was supposed to occur even without parallel Israeli steps, but he noted the need to halt the attacks. He also linked progress in the next stage to cooperation from Hezbollah and said the state’s monopoly on weapons was a core condition for the rehabilitation of the south, the operation of state institutions and freedom from the cycle of violence and instability (al-Sharq al-Awsat, December 20, 2025).
  • In response to Salam’s remarks, an article criticizing him was published in Hezbollah’s daily al-Akhbar, claiming that he was rushing to announce the transition to the second stage of the plan “having received nothing in return from the Israeli enemy,” which was “capitulation” to external pressure and to threats that Israel would escalate its attacks. According to the article, at the government meeting scheduled for January 5, 2026 Salam planned to announce that the area south of the Litani River had been disarmed, even though the army commander, Rodolph Haykal, said he could not declare it before Israel completed its withdrawal from the five points it holds in south Lebanon. “Political sources” said Salam’s statement regarding the transition to the second stage was not surprising, it had been discussed behind the scenes and was known to Hezbollah, but the organization intended to make clear that it did not intend to hand over “even a single bullet” north of the Litani as it was committed only to the area south of the river (al-Akhbar, December 22, 2025).
  • The commander of the Lebanese army, Rodolph Haykal, met in Paris with the three envoys to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian of France, Morgan Ortagus of the United States and Prince Yazid bin Farhan of Saudi Arabia, to brief them on the progress of the army’s plan to ensure the state’s monopoly on weapons. According to a statement from the Élysée, the three expressed support for Lebanon’s efforts to implement the ceasefire agreement and agreed to establish a committee to prepare an international conference to support the Lebanese army and internal security forces during February 2026. They also expressed support for the Lebanese armed forces and their sacrifices (al-Sharq al-Awsat, December 18, 2025). Earlier, Haykal met with his French counterpart, Fabien Mandon, who noted his country’s commitment to continuing assistance to the Lebanese army to maintain the country’s security, alongside appreciation for the efforts made by the Lebanese army in the first stage of the plan south of the Litani (X account of the Lebanese army, December 18, 2025).
commander of the Lebanese army, Haykal, with his French counterpart (X account of the Lebanese army, December 18, 2025)
commander of the Lebanese army, Haykal, with his French counterpart
(X account of the Lebanese army, December 18, 2025)
  • “Sources” reported that France was working with the United States and Israel to grant the Lebanese army broader freedom of action in disarming south Lebanon, while devising a “verification mechanism” under which the army would examine Israeli claims regarding the presence of weapons and military sites in south Lebanon. According to the report, in several cases already examined, no evidence was found supporting the Israeli claims. “Sources in the Lebanese army” said the army would not conduct searches in private homes without the owners’ consent or a warrant and rejected demands to act as an “enemy policing arm” (al-Akhbar, December 20, 2025).
  • “A source in Hezbollah” said that the organization was under political pressure from Arab and international actors whose objective was to neutralize or disarm Hezbollah. According to “the source,” Israel and the United States were working to advance a gradual move towards freezing the use of weapons and expanding the disarmament zone from south of the Litani River up to the Awali River, to distance Hezbollah from northern Israel and impose new rules of engagement. The “source” claimed that the pressures were meant to achieve Israel’s objectives without a full-scale war, by exploiting Lebanon’s adherence to the ceasefire and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south. However, the “source” claimed that Hezbollah did not view itself as weakened and rejected any further concessions or disarmament (al-Joumhouria, December 19, 2025).
  • A “government source” said Hezbollah did not reveal its true positions and was careful to harden its political demands, while fundamentally opposing the state’s monopoly on weapons, despite its formal support for the government declaration and its participation in it. According to the “source,” mediation efforts by Egypt and France had stagnated, partially due to the absence of an Iranian response to proposals raised by the head of Egyptian intelligence, Hassan Rashad, to accept the Lebanese army’s plan for implementing Resolution 1701. He added that the organization wanted to preserve its weapons as an asset in Iran’s hands for regional purposes, even at the price of worsening isolation and deepening the internal crisis (al-Sharq al-Awsat, December 20, 2025).
  • A further expression of Hezbollah’s intransigence came from Ihab Hamada, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament. who said Hezbollah would not disarm or have its weapons frozen and that discussions on the issue could take place only after a full implementation of the ceasefire and within the framework of a national defense strategy. He also attacked Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji and claimed that his remarks against the organization’s weapons and Iran’s policy did not represent Lebanon and were intended to divide the public (al-Mayadeen, December 17, 2025). His colleague in the faction, Ali Fayyad, also said Hezbollah would be prepared to discuss a national defense strategy only after an Israeli withdrawal, the cessation of attacks and the release of prisoners. He also sharply criticized the Lebanese foreign minister, claiming that he was damaging national interests and taking a hostile stance toward the “resistance” and its allies (Sputnik Agency, December 18, 2025).
Internal Hezbollah Tensions
  • “Sources close to Hezbollah” said the organization’s leadership had recently been dealing with internal tensions. According to “sources,” there were power struggles within the Shura Council, which were also influenced by the split between pragmatic and conservative elements in Iran, paralyzing decision-making and casting doubt on the ability of the current leadership to impose consensus. One example is the delay in formally appointing the chairman of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, as deputy Hezbollah secretary general, which is perceived as a sign of hesitation by secretary general Na’im Qassem and pressure from conservative elements opposing renewal in the structure of the leadership, especially the appointment of a political figure who is not a cleric. “Sources” said the appointment, should it occur, would cause a struggle over the leadership of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc and worsen the internal turbulence (Janoubia, December 16, 2025).
  • According to reports, Hezbollah secretary general Na’im Qassem was trying to strengthen his control and promote a more moderate approach, including on the weapons issue, but was opposed by an extremist faction which adhered to preserving and rehabilitating military-terrorist capability. The meeting of the senior advisor to Iran’s leader for international affairs, Ali Akbar Velayati, with Hezbollah’s representative in Tehran, Abdallah Safi al-Din, was remarkable and perceived by “informed sources” as a signal of strengthening Iranian support and even as laying the groundwork for the future appointment of Safi al-Din to a senior leadership role. However, it was reported that Qassem was making broad appointments in the military and security forces to preserve his standing (al-Jarida, December 17, 2025).
  • Other reports quoted “sources close to Hezbollah” who said the organization was at a particularly sensitive point caught between the hard-liners and the more pragmatic leaders, the internal and external pressures surrounding the weapons issue and the status of the state. There was also criticism of secretary general Qassem’s leadership, due to the failure of managing the crisis of the displaced persons, the cessation of compensation to families of the dead and poor economic management. In addition, the criticism had also damaged relations with the Amal movement and its leader Nabih Berri. According to the reports, despite calls to replace Qassem, there was concern that such a move would deepen the split, while his continued leadership could accelerate the erosion of the organization’s public legitimacy (Aram News, December 17 and 19, 2025).
Reorganization of Hezbollah
  • Hezbollah’s Shura Council voted to establish a central information authority which would consolidate all the organization’s media outlets under it, television, radio, digital platforms and public relations. It will be headed by Ibrahim Mousawi, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament. The move is regarded as applying lessons learned from the elimination of the previous head of the information apparatus, Muhammad Afif, about ten days before the ceasefire in November 2024. The general assessment is that Israel will not eliminate members of parliament, a consideration that influenced choosing Mousawi in an effort to stabilize and strengthen the organization’s propaganda apparatus in the post-war era (al-Akhbar, December 16, 2025).
al-Mousawi (al-Manar, November 19, 2025)
al-Mousawi (al-Manar, November 19, 2025)
Iranian Involvement
  • Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, met with Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, to discuss the Israeli “violations” of the ceasefire and the resumption of flights between Tehran and Beirut via Lebanese or Iranian airlines (X account of Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, December 17, 2025).
The Economic Challenge
  • Al-Qard al-Hassan Association, Hezbollah’s financial arm, said it would continue to operate under its current name and provide financial services while “complying with legal requirements.” The statement was issued in response to a report claiming that the association used alternative names in financial documents to circumvent restrictions of the Lebanese bank and evade American pressure to halt its activity. Previous reports also claimed Hezbollah was considering changing the association’s name and transferring it to the supervision of the Central Bank (al-Manar, December 17, 2025).
The Challenge of Reconstruction
  • Reportedly, several Hezbollah figures in the Beqa’a Valley, including the official responsible for the eastern sector, Abbas Ali Hassan Mohammad al-Mousawi, were suspended because they were suspected of embezzling from Hezbollah’s Samidoun (“steadfastness”) program for assistance in rebuilding the destruction and providing housing for residents affected by the Hezbollah-Israel war. According to the report, $9 million was embezzled from public and private funds and donation money allocated to residents. Al-Mousawi and three other figures received the support of Talal Hamiya, a close aide of the organization’s secretary general, Na’im Qassem (Lebanon Debate and al-Arabiya, December 21, 2025).
  • According to reports, 100,000 Lebanese Shi’ites who were displaced from their homes following the Hezbollah-Israel war were still living in various areas more than a year after the ceasefire. In addition, about 90,000 of the displaced left the area near the border with Israel, half of them moved to other villages and towns in south Lebanon, including Tyre and Nabatieh, and others moved to the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia south of Beirut and other areas in the city. About 10,000 residents of the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia are still displaced, half of them remaining in the capital and the rest having moved to nearby areas, including suburbs of Mount Lebanon adjacent to Beirut. Beyond the delay in reconstruction, most of the displaced chose not to return to their homes due to fear of renewed fighting. In addition, hundreds of displaced families were still waiting for a new cash grant for rent and housing which Hezbollah was supposed to transfer to owners of homes that had been destroyed, after similar sums were transferred about a year ago (al-Sharq al-Awsat, December 21, 2025).
Foreign Relations
  • According to reports, Ammer al-Mousawi, in charge of Arab and international relations in Hezbollah, paid a secret visit to Saudi Arabia, mediated by Turkey. The visit was coordinated with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and with the full knowledge of President Joseph Aoun. “Sources” said that the talks in Saudi Arabia did not deal with disarming Hezbollah, but included proposals for Saudi guarantees and the possibility of postponing the parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in May 2026 until the situation in Lebanon stabilized (Nidaa’ al-Watan, December 17, 2025).
Prevention of Weapons Smuggling
  • A Syrian internal security force prevented a weapons shipment from being smuggled into Lebanon. The security forces waited in ambush near the border and ten confiscated a cache of RPGs packed in preparation for smuggling across the border, and transferred them to the relevant authorities. The area is known as a smuggling zone with informal border crossings (Telegram channel of the Syrian Interior Ministry, December 17, 2025).
The shipment of confiscated RPGs (Telegram channel of the Syrian Interior Ministry, December 17, 2025)
The shipment of confiscated RPGs
(Telegram channel of the Syrian Interior Ministry, December 17, 2025)
International Activity Against Hezbollah
  • The British police stated that two London residents were charged with terrorism offenses, membership in Hezbollah and receiving military training in Lebanon. The two, Anis Makki (40 years old) and Muhammad al-Hadi Qassir (33 years old), were arrested in April 2025 and released on bail, but were rearrested in early December 2025 and indicted. According to the indictments, Makki had belonged to Hezbollah at least since the beginning of 2020, supported Hamas after the October 7, 2023, attack and massacre, and was involved in preparing terrorist activities, while Qassir had belonged to Hezbollah since February 2015. According to the indictments the two underwent terrorist training at the Birkat Jbour airbase in south Lebanon in September 2021. The airfield was used by Hezbollah’s aerial wing for UAV activity, as revealed by former defense minister Yoav Gallant in September 2023, and which was attacked by the IDF in January 2024 (Metropolitan Police Service website of London, December 16, 2025).
Palestinians in Lebanon
  • The Arab University for Political Sciences held a two-day conference in Beirut dealing with “resistance” movements and independence in the third world and drawing lessons for the Palestinian arena. Representatives from organizations identified with the “resistance axis,”[6] including Hezbollah, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Amal, participated in the conference. Hamas’ representative in Lebanon, Ahmed Abdelhadi, stated that the Palestinians would not disarm but would “flexibility” to advance the next stage of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. Ihab Hamada, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, noted the need to exhaust all means of “resistance”[7] (al-‘Ahed, December 17, 2025).

