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Fighting Terrorism

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (October 6 – 13, 2026)

In statements marking three years since October 7, 2023, Hamas and the other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip have represented the terrorist invasion and subsequent massacre as a formative event that "changed history"; IDF forces destroyed weapons depots and killed commanders and operatives in the Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) military wings in the Gaza Strip, including operatives involved in the atrocities of the October 7, 2023 invasion and massacre. The IDF reported that Hamas terrorists continued to operate from hospitals and civilian facilities; Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace representative for the Gaza Strip, warned that without implementing the ceasefire arrangement, the Gaza Strip could return to hostilities or enter a prolonged stalemate without stable governance or significant reconstruction; According to a new study, Hamas has shifted to a decentralized and informal system of control in the Gaza Strip enabling it to maintain its governance despite its military weakness and relinquishment of formal rule; PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas postponed the Palestinian Legislative Council elections from November 2026 to September 2027 because of the "political and security situation" in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria and the restrictions on voting in east Jerusalem.
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Hamas’ Religious Ideology Reflected in the Planning and Execution of the Invasion and Massacre of October 7, 2023

Islam has been an integral part of Hamas' identity since its establishment in December 1987. The Hamas Charter states that Islam guides all the movement's actions, jihad is its path and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its aspirations.; Hamas' absolute control of the Gaza Strip since 2007 has enabled it to impose its views on the formal and informal education system to fulfill its objective of raising generations of Islamist; Aside of military and political considerations, the religious dimension had a decisive influence on the decision of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip to launch the invasion and massacre on October 7, 2023, as emerged from documents retrieved from the Gaza Strip during the war and from statements by senior Hamas operatives during preparations for attack and at its outset; The massacres and atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists in the communities and military bases near the Gaza Strip border and the western Negev were the expression of Hamas' antisemitism and religious rulings, which did not distinguish between Israeli civilians and uniformed personnel. 
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (September 24 – October 6, 2026)

IDF forces destroyed two tunnels in the south and north of the Gaza Strip and eliminated 20 terrorist operatives. An