Ad Hoc Studies

Can Ahmed al-Sharaa’s Syrian Regime Distance Itself from Terrorism?

Since seizing power in December 2024, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has pursued a pragmatic course aimed at drawing closer to Western countries, as well as conveying various messages to Israel regarding his desire to avoid friction; The regime conducts an ongoing campaign against global jihad organizations, and a hostile to and suspicious policy toward Iran, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian terrorist organizations; However, among the Syrian security forces there have been calls in support of jihad against Israel and the Jews. Read more...

IDF Announces Operational Control of the Ali al-Taher Ridge –Reactions in Lebanon and Iran

On September 3, 2026, the IDF announced that it had achieved operational control of the strategic Ali al-Taher Ridge in south Lebanon and cleared the tunnels used by Hezbollah; The Lebanese government reinforced the deployment of army forces in the city of al-Nabatieh, near the Ali al-Taher Ridge, in an effort to prevent Israeli activity in the area; Hezbollah did not officially respond to the IDF announcement, but senior organization figures claimed Israel was exaggerating the importance of the ridge. Commentary in the Lebanese media claimed the organization's silence resulted from Hezbollah's reluctance to undermine the "resistance" narrative and from its concern that transferring the Ali al-Taher Ridge to the Lebanese army would lead to demands to evacuate other Hezbollah sites north of the Litani River; Iranian conservative media outlets acknowledged the strategic importance of the ridge while attempting to downplay the significance of the event for Hezbollah; Hezbollah's political and media opponents criticized its rejection of the proposal to transfer its facility on the Ali al-Taher Ridge to the Lebanese army and challenged the organization's argument that it was capable of defending Lebanese territory. Local residents and business owners in al-Nabatieh, one of Hezbollah's strongholds in south Lebanon, signed a statement condemning Hezbollah for handing the area over to the "enemy." Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (September 1-8, 2026)

Terrorists opened fire at IDF forces and an IDF engineering vehicle hit an IED in the northern Gaza Strip. There were no Israeli casualties and the IDF responded with attacks on Hamas facilities. Terrorist operatives from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) who approached IDF forces at the Yellow Line or were involved in planning terrorist attacks were eliminated; A Hamas spokesman warned that Israeli ministers' calls for encouraging emigration from the Gaza Strip were a "dangerous development"; There were two stabbings, one in the Old City of Jerusalem and the other at a farm in Samaria; an Israeli civilian was critically wounded. The Israeli security forces detained terrorist cells which were planning attacks and located a rocket in a village in northern Samaria. Two Israeli Arabs from the Galilee were accused of supporting ISIS. Read more...

Dismantling the Hezbollah Infrastructure at the Ali Taher Ridge to Advance the Ceasefire Agreement

The Ali al-Taher Ridge, which lies north of the Litani River, is strategically important because it commands the al-Nabatiyeh area and is located on the route connecting south Lebanon with the coastal area and the western Beqa'a Valley. According to assessments in Israel and Lebanon, it conceals a major Hezbollah headquarters with a network of tunnels which apparently house dozens of the organization’s operatives and store advanced weapons, and Iranian officers and operatives may also be present; Since June 2026, IDF activity has focused on gaining full control of the ridge, which lies within the Israeli security zone in south Lebanon, by eliminating terrorists and destroying infrastructure; To stop the Israeli attacks and advance the June 2026 framework agreement, Lebanese President Aoun proposed evacuating Hezbollah terrorists from the Ali al-Taher Ridge and deploying Lebanese army forces. The initiative was supported by the United States and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the leader of Amal and Hezbollah’s ally, but the Lebanese army had reservations; Hezbollah made it clear that it had no intention of voluntarily withdrawing from the Ali al-Taher Ridge and was "resisting" the IDF to prevent it from taking control of the area, adding that accepting President Aoun’s proposal would lead Israel to demand the evacuation of other important "resistance" sites. Read more...

Hezbollah in the Pilot Zones Disguised as Civilian Organizations

In June 2026, a framework agreement was signed between Israel and Lebanon under American auspices. Its objective was to regulate the withdrawal of the IDF from the areas it had taken control of during the latest hostilities with Hezbollah and to transfer responsibility for them to the Lebanese authorities. The agreement established pilot zones to examine the parties’ compliance with the understandings and the Lebanese army’s ability to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure and prevent the organization from returning to the area; Now, two months after the agreement was signed, it is apparent that the Lebanese army finds it difficult to meet the security requirements stipulated by the agreement, while organizations subordinate to or affiliated with Hezbollah are highly active on the ground, providing cover for its military-terrorist activity and enabling it to keep a foothold and presence in these areas; The two most prominent organizations are the Islamic Health Organization, which is subordinate to Hezbollah’s Executive Council, and the Wa Ta’awanu Association, which promotes aid projects and the reconstruction of civilian infrastructure; In Amit Institute assessment, the activity of the organizations in the pilot zone contradicts the framework agreement and exposes the difficulty and complexity faced by the Lebanese government in taking action against the presence of Hezbollah and its various civilian arms in south Lebanon. Compounding the problem are legal difficulties and the Lebanese army’s lack of legal authority to search privately owned civilian properties, despite Hezbollah’s use of those properties as cover for its military-terrorist activity. Read more...

Hamas in Lebanon, Based on Documents Brought Back by the IDF from the Gaza Strip

Hamas documents seized by the IDF in the Gaza Strip showed that the idea of establishing a military infrastructure in Lebanon was first raised around 2012; The documents also described how senior Hamas leaders led by Yahya al-Sinwar, encouraged by the sense of "victory" in Operation "Guardian of the Walls" in May 2021, worked with Hezbollah and Iran to establish a large military infrastructure for the movement in Lebanon that would form a fundamental part of the decisive campaign against Israel that began on October 7, 2023; according to the documents, internal power struggles took place within Hamas and against Iran and Hezbollah over control of the military infrastructure in Lebanon; Hamas' military wing in Lebanon participated in the campaign that Hezbollah launched against Israel on October 8, 2023, as "support" in the Gaza Strip and claimed responsibility for 13 attacks on the north of Israel until the ceasefire in November 2024. More than twenty commanders and operatives were thwarted in Israeli attacks during the campaign and after the ceasefire. Read more...

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