[1] Click https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en to subscribe and receive the ITIC's daily updates as well as its other publications.
[2] Hezbollah and the other terrorist organizations operating in Lebanon.
[3] The destruction of the State of Israel.
[4] Continue its military buildup and replenish its arsenal.
[5] For further information, see the December 2025 ITIC report, Hezbollah: One Year After the Ceasefire.
[6] Iran, Hezbollah, the Palestinian terrorist organizations, the Houthis in Yemen and the Shi'ite militias in Iraq
[7] Anti-Israel terrorism and violence.

Spotlight on Iran

December 10-17, 2025 Editor: Dr. Raz Zimmt
Velayati’s meeting with Safi al-Din (Tasnim, December 14, 2025)

Velayati’s meeting with Safi al-Din (Tasnim, December 14, 2025)

The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon meets with the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament (ISNA, December 16, 2025)

The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon meets with the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament (ISNA, December 16, 2025)

Meeting between the presidents of Iran and Iraq (Iranian president’s website, December 12, 2025)

Meeting between the presidents of Iran and Iraq (Iranian president’s website, December 12, 2025)

The Iranian ambassador to Iraq meets with the president of the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq (Tasnim, December 15, 2025)

The Iranian ambassador to Iraq meets with the president of the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq (Tasnim, December 15, 2025)

Highlights[1]
  • Tensions between Iran and Lebanon continue: The Iranian foreign minister expressed surprise at his Lebanese counterpart’s decision not to accept an invitation to visit Tehran and announced his intention to visit Beirut. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed hope that a new ambassador would be stationed in Lebanon soon, despite the report that the Lebanese foreign minister was preventing his appointment.
  • The Iranian ambassador to Beirut met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss developments in Lebanon and the region. At the same time, the Supreme Leader’s senior advisor for international affairs met with Hezbollah’s representative in Tehran.
  • The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the events in Syria, including the killing of two American soldiers and an American interpreter, should not come as a surprise, given the growing instability caused by Israeli strikes and the “occupation” of territories by foreign actors.
  • Iran’s ambassador to Iraq met with senior officials from the Kurdish region in northern Iraq. The visit reflects a growing Iranian effort following the parliamentary elections in Iraq to influence the process of forming a new government in the country.
  • The Houthis condemned Israel’s “violations” in the Gaza Strip, particularly the targeted killing of senior Hamas military wing commander Raed Saad.
  • According to an internal Houthi report, forty percent of their naval and rocket capabilities damaged by American and British strikes have been restored.
  • The Iraqi foreign minister protested the US opposition to the inclusion of Shiite militias in the next government amid reports of increasing pressure from the US administration and threats of sanctions.
Iran and the Developments in the Lebanese Arena
  • Tensions between Iran and Lebanon continue, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announcing his intention to visit Beirut. After Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji rejected his invitation to visit Tehran, Araghchi wrote that Rajji’s decision not to accept Iran’s “warm hospitality” was surprising. He added that foreign ministers of countries with full diplomatic relations do not need a neutral place to meet. However, he noted that given the “Israeli occupation of Lebanon” and Israel’s violation of the ceasefire, he fully understands why his Lebanese counterpart is not willing to come to Tehran, and therefore he gladly accepts his invitation to visit Beirut. According to him, Iran is also interested in a “new chapter” in bilateral relations with Lebanon, based on the principles emphasized by the Lebanese foreign minister (Araghchi’s X account, December 11, 2025).
  • The reformist Iranian daily Shargh commented on the recent developments in Lebanon and the exchange of letters between the foreign ministers of Iran and Lebanon, and assessed that Lebanese Foreign Minister Rajji’s letter to Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi reflects the entirety of the internal, regional, and international considerations facing him, as well as the unprecedented political and security pressures exerted by Arab countries, the United States, and Israel on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and change the internal balance of power in Lebanon. According to the daily, developments in Lebanon and their results are likely to have a significant impact on the future of relations between Iran and Lebanon. If the pressure from the United States and the Western-Arab axis leads to redefining the role of the Lebanese army and limiting Hezbollah’s room for maneuver, Tehran-Beirut relations will enter a more sensitive and restrained phase. On the other hand, if Lebanon succeeds in balancing its external pressures, security needs, and internal balance, it will be possible to maintain and even strengthen its strategic cooperation with Iran (Shargh, December 11, 2025).
  • The Tabnak news website claimed that Lebanon is in a very sensitive situation as the expiration date of the Israeli-American ultimatum to disarm Hezbollah approaches. The website added that the Lebanese leadership believes that the key to dismantling Hezbollah lies in Tehran, and therefore it links this issue to continued relations with Iran. The website warned that in the event of another war against Hezbollah, it is not unreasonable that the Lebanese government will go so far as to sever diplomatic ties with Iran (Tabnak, December 13, 2025).
  • At his weekly press conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei referred to a report in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar that the Lebanese foreign minister is preventing the appointment of Iran’s new ambassador to Beirut. He expressed hope that the process would proceed naturally and that the Iranian ambassador would be stationed in Beirut in the near future. He added that the relations between the two countries are long-term, and that it is better to avoid statements that might divert Lebanon’s attention from focusing on preserving its national sovereignty and territorial integrity in light of the continued “crimes of the Zionist regime” (Mehr, December 14, 2025).
  • Iran’s ambassador to Beirut, Mojtaba Amani, met with Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, to discuss the latest political developments in Lebanon, the relations between the two countries, and regional developments. At the end of the meeting, Amani said the meeting took place as part of his ongoing consultations and dialogue with senior Lebanese officials. According to him, they discussed in particular the repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement by the “Zionist regime.” He stressed that the Islamic Republic supports Lebanon’s independence and the preservation of its unity and territorial integrity. He also said that in the meeting, they discussed options for Iranian participation in the process of rebuilding Lebanon and support for the Lebanese people. Amani also discussed with Berri the renewal of direct flights between the two countries via Iranian or Lebanese airlines, stating that such a step could facilitate the movement of tourists, students, and businesspeople between the two countries (ISNA, December 16, 2025).
The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon meets with the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament (ISNA, December 16, 2025)
The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon meets with the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliamen
(ISNA, December 16, 2025)
  • Ali-Akbar Velayati, the Supreme Leader’s senior advisor for international affairs, met with Hezbollah’s representative in Tehran, Seyyed Abdollah Safi al-Din, who presented a report on the developments in Lebanon and stressed that Hezbollah is stronger than ever and will not lay down its arms under any circumstances. Velayati noted that Hezbollah is one of the most important pillars of the “resistance front” and plays a central role in the struggle against Zionism. He emphasized that Iran would continue to resolutely support the organization (Tasnim, December 14, 2025).
Velayati’s meeting with Safi al-Din (Tasnim, December 14, 2025)
Velayati’s meeting with Safi al-Din (Tasnim, December 14, 2025)
Iran and the Developments in the Syrian Arena
  • Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei referred to the recent developments in Syria, including the incident in Palmyra, in which two US soldiers and an American interpreter were killed. He noted that these developments should not surprise anyone. According to him, in recent years, and especially in the past year, Syria has been subjected to continuous attacks by the “Zionist regime,” and the Syrian people cannot tolerate a reality in which the “occupying regime” repeatedly attacks its land. Iran has always warned that Syria will become an arena for the strengthening and spread of terrorism, and that the continuation of the “crimes of the Zionist regime” and the attacks it carries out against Syria, along with the continued occupation of large parts of the country’s territory by various actors, including the United States, could prevent the restoration of stability and security in Syria (Mehr, December 14, 2025).
  • Political commentator Saadallah Zarei addressed the anniversary of the collapse of the Assad regime in an editorial in Kayhan. According to him, the current reality in Syria reflects a series of failures. The main points of the article are as follows:
  • The country is divided into different regions, each of which is administered differently: part of the territory is under the control of the regime, another part is under Israeli control, and other parts are under the control of the American army, the Turkish army, the Kurds, armed terrorist groups, or armed Arab tribes operating outside the framework of the central government. Thus, today’s Syria lacks the most important political component –territorial integrity – and has fallen victim to plans imposed on it from outside its borders (Kayhan, December 14, 2025).
  • According to Zarei, between 2012 and 2018, the Syrian people, with the help of the “axis of resistance,” succeeded in defeating the enemies of the state. However, the developments in the past year took place without the involvement of the Syrian people and without the involvement of the “axis.” He stressed that without them, Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would not be restored. He also argued that Syria could not rely on a “puppet government” to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that it could not seek independence from aggressive states occupying parts of its territory.
  • Zarei accused the weak government of Abu Muhammad Julani (President Ahmed al-Shara) of making every “treacherous concession” imaginable in the past year in an attempt to unite Syria under one flag, saying that it failed because the parties it appealed to, including Turkey, the Arab Gulf states, the United States, and the “Zionist regime” are not interested in a united and strong Syria. It was also noted that the Syrian people have lost their land, the citizens are exposed to terrorism, the state of the economy has not improved, and there is no horizon for improvement.
  • The article assesses that these developments will lead the Syrian people to rethink, since Syrians know how to distinguish between those who stood by them in difficult times and occupiers and warmongers. In conclusion, it is argued that the Syrian people are capable of establishing a strong, advanced state with a “resistance” identity and that the occupiers are contributing – even if unintentionally – to the ripening of the Syrian people’s realization regarding the necessity of independence and “resistance.”
Iran and the Iraqi Arena
  • Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with Iraqi President Abdullatif Rashid on the sidelines of the International Peace and Trust Forum in Turkmenistan. Pezeshkian welcomed the holding of parliamentary elections in Iraq and expressed hope that the establishment of a strong parliament and government would contribute to the development of Iraq. He noted that Iran is determined to strengthen and expand relations between the countries in all fields, including trade, academia, and industry. He stressed the need to connect the railways between the two countries and complete the Basra–Shalamcheh railway project. In addition, the Iranian president referred to Israel’s regional activity, calling it a “cancerous tumor,” and said that the only way to neutralize its efforts to prevent closer ties between Muslim countries and to provoke sectarian and religious wars in the region is to expand cooperation, joint investments, and ties between the countries in all fields (Iranian president’s website, December 12, 2025).
Meeting between the presidents of Iran and Iraq (Iranian president’s website, December 12, 2025)
Meeting between the presidents of Iran and Iraq (Iranian president’s website, December 12, 2025)
  • Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, Mohammad Kazem Aal-e Sadeq, met in Erbil with the president of the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, to discuss relations between Iran and the Kurdish region. The two emphasized their desire to strengthen ties based on good neighborly relations and common interests, especially in the economic and commercial fields. They also discussed the situation in Iraq, the relations between the Kurdish region and the central government in Baghdad, and regional developments. During his visit to the Kurdish region, the Iranian ambassador also met with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to discuss political developments following Iraq’s parliamentary elections and efforts to form a new government, as well as promoting economic, commercial, and cultural ties between Iran and the region (Tasnim, December 15, 2025).
The Iranian ambassador to Iraq meets with the president of the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq (Tasnim, December 15, 2025)
The Iranian ambassador to Iraq meets with the president of the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq (Tasnim, December 15, 2025)
The Houthis in Yemen
  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Houthi regime accused Israel of “violating” the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and failing to fulfill its commitments to provide humanitarian aid and to stop the attacks and the “siege” on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. It also warned of continued Israeli escalation in the West Bank. The statement emphasized that Yemen’s leadership, government, and people continue to support and assist the Palestinian people and their “just struggle” (sa24 news site, December 15, 2025).
  • The Houthis’ political bureau condemned the assassination of senior Hamas military wing commander Raed Saad in Gaza, claiming it is a “violation” of the ceasefire agreement. It expressed condolences over Saad’s killing and confidence that the “great loss will not undermine the determination of the heroic fighters in Gaza but will grant them greater steadfastness and unity.” The bureau stressed that Houthi-controlled Yemen will remain alongside “Palestine and its resistance until the liberation of the occupied land” (Houthi movement Telegram channel, December 15, 2025).
  • “Senior Yemeni military sources” said that an internal report prepared by the Houthis showed that 40 percent of their naval and rocket capabilities had been restored after being hit by American-British attacks. According to the sources, the report was passed on to the inner circle of Houthi leader Abd al-Malik al-Houthi and reflects growing confidence in their ability to overcome the international campaign against the regime. “Informed sources” added that the Houthis are working to reduce the number of attacks while increasing their quality. In this context, a “Yemeni military source” admitted that the Houthis had lost important assets in the Red Sea but was quick to stress that they “have not lost the ability to cause trouble,” and that although they are less powerful than last year, they are better prepared for fighting (Aram News, December 11, 2025).
  • During the week, Houthi leader Abd al-Malik al-Houthi made anti-Semitic statements and blood libels against Israel and the Jews:
  • In a speech marking International Muslim Women’s Day, al-Houthi claimed that “the Zionist Jews in Palestine have murdered, humiliated and raped thousands of Muslim women in Palestine.” He added that the “crimes of the Israeli occupation” created “bloody scenes” that moved the human conscience throughout the world, while most Arab and Muslim countries remained without a genuine position. Al-Houthi asserted that support for the “Zionist entity” by Arab regimes is among the clearest exposures of the severe damage afflicting the Islamic nation, and claimed that the “Zionist enemy,” with American cooperation, seeks to force submission upon the Islamic nation (Al-Masirah, December 10, 2025).
  • In another statement responding to an incident in which a US Senate candidate attempted to burn a Quran, al-Houthi accused it of being a “heinous crime” and part of an ongoing “Zionist-Jewish war” led by the United States, Britain, the “Zionist enemy,” and their allies in East and West, whom he described as “allies of Satan,” aimed at corrupting and enslaving human societies. He added that the hatred of the “Zionist Jews” and their supporters exposes their “darkness,” and that the insults and war waged by “Zionism” with all its branches constitute a “blatant act of hostility” against Islam and Muslims (Telegram channel of the Houthi movement, December 16, 2025).
Al-Houthi’s announcement following the attempted burning of the Quran (Telegram channel of the Houthi movement’s media center, December 16, 2025)
Al-Houthi’s announcement following the attempted burning of the Quran
(Telegram channel of the Houthi movement’s media center, December 16, 2025)
The Pro-Iranian Militias in Iraq
  • “Prominent Iraqi sources” said that in recent weeks, the authorities in Baghdad have received direct warnings from the US administration that the United States will not cooperate with any leader, minister, or official affiliated with the militias operating in the country in the future government that will be formed following the parliamentary elections. An “Iraqi government source” said that the threats of economic sanctions against Iraq pose significant challenges in the selection of the new government. He said the sanctions could be aimed at key Iraqi figures, companies, and influential entities, as well as government institutions. He admitted that the economic situation in Iraq is very sensitive, and therefore, it is very difficult to resist American pressure. According to the source, so far there has been no Iranian involvement in selecting prime ministers, and no signals have been received from Tehran on this issue (Al‑Araby Al‑Jadeed, December 11, 2025).
  • Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Iraqi militias are represented in parliament and play an important role there, but the US administration refuses to allow their participation in government. He stated that imposing conditions on government formation by any country is inappropriate, adding that while several countries prefer certain sides in government, the final decision rests with Iraq (Al-Hadath, December 16, 2025).
  • Abu Ali al-Askari, spokesman for Kata’ib Hezbollah, attacked US envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya, stressing that Washington will not achieve its “malicious objectives” in the country. He said the militia would not confront Savaya because “our youth are sufficient to humiliate him.” Al-Askari called on all Iraqi politicians and figures, especially Muslims, not to cooperate with the US envoy, warning that anyone who does so will be regarded by the people as “traitors and tools in the hands of President Trump” (Abu Ali al-Askari’s Telegram channel, December 14, 2025).

[1] The weekly study includes the activities of Iran, the Shiite militias in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen.

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (December 9-16, 2025)

Ra'ad Sa'ad's

Ra'ad Sa'ad's "ID card" (IDF spokesperson, December 13, 2025)

The Asqalan displaced persons' camp in western Deir al-Balah was entirely flooded, rainwater turning the tents into pools of mud (Filastin al-'An Telegram channel, December 12, 2025)

The Asqalan displaced persons' camp in western Deir al-Balah was entirely flooded, rainwater turning the tents into pools of mud (Filastin al-'An Telegram channel, December 12, 2025)

Khalil al-Hayya (Hamas Telegram channel, December 14, 2025)

Khalil al-Hayya (Hamas Telegram channel, December 14, 2025)

Mahmoud Abbas and Italian Prime Minister Meloni (Wafa, December 12, 2025)

Mahmoud Abbas and Italian Prime Minister Meloni (Wafa, December 12, 2025)

  • IDF forces continued operations within the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip and eliminated terrorists who posed a threat. Two IDF soldiers were wounded by an explosive device. A senior member of Hamas’ military wing, Ra’ad Sa’ad, one of the planners of the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre, was eliminated, and Hamas threatened retaliation.
  • The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) continued to claim that Hamas was holding the body of the last murdered Israeli hostage.
  • Hamas’ governing mechanisms in the Gaza Strip claimed that the rainy weather had caused the deaths of 13 civilians, the collapse of buildings and the destruction of thousands of tents.
  • Militias opposed to Hamas claimed responsibility for killing a senior figure in Hamas’ security apparatuses in the central Gaza Strip.
  • Hamas continued to promote the “achievements” of the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre. An Amnesty report accused Hamas and the PIJ of committing war crimes during and after the attack, including sexual violence and inhumane detention conditions of hostages.
  • A terrorist was killed after a stabbing attack in Hebron. There were no casualties.
  • The chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, claimed a Palestinian state would be a factor of regional stability.
he IDF
  • IDF forces continued operations within the Yellow Line (the area under IDF control) in the Gaza Strip, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, and eliminated terrorists who crossed the Yellow Line or approached it and posed a threat. Two IDF soldiers were wounded by an explosive device while clearing an area in the southern Gaza Strip (IDF spokesperson, December 16–9, 2025). “Palestinian sources” reported that the IDF had fired artillery in the northern and southern Gaza Strip and that there were aerial sorties east of Gaza City, east of Khan Yunis and in the Rafah area in the south, and that buildings were blown up and demolished east of Khan Yunis (al-Risalah Net, December 13, 2025).
  • “Palestinian sources” accused Israel of using the Yellow Line for psychological warfare and calling the “resistance”[2] the cause of the loss of about 58% of the Strip’s territory instead of “an instrument of liberation.” According to the “sources,” the Yellow Line cuts through entire neighborhoods and cities in the north and south of the Strip, is gradually expanding westward with shelling and the creation of ongoing danger zones, and is accompanied by Israeli talk of a “new border,” initiatives for reconstruction and the creation of demilitarized zones for local militias opposed to Hamas (al-Akhbar, December 12, 2025).
  • On December 13, 2025, Ra’ad Sa’ad, aka Abu Mu’adh, a long-time operative in Hamas’ military wing who was head of the production headquarters of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and was one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre, was eliminated in an Israeli strike in southwest Gaza. Three Hamas operatives who were with him in the vehicle were also eliminated (IDF spokesperson, December 13, 2025). The head of Hamas’ political bureau in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya, confirmed his death (Hamas Telegram channel, December 14, 2025). Hamas figure Muhammad Nazzal threatened Israel, saying that the movement had “the right to respond to the crime of the occupation” and the “field leadership” would choose the time and place (al-Ghad channel, December 15, 2025).
Ra'ad Sa'ad's "ID card" (IDF spokesperson, December 13, 2025)
Ra’ad Sa’ad’s “ID card” (IDF spokesperson, December 13, 2025)
Returning the Body of the Last Murdered Israeli Hostage
  • “Palestinian sources” denied reports of tension between Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ} following the latter’s refusal to transfer the body of the last murdered hostage held in the Gaza Strip to Hamas. “PIJ sources” claimed that the body was in fact in Hamas’ possession and coordination with Hamas was excellent, with no disagreements or tensions. “Hamas sources” said there were three or four possible locations for the body in the al-Shuja’iya and al-Zeitoun neighborhoods of Gaza City, adding that searches were being conducted but so far without results, partially due to the heavy destruction. The “sources” claimed that all field the commanders and operatives who had participated in the abduction and holding of the body had been killed (al-Sharq al-Awsat, December 13, 2025).
  • PIJ spokesperson Muhammad al-Hajj Musa claimed the organization had handed over the bodies of all the “captives” [murdered hostages] it held. He claimed Israel’s allegation that the PIJ knew where the last body was and refused to provide information was false. He added that the PIJ had closed the “prisoners” file and the facts on the ground proved that “the resistance speaks the truth [sic] and the occupation lies” (Ultra Palestine website, December 12, 2025).
The Situation in the Gaza Strip
  • Hamas exploited the rainy weather and flooding in the Gaza Strip to promote its “Gaza is drowning” narrative:
    • According to Hamas’ government media information office, the weather was responsible for the deaths of at least 11 Gazans who died of hypothermia or were killed when houses collapsed and walls fell. Reportedly, at least 13 houses collapsed and more than 27,000 tents of displaced persons were flooded and swept away (Telegram channel of the government media information office, December 13, 2025).
Gaza before the ceasefire agreement "drowning in blood" and after the agreement, in rain and mud (Alaa al-Laqta's X account, December 12, 2025)     A storm approaching the shores of Gaza (Alaa al-Laqta's X account, December 9, 2025).
Cartoons by Alaa al-Laqta, Hamas’ in-house cartoonist. Right: A storm approaching the shores of Gaza (Alaa al-Laqta’s X account, December 9, 2025). Left: Gaza before the ceasefire agreement “drowning in blood” and after the agreement, in rain and mud (Alaa al-Laqta’s X account, December 12, 2025)
    • Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip reported that many tents were swept away by the rain and that many Gazans had been left without proper shelter, and that despite repeated calls for help issued in advance, entire camps were flooded in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis, in extensive areas of Deir al-Balah, in the central market in al-Nuseirat and in the al-Yarmouk neighborhoods and the port of Gaza. According to reports, since the start of winter more than 2,500 distress calls had been received (Telegram channel of the al-Nuseirat refugee camp, December 11, 2025). It was also claimed that more than 300,000 tents had been flooded or torn and that more than 80% of public and private buildings had been destroyed or severely damaged, including an almost complete collapse of the sewage system (al-Aqsa Network, December 13, 2025).
The Asqalan displaced persons' camp in western Deir al-Balah was entirely flooded, rainwater turning the tents into pools of mud (Filastin al-'An Telegram channel, December 12, 2025)
The Asqalan displaced persons’ camp in western Deir al-Balah was entirely flooded, rainwater turning the tents into pools of mud (Filastin al-‘An Telegram channel, December 12, 2025)
Security Governance
  • “Three Egyptian security and military sources” noted that the delay in moving to the second stage of the American agreement in the Gaza Strip strengthened the presence of armed militias supported by Israel and operating in areas under IDF control. According to the “sources,” the militia activity has increased since the start of the ceasefire and currently there are about 1,000 fighters, an increase of 400 since the ceasefire. The leader of one of the militias, Hossam al-Astal, said his group had recruited new members since the ceasefire and now had hundreds of operatives. “A source close to the Popular Forces militia established by Yasser Abu Shabab” also noted that the group had recorded a significant increase in the number of its operatives, without specifying how many. A “diplomat who requested anonymity” said that the emergence of the militias raised concerns about the stability of the Gaza Strip and increased the risk of internal Palestinian conflict (Reuters, December 10, 2025).
The militias opposed to Hamas issued photographs of food packages they had distributed to Palestinians living in areas under their control (Right: Facebook page of the Popular Army in the northern Strip district led by Ashraf al-Mansi, December 9, 2025. Left: Facebook page of "The New Gaza under the leadership of the General Commander Hossam al-Astal," December 13, 2025)      The militias opposed to Hamas issued photographs of food packages they had distributed to Palestinians living in areas under their control (Right: Facebook page of the Popular Army in the northern Strip district led by Ashraf al-Mansi, December 9, 2025. Left: Facebook page of "The New Gaza under the leadership of the General Commander Hossam al-Astal," December 13, 2025)
The militias opposed to Hamas issued photographs of food packages they had distributed to Palestinians living in areas under their control (Right: Facebook page of the Popular Army in the northern Strip district led by Ashraf al-Mansi, December 9, 2025. Left: Facebook page of “The New Gaza under the leadership of the General Commander Hossam al-Astal,” December 13, 2025)
  • The Hamas ministry of the interior reported that an internal security officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Zamzam, was shot and killed in the al-Maghazi refugee camp and one of the suspects had been arrested. It was further claimed that initial investigations [allegedly] indicated that he had been killed by agents of the “occupation,” under direct guidance of Israeli intelligence services (Telegram channel of Hamas’ interior and national security ministry, December 14, 2025). Ghassan al-Dahini, commander of the Popular Forces militia, announced that the special operations wing of the militia’s counterterrorism department had been responsible for killing him (Ghassan al-Dahini’s Facebook page, December 14, 2025). However, “sources on the ground” reported that the killers belonged to the new militia of Shouki Abu Nuseira operating in eastern Khan Yunis (al-Sharq al-Awsat, December 15, 2025). Hamas’ security apparatuses also claimed that during interrogation one of the detainees said that Abu Nuseira had assigned the task of killing Zamzam to him and two accomplices (Khallik wa‘i Telegram channel, December 15, 2025).
  • Hossam al-Astal, who heads an armed militia in eastern Khan Yunis, issued a video marking Hamas’ founding day and declared, “There is no longer a founding day for Hamas and there is no longer Hamas.” He added that with the establishment of “the New Gaza,” there would be a new future in which Hamas would not participate (Hossam al-Astal’s Facebook page, December 14, 2025).
  • Fadi al-Dughma, a Palestinian network activist living in Antwerp who reports on the Gaza Strip, issued a warning to the public that Hamas was summoning residents to the outpatient clinics of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis under the pretense of a “job interview” to recruit them to the movement’s ranks. Many people who responded to the warning reacted with extreme anger, including cursing Hamas, calling for revenge and accusing Hamas of exploiting economic distress and endangering young people, while others attacked al-Dughma and accused him of incitement and division and called him an “Israeli agent” (Fadi al-Dughma’s Facebook page, December 16, 2025).
Civilian Governance
  • The IDF spokesperson in Arabic revealed a letter attributed to the al-Qarara municipality in the Khan Yunis area, according to which displaced residents are required to pay high sums for renting space on the beach and to arrive within a week to settle the payments. According to the IDF spokesperson, Hamas’ leadership is exploiting the distress of Gaza Strip residents, especially the basic need for shelter, and is now demanding “rent” from Gazans when Hamas itself caused the destruction and displacement of the residents and is now charging the victims money for the results of its actions (X account of the IDF spokesperson in Arabic, Avichay Adraee, December 10, 2025).
Photograph of the letter (IDF spokesperson in Arabic, Avichay Adraee, December 10, 2025)
Photograph of the letter (IDF spokesperson in Arabic, Avichay Adraee, December 10, 2025)
  • Hamas accused Israel of delaying the implementation of the first stage of the ceasefire agreement and the transition to the second stage. They also reiterated their position against disarming the “resistance”[3] and claimed that the international force which was supposed to deploy in the Gaza Strip should focus only on maintaining the ceasefire and not be involved in disarmament:
    • Hamas leader abroad Khaled Mashal said disarming the “resistance” was “inconceivable in Palestinian culture” and disarmament meant “removing the Palestinians’ soul.” He said that experience with the “occupation” showed that when Palestinians were disarmed or lost their weapons, “killing occurred.” He added that Hamas wanted guarantees which would prevent a recurrence of Israel’s war against the Gaza Strip and then “the weapons could be kept without being used.” Mashal said Hamas had proposed the idea of a long-term hudna [temporary cessation of fighting, up to ten years], adding that there was no objection to international stabilization forces’ being deployed along the border and separating the Gaza Strip from the “occupation” (Hamas in Judea and Samaria Telegram channel, December 10, 2025).
    • The head of Hamas’ political bureau in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya, called for completing the first stage of the agreement, which includes the entry of aid and equipment for reconstructing infrastructure, opening the Rafah Crossing in both directions, and then moving to a second stage whose goal is a full Israeli withdrawal and the launch of the reconstruction project, while claiming that Hamas and the “factions”[4] adhered to the agreement. He rejected an external trusteeship or mandate over the Palestinians and outlined a mechanism in which a Peace Council would oversee the implementation of the ceasefire, financing and supervising the reconstruction, but the civilian administration of the Strip would be transferred immediately to an independent Palestinian technocrat committee. Al-Hayya also limited the role of the international force to maintenance of the ceasefire and the Strip’s border, with no activity inside the Strip and no interference in its internal affairs, while reiterating that the weapons of the “resistance” were “a right under international law for peoples under occupation” and were linked to the establishment of a Palestinian state. His main objective was the promotion of Palestinian unity through cooperation with forces and “factions,” while calling on Fatah and the Palestinian Authority to agree on a national program, rehabilitate the PLO and restore political life through elections, while expanding the political, media and legal struggle in the international arena and making the issue of the prisoners a priority (Hamas in Judea and Samaria Telegram channel, December 14, 2025).
    • Hamas figure Muhammad Nazzal claimed that the “occupation” continued to evade its commitments under the ceasefire agreement. He called for negotiations with the mediators and guarantors to answer questions regarding the process. He claimed that they had not been briefed on the countries which would participate in the international force and that Hamas’ position regarding the force would be determined according to the missions assigned to it (al-Aqsa TV, December 11, 2025).
    • Hamas representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan said the movement was holding talks with Qatar, Egypt and Turkey regarding negotiations on the second stage of the ceasefire agreement. He said the Palestinian “factions” viewed the international force as a guarantor for the implementation of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, noting that they adhered to “our right to resistance, foremost armed resistance” (al-Jazeera, December 14, 2025).
  • PIJ spokesperson Muhammad al-Hajj Musa claimed no “resistance” movement gave up its weapons and that even a rational “resistance” movement would not do so. He added that “the weapons will not leave our hands, and we will not hand them over to anyone.” He said they had informed the mediators that the PIJ was not responding to the “violations of the occupation,” but the “resistance” would not allow the killing to continue (Ultra Palestine website, December 12, 2025).
  • “Two senior American officials” said the United States Central Command would host a conference in Doha on December 16, 2025, for representatives of more than 25 countries to plan the international stabilization force in the Gaza Strip. They said international forces might deploy in the Gaza Strip as early as January 2026 to establish the UN-approved stabilization force, adding the force would not fight Hamas. They said the possibility of appointing a two-star American general to head the force was being considered (Reuters, December 12, 2025).
  • Reportedly, attempts by the inner circle of Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, especially his sons, have recently intensified for presenting their candidate for the position of Governor of Gaza or chairman of the technocrats who will administer the Strip during the transition stage. According to commentator Wissam Afifa, the leading candidate is Samer Khoury, a businessman and chairman of the international Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), whose family is from Safed. Khoury, born in Beirut in 1960, has extensive experience and knowledge of management, finance and cross-border projects and is close to Abbas’ sons (Wissam Afifa’s Facebook page, December 7, 2025).
  • For the first time, Amnesty International accused the “Palestinian resistance” in the Gaza Strip of committing war crimes during and after the October 7, 2023 attack. The organization stated that evidence was collected indicating that Palestinians, including Hamas and PIJ operatives, carried out sexual violence against hostages during the October 7 attack, although “in the [alleged] absence of sufficient direct evidence” Amnesty refrained from determining its precise scope. The report also described inhumane detention conditions of hostages, including deprivation of food and medical care, viewing the conditions as causing severe physical and emotional harm. According to the report, Hamas and other Palestinian [terrorist] organizations did not seriously investigate the crimes that were committed, did not acknowledge the scope of the violations and at times even boasted of acts considered war crimes, while the official Palestinian authorities did not take real steps to bring those responsible to justice (Amnesty International, December 11, 2025). Hamas rejected the report and claimed that it was “biased and driven by suspicious considerations.” Hamas further claimed statement that the report was “full of distortions” and contradicted findings of human rights organizations, including Israeli ones, according to which many homes and facilities that were destroyed were in fact struck by the IDF using tanks and aircraft and that many civilians were killed by Israeli forces’ fire. Hamas accused Amnesty of adopting the “lies of the occupation government” and added that the goal of the report was “anti-resistance incitement” and to absolve Israel of responsibility for its “crimes” (Hamas website, December 11, 2025).
  • Hamas continued to promote the public relations propaganda campaign[5] highlighting the significant achievements of from the October 7, 2023 attack [and massacre] operation al-Aqsa Flood) and the ensuing war:
    • Hamas leader abroad Khaled Mashal claimed that the fighting over the past two years had changed the status of the “Palestinian struggle” in the regional and international arena, returned the Palestinian issue to the center of the agenda and revived the discourse on the two-state solution, while expanding support for Palestinian positions among young people in the West. According to him, the “resistance” encouraged open criticism of Israel and returned to the Arab and Islamic peoples the compass of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. He acknowledged that the price was “heavy,” with more than 70,000 dead and hundreds of thousands wounded in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria, but called to view the victims as a “duty” and stressed that despite the pain the Palestinian people would move on to the next stage of “liberation” (Dunia al-Watan, December 10, 2025).
    • In a speech by the head of Hamas’ political bureau in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya, marking 38 years since the movement’s establishment, he listed “Hamas’ achievements” after October 7, 2023: the shattering of the illusion of strategic deterrence and claims of Israel’s security superiority; Israel’s isolation in the international arena, including the promotion of lawfare against its leaders and soldiers and its portrayal as a “terrorist entity” threatening regional stability; the collapse of the “Zionist narrative” that for decades led to a change in attitudes among elites and the public regarding the nature of relations with Israel and the justification for supporting it; the normalization process with Arab states became complicated, with criticism of the issue of “Greater Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates;” the return of the Palestinian issue to center stage after years of decline; Hamas’ “resistance” project as hope and a model for Arab and Islamic peoples; the fall of Israel’s “secure borders” from several arenas and the creation of an internal rift within Israeli society, alongside the erosion of trust in the military, political and security leadership (Hamas in Judea and Samaria Telegram channel, December 14, 2025).
Khalil al-Hayya (Hamas Telegram channel, December 14, 2025)
Khalil al-Hayya (Hamas Telegram channel, December 14, 2025)
    • Hamas representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan said international recognition of a Palestinian state was the fruit of operation al-Aqsa Flood and claimed that “resistance”[6] was a Palestinian popular decision and not a Hamas decision. According to Hamdan, the world had to apologize to the Palestinian people for the “crimes Israel committed against it.” He claimed that no senior Hamas figure had opposed the decision of October 7, 2023 and said the movement “is reorganizing itself and its ranks after the deaths of many of its senior figures” (al-Jazeera, December 14, 2025).
Terrorist attack
  • Stabbing in Hebron: On December 14, 2025, a Palestinian armed with a knife attempted to attack an Israel Electric Corporation worker at the Zayit Junction near Kiryat Arba. He was shot and killed by an IDF force at the site (IDF spokesperson, December 14, 2025). According to reports, the dead terrorist was the son of the mayor of Nuba, a town west of Hebron (Nuba Municipality Facebook page, December 14, 2025).
Counterterrorism
  • IDF forces continued counterterrorism activity throughout Judea and Samaria, operating in central Nablus, Jenin, the Qalandiya refugee camp, villages around Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, Jenin and Tubas. Dozens of Palestinians were detained (Palestinian media, December 16–7, 2025). The PIJ’s military wing reported that one of its operatives was shot and killed by Israeli security forces in Silat al-Harithiya (Jerusalem Brigades Telegram channel, December 14, 2025).
  • The governor of Tulkarm, Abdallah Kamil, called on the international community to intervene following the IDF announcement of its intention to demolish 25 buildings in the Nur al-Shams refugee camp due to “military needs,” starting December 18, 2025 (Tulkarm District Facebook page, December 14, 2025). The chairman of the Palestinian National Council, Rawhi Fattouh, claimed the demolition was “forced displacement and harmed the refugee issue” (Wafa, December 15, 2025).
  • PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas visited Italy and held meetings with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. They discussed the need to implement the second stage of the Trump plan for the future of the Gaza Strip and to halt “settler attacks” in Judea and Samaria. He also thanked Italy for its role in the Peace Council currently being formed and for providing humanitarian aid, treatment for wounded children, training the Palestinian police and participation in the European monitoring force at the Rafah Crossing. In his speech at the ruling party conference in Italy, he said that a fully sovereign Palestinian state would not constitute a security burden on any side but would be a factor of regional stability and a partner in safeguarding security and building peace (Wafa, December 12, 2025).
Mahmoud Abbas and Italian Prime Minister Meloni (Wafa, December 12, 2025)
Mahmoud Abbas and Italian Prime Minister Meloni (Wafa, December 12, 2025)
  • Deputy PA chairman Hussein al-Sheikh met in Doha with the prime minister of Qatar, Muhammad bin Abdulrahman, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and recent developments in the “occupied Palestinian territories.” Bin Abdulrahman reiterated his country’s support for “the Palestinian cause and the implementation of the two-state solution” (X account of the Qatari Foreign Ministry, December 15, 2025).
  • The chairman of the Palestinian National Council, Rawhi Fattouh, welcomed the UN General Assembly decision calling on Israel, as an “occupying power,” to allow full humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, to respect the immunity of UN facilities and to meet its obligations under international law. Fattouh called on countries around the world to continue supporting UNRWA as the authorized agency to provide relief, health, education and livelihood services to refugees, especially in the Gaza Strip (Wafa, December 12, 2025).

[1] Click https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en to subscribe and receive the ITIC's daily updates as well as its other publications.

[2] Hamas and the other terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip.

[3] Hamas and the other terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip to destroy the State of Israel.

[4] Terrorist organizations.

[5] For further information, see the November 2025 ITIC report, Hamas’ Battle for Hearts and Minds after the Ceasefire Agreement in the Gaza Strip

[6] Palestinian terrorism and violence whose objective is to destroy the State of Israel.

Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (December 8-15, 2025)

Locations where Hezbollah terrorist operatives were eliminated since the beginning of October 2025 (IDF spokesperson, December 14, 2025)

Locations where Hezbollah terrorist operatives were eliminated since the beginning of October 2025 (IDF spokesperson, December 14, 2025)

Na'im Qassem (al-Manar, December 13, 2025)

Na'im Qassem (al-Manar, December 13, 2025)

"French support for Lebanon:" Le Drian delivers letters of support from the president of France to Lebanon (al-Jumhuriya, December 9, 2025)

Le Drian and the commander of the Lebanese Army (Lebanese Army X account, December 8, 2025).

Le Drian and the commander of the Lebanese Army (Lebanese Army X account, December 8, 2025).

Residents confronting Lebanese Army forces near the suspected building in the village of Yanouh (al-Ahed, December 13, 2025)

Residents confronting Lebanese Army forces near the suspected building in the village of Yanouh (al-Ahed, December 13, 2025)

Velayati and Safi al-Din (Mehr News Agency, December 14, 2025)

Velayati and Safi al-Din (Mehr News Agency, December 14, 2025)

Overview[1]
  • The IDF continued attacking Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon to enforce the ceasefire agreement, which prohibited the organization’s presence south of the Litani. The IDF reported that in the year since the ceasefire, more than 370 terrorist operatives, most of them from Hezbollah, had been eliminated and there had been approximately 1,200 targeted ground operations to destroy terrorist infrastructure and damage the organization’s military capabilities.
  • The IDF continued activity to enforce the ceasefire agreement and prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military-terrorist capabilities, attacking a Radwan Force training compound and military facilities. The IDF renewed the targeted killings of Hezbollah terrorist operatives, including a senior operative who handled agents within Lebanon’s security services.
    Hezbollah secretary general Na’im Qassem reiterated the organization’s refusal to disarm and called on the Lebanese state authorities to “recalculate their course” and not make concessions to Israel.
  • The Lebanese leadership expressed hope that the appointment of former ambassador Simon Karam as head of the Lebanese delegation to ceasefire oversite talks with Israel would prevent escalation. Parliament Speaker Berri said there could be no progress in negotiations unless Israel was willing to withdraw from positions in south Lebanon.
  • The IDF canceled an attack on a building used by Hezbollah in a village in south Lebanon after Lebanese Army forces conducted searches despite residents’ opposition.
  • The Lebanese Army has reportedly completed 90% of the demilitarization of the area south of the Litani River and is expected to complete the mission by the end of the year. However, according to reports, the Lebanese leadership was warned that if it did not disarm Hezbollah north of the Litani as well, Israel would be given a free hand to attack Hezbollah, including in Beirut.
  • Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said Hezbollah’s weapons had not protected Lebanon or assisted the Gaza Strip and accused Iran of causing the greatest amount of regional destabilization. The Iranian foreign minister is expected to visit Lebanon and meet with senior Hezbollah figures in preparation for reshaping the organization’s leadership.
  • Given the growing pressure to shut down Hezbollah’s al-Qard al-Hassan Association, the organization was reportedly considering changing its financial structure and its name.
The Tension between Israel and Hezbollah
The IDF
  • This past week the IDF attacked Hezbollah targets as part of enforcing the ceasefire agreement from November 2024 and preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding its military-terrorist capabilities and replenishing its arsenal. The IDF attacked Radwan Force training and exercise compounds, military-terrorist facilities and buildings, and launch sites in south Lebanon and the Beqa’a Valley. On December 14, 2025, three Hezbollah terrorist-operatives were eliminated, one of whom was an operative who handled agents in Lebanon’s security services, took measures to suppress criticism of Hezbollah, and was the organization’s representative in the Bint Jbeil area. They were the first targeted killings since the November 23, 2025 attack, in which Hezbollah’s de facto chief of staff, Haitham Ali al-Tabataba’i, was eliminated. According to the IDF, since the beginning of October 2025, about 40 terrorist operatives have been eliminated in 30 villages in south Lebanon, and since the ceasefire of November 27, 2024, more than 380 terrorist operatives have been eliminated. The IDF also said Hezbollah violated the ceasefire more than 1,900 times (IDF spokesperson, December 15–8, 2025).
Locations where Hezbollah terrorist operatives were eliminated since the beginning of October 2025 (IDF spokesperson, December 14, 2025)
Locations where Hezbollah terrorist operatives were eliminated since the beginning of October 2025 (IDF spokesperson, December 14, 2025)
Hezbollah
  • At a conference of the organization’s women’s action unit, Hezbollah secretary general Na’im Qassem reiterated that “the resistance will not be disarmed.” He said Hezbollah would continue to defend itself, even “if the whole world joins the war against Lebanon,” claiming that the demand for disarmament was meant to weaken the organization and leave the Lebanese Army weak and helpless. He said the negotiations with Israel were useless as long as “the aggression continues,” and called on the Lebanese leadership to “recalculate its course” and stop making “concessions.” Qassem claimed that Lebanon’s main problem was not the concentration of weapons in the hands of the state, but sanctions and internal corruption, which he said had been the result of American policy since 2019. He warned that “surrender” would lead to Lebanon’s collapse and claimed that “without the resistance,[2] Lebanon would cease to exist” (al-Manar, December 13, 2025).
Na'im Qassem (al-Manar, December 13, 2025)
Na’im Qassem (al-Manar, December 13, 2025)
  • Hassan Fadlallah and Amin Sherri, both members of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, met with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. After the meeting Fadlallah said that all diplomatic efforts had be exhausted to stop Israeli attacks and to compel Israel to implement the ceasefire agreement. He claimed they had also spoken about Lebanon’s reconstruction, and that Hezbollah representatives had demanded increased government assistance to accelerate reconstruction work, with emphasis on the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia district of Beirut, which was heavily damaged by Israeli attacks during the fighting (Naharnet, December 12, 2025).
The Lebanese Government
  • The French special envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, visited Beirut and met with President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, and Army Commander Rodolph Haykal. According to reports, the Lebanese noted the role played by the Lebanese Army in disarmament south of the Litani River and said they hoped that the appointment of former ambassador Simon Karam as head of the Lebanese delegation to the ceasefire oversight mechanism would help prevent escalation by Israel. They also discussed establishing a mechanism to verify the progress of disarmament (Lebanese News Agency, December 8, 2025). “Diplomatic sources” said that Le Drian focused on preventing broad military escalation following the possibility of Israeli action against Hezbollah and onstrengthening support for the Lebanese Army (al-Nahar, December 11, 2025).
"French support for Lebanon:" Le Drian delivers letters of support from the president of France to Lebanon (al-Jumhuriya, December 9, 2025)     Le Drian and the commander of the Lebanese Army (Lebanese Army X account, December 8, 2025).
Right: Le Drian and the commander of the Lebanese Army (Lebanese Army X account, December 8, 2025). Left: “French support for Lebanon:” Le Drian delivers letters of support from the president of France to Lebanon (al-Jumhuriya, December 9, 2025)
  • Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, claimed that Lebanon was undergoing a “national reset” but needed international backing to succeed. He said the government was working to establish governance and reforms, including restoring the state’s monopoly on weapons, strengthening security at the borders and the airport, dismantling hundreds of illegal weapons depots, and disrupting the activity of smuggling networks. Salam accused Israel of violating Lebanese sovereignty and called on the international community to pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanon (Financial Times, December 11, 2025).
  • Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji noted that the discussions of the committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement in south Lebanon had made it clear that they were not negotiating with Israel, and stressed that Lebanon’s goal was full return to the ceasefire agreement (al-Jazeera, December 12, 2025).
  • Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that without a halt to Israeli attacks and an Israeli willingness to withdraw, even from a single one of the five positions in the areas it “occupied,” there could be no progress in talks within the framework of the ceasefire oversight mechanism. Berri said the in negotiations “there are no good intentions, only concrete steps,” and said his conditions were a red line for continuing the meetings (Asas Media, December 12, 2025).
  • Egypt’s ambassador to Lebanon, Alaa Moussa, said Cairo was investing a great deal of effort and conducting intensive contacts to reduce tensions and prevent war in Lebanon. He said he hoped for a breakthrough because matters were moving in the right direction and Lebanon had recently taken positive steps, particularly by appointing Simon Karam as head of the delegation negotiating with Israel (Lebanese News Agency, December 12, 2025).
The Lebanese Army
  • On December 13, 2025, the IDF spokesperson in Arabic issued a warning of the IDF’s intention to attack Hezbollah military-terrorist infrastructure in the village of Yanouh in south Lebanon and called on residents living near the building to evacuate the area (X account of Avichay Adraee, December 13, 2025). Lebanese media reported that a Lebanese Army force arrived at a house in Yanouh following an “Israeli request conveyed through the ceasefire oversight mechanism committee.” According to the reports, the army broadcast live footage from inside the house and found nothing. The force later returned for another search, and again found nothing. Meanwhile, there were reports of growing discontent among local residents, who wondered if the Lebanese Army was becoming a tool for acceding to Israeli demands for searches of private homes. An additional request to conduct a search reportedly angered the homeowner, who, together with others, attempted to use force to prevent UNIFIL personnel from entering the site (al-‘Ahed, al-Akhbar, December 13, 2025). The Lebanese Army said the incident showed the importance of coordination, residents’ trust, and adherence to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement for maintaining stability (Lebanese Army X account, December 14, 2025).
Residents confronting Lebanese Army forces near the suspected building in the village of Yanouh (al-Ahed, December 13, 2025)     Evacuation notice from the IDF spokesperson in Arabic (X account of Avichay Adraee, December 13, 2025).
Right: Evacuation notice from the IDF spokesperson in Arabic (X account of Avichay Adraee, December 13, 2025). Left: Residents confronting Lebanese Army forces near the suspected building in the village of Yanouh (al-Ahed, December 13, 2025)
  • Lebanese Finance Minister Yassin Jaber and the European Union’s envoy to the country, Sandra De Waele, signed a series of agreements totaling €132 million. According to the report, they include programs to strengthen security and stability in Lebanon, as well as programs to strengthen border security (Lebanese News Agency, December 10, 2025).
UNIFIL
  • A motorized UNIFIL force patrolling near the Blue Line in the Sardah area claimed an IDF tank force shot at them, and that there were no casualties. The UNIFIL force reportedly contacted the IDF through liaison channels and requested that the fire cease. It was further stated that the peacekeeping force and the Israeli tank were present on Lebanese territory, and that the time and location of the patrol had been conveyed to the IDF in advance, in accordance with established procedures for activity in sensitive areas. UNIFIL called the incident a “serious violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and called on Israel to cease “aggressive behavior” toward forces working to stabilize the situation along the Blue Line (UNIFIL Telegram channel, December 10, 2025).
Challenges for Hezbollah[3]
Disarmament
  • An “official source” stated that the Lebanese Army had reached the final stage of its mission to demilitarize the area south of the Litani River and 90% of the mission had already been completed, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement of November 2024. According to the “source,” the army is expected to complete disarmament by the end of 2025. However, the “source” said it would not be possible to advance to the stage of disarmament north of the Litani River as long as Israel continued its attacks, did not withdraw from Lebanese territory and did not return Lebanese detainees in its custody. A different “source” claimed that completing the disarmament south of the Litani River “proved” Lebanon had fulfilled its commitments under the agreement, while Israel had not taken similar steps. According to the “source,” under the circumstances Lebanon had no obligation to take further steps and “the ball is in the court of Israel and the United States.” The “source” said that any discussion of a second stage of implementing the agreement north of the Litani River was meaningless as long as Israel did not fulfill its obligations (al-Joumhouria, December 13, 2025).
  • Reportedly, a meeting is expected to be held in Paris on December 18, 2025 with the participation of Le Drian, the commander of the Lebanese Army, the United States envoy to Lebanon and the Saudi Arabian envoy, in preparation for an international conference in early 2026to support the Lebanese army. According to reports, Haykal will present the steps taken by the army to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani River, demand significant assistance to complete the deployment and present a draft plan for disarmament north of the Litani. Supporting countries are expected to demand transparency from the army, publication of its actions and a clear timetable to complete the process by early 2026 (al-Nahar, al-Madan and Nidaa’ al-Watan, December 11, 2025).
  • On December 15, 2025, the Lebanese Army conducted a guided tour of the Tyre region in south Lebanon for foreign ambassadors and military attachés, with the participation of Army Commander Rodolph Haykal. The objective was to present the “army’s achievements in limiting weapons in the area” and its activity in response to Israeli attacks. The tour included the western sector of south Lebanon and a visit to a Hezbollah “facility” in Wadi Zibqin (al-Jadeed and Lebanon 24, December 15, 2025).
Pictures the army's tour for ambassadors and attachés (al-Madan, December 15, 2025)     Pictures the army's tour for ambassadors and attachés (al-Madan, December 15, 2025)
Pictures the army’s tour for ambassadors and attachés (al-Madan, December 15, 2025)
  • Lebanese President Joseph Aoun rejected claims made by members of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament that prior to his election, he had allegedly committed in writing to adopt a “defensive strategy” toward the organization that did not include disarmament. Aoun said if such a document existed it should be published, and asked how he could have committed to such a thing when in his inaugural speech he called for concentrating all weapons in the hands of the state (Nidaa’ al-Watan, December 12, 2025).
  • Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said Hezbollah’s weapons had not defended Lebanon or assisted the Gaza Strip and that attempts to discuss disarmament were met with refusal. He accused Iran of being the greatest regional destabilization factor. Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, dismissed the remarks, accused Rajji of adopting an “Israeli narrative” and called to focus on Israeli withdrawal, the release of prisoners and the cessation of attacks. He reiterated the organization’s opposition to disarmament and claimed that its weapons had “liberated south Lebanon” (al-Jazeera, al-Akhbar, December 12, 2025).
  • Despite the Lebanese Army’s claims that it was performing its mission to disarm south Lebanon by the end of 2025, according to reports, the possibility of a broad Israeli attack on Hezbollah remains possible if the army does not disarm Hezbollah throughout the country:
    • “Lebanese sources” said they had received notice of an ultimatum, which will expire in early 2026, to decide the fate of Hezbollah’s weapons in the area north of the Litani. According to the report, the Lebanese were warned that if practical steps were not taken to disarm Hezbollah, Israel would be given a green light to complete the destruction of Hezbollah’s military wing (al-Diyar, December 8, 2025).
    • “Sources” reported that the United States had warned Lebanon that it would lose American attention it if it did not complete its tasks by the end of the year, including the government’s collecting weapons and approval of economic reforms (al-Jadeed, December 10, 2025).
    • “European sources” reported that the United States special envoy, Morgan Ortagus, warned that Israel intended to attack Hezbollah, especially in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in Beirut and the Beqa’a Valley, if the organization did not hand over its precision missiles and UAVs by early 2026 (al-Akhbar, December 11, 2025).
    • “Lebanese sources” reported that France demanded an increase in UNIFIL’s assistance to the Lebanese Army in disarmament operations, including entering homes and private property, as part of an effort to enable the force to fully carry out its role. According to the “sources,” France also warned of the possibility of an Israeli escalation and noted that the Shi’ite leadership in Lebanon, headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, supported diplomacy but conditioned it on the cessation of military actions (Sky News Arabia, December 12, 2025).
Iranian Involvement
  • Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, invited Lebanese foreign minister Youssef Rajji to visit Tehran to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments, and the Lebanese Foreign Ministry announced that the foreign minister apologized and declined the invitation to visit Tehran “under the current circumstances.” Rajji said it was not a rejection of dialogue with Iran but that the atmosphere was “inappropriate” at present. Rajji also reiterated his invitation for a meeting in a neutral and agreed-upon country and said he was prepared “to establish a new era of bilateral relations, provided they are based solely on mutual respect and absolute respect for independence and sovereignty, as well as non-interference in the internal affairs of states, in any form and under any pretext” (X account of the Lebanese Army, December 10, 2025). Araghchi called Rajji’s rejection “embarrassing.” He said foreign ministers of countries which had full diplomatic relations did not need a neutral venue in which to meet. However, he noted that he accepted Rajji’s invitation to visit Beirut, adding that Iran sought “to turn over a new leaf” in Iranian-Lebanese relations (X account of the Iranian foreign minister, December 11, 2025).
  • “Diplomatic sources in Lebanon” reported that Araghchi’s proposed visit to Beirut was intended to prepare the ground for far-reaching changes in Hezbollah’s leadership, including at the topmost level. According to the “sources,” Araghchi is expected meet with Hezbollah’s leadership and with central figures in the organization for an assessment of its internal atmosphere and to convey an accurate picture to decision makers in Tehran. The information collected will reportedly be used by Iran in making decisions regarding the future of the organization’s leadership, especially the fate of Hezbollah secretary general Na’im Qassem, who according to assessments in Tehran is not perceived as suitable to lead the organization at “the current sensitive stage” and has neither the status nor the capabilities of his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah (Aram News, December 13, 2025).
  • Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei referred to the report that the Lebanese foreign minister was “deliberately blocking” the acceptance of Iran’s new ambassador to Beirut and said he hoped that the new ambassador would be posted soon. He added that diplomatic relations with Lebanon were long-standing, adding that they wanted to avoid statements which would distract Lebanon from focusing on safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity (Mehr News Agency, December 14, 2025). In response, Lebanese Forces party MP Riad Yazbeck called on Foreign Minister Rajji not to accept the ambassador’s credentials (al-Akhbar, December 15, 2025).
  • Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor to Iran’s leader for international affairs, met in Tehran with Hezbollah representative Abdallah Safi al-Din. Velayati said Iran would continue to support Hezbollah since it was “the main pillar of the resistance front”[4] and had an essential role in confronting the “Israeli regime.” Safi al-Din reviewed recent developments in Lebanon and claimed that “Hezbollah is stronger than ever and ready to defend Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.” He said the organization would not disarm “under any circumstances” (Mehr News Agency, December 14, 2025).
Velayati and Safi al-Din (Mehr News Agency, December 14, 2025)
Velayati and Safi al-Din (Mehr News Agency, December 14, 2025)
The Economic Challenge
  • Given the international and internal Lebanese pressure to close al-Qard al-Hassan Association, Hezbollah’s financial arm, the organization is reportedly considering changing its name and subordinating it to the supervision of the Central Bank of Lebanon. According to the report, the relevant authorities in Lebanon have not yet responded to the request. It was further reported that Hezbollah was facing an “insurance crisis,” because since the beginning of 2025 it had been unable to insure thousands of families of displaced persons among its supporters (al-Hadath, December 12, 2025).
  • According to reports, Hezbollah has begun splitting al-Qard al-Hassan into smaller units to circumvent sanctions and reduce pressure to close the association. Hezbollah is establishing a new fund engaged in selling gold in installments as an alternative to the gold pawn mechanism on which the association was based. However, in the assessment of “financial sources,” the move will not satisfy the United States Treasury Department, which demands the full and complete closure of the institution (al-Sharq al-Awsat, December 13, 2025).
  • Hezbollah reportedly regards the economic campaign waged against the organization as a more serious threat than the military confrontation, since it is aimed directly at the organization’s popular support base. According to the report, in Hezbollah’s assessment, its rivals seek to sever the connection between it and its social environment through sustained economic pressure, and to force concessions or undermine internal cohesion. Despite the pressures, Hezbollah reportedly has thus far managed to adapt through unconventional mechanisms but is preparing to escalate steps, including the possibility of closing al-Qard al-Hassan. Meeting with the governor of the Lebanese Central Bank, Karim Said, Ali Fayyad, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, warned the bank not to take steps targeting the organization’s environment, which he claimed went beyond closing accounts and reached the seizure of private assets (al-Joumhouria, December 12, 2025).
Hezbollah’s Vulnerability
  • In a speech at a conference of Hezbollah’s women’s activity unit, the organization’s secretary general, Na’im Qassem, mentioned the names of religious scholars killed in the campaign against Israel but did not mention the name of the deputy head of the Executive Council and head of the party’s security unit, Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, who was eliminated in an Israeli attack on September 29, 2024. Reportedly, Qaouk’s name has recently resurfaced in an unusual wave of rumors and accusations within the Shi’ite environment regarding his “questionable” connections outside Lebanon. Sheikh Mohammad Ali al-Fawani from the Beqa’a Valley claimed in a public post that Qaouk was deliberately made to disappear, buried without an official ceremony and said that the organization’s leadership suspected him of collaboration and placed him in an apartment they knew would be attacked by Israel. According to al-Fawani, the lack of security around Qaouk, unusual in relation to his status in the movement, reinforced suspicions of his involvement in the serious security breach of the pager explosions (Janoubia, December 9, 2025).
The Issue of Reconstruction
  • According to reports, Hezbollah is preparing to launch large-scale reconstruction projects in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in Beirut, the Beqa’a Valley and parts of south Lebanon if the government continues to ignore the issue. A “source” claimed that Hezbollah planned to hold a Secretary General’s Conference for Reconstruction during February and March 2026, ahead of the parliamentary elections, indicating the organization’s intention to fill a state vacuum in the sensitive arena of rehabilitation (Lebanon 24, December 9, 2025).
  • The Finance and Budget Committee of the Lebanese Parliament approved allocations for the reconstruction of areas which had been destroyed, foremost in south Lebanon, in the 2026 budget. It will be the first time that the Lebanese state directly finances reconstruction since the end of the fighting in November 2024. It was noted that the decision included budgeting for the Council for Development and Reconstruction, the Council of the South and the Higher Relief Committee. Committee chairman Ibrahim Kanaan defined the move as “a positive gesture by the state,” but “sources in parliament” stressed that it would be only a modest sum, marking the beginning of reconstruction after a year of reliance on external aid that never arrived (al-Sharq al-Awsat, December 12, 2025).

[1] Click https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en to subscribe and receive the ITIC's daily updates as well as its other publications.
[2] Hezbollah and the terrorist organizations operating with it in Lebanon.
[3] For further information, see the December 2025 ITIC report, Hezbollah: One Year After the Ceasefire
[4] Iran, Hezbollah, the Palestinian terrorist organizations, the Houthis in Yemen and the Shi'ite militias in Iraq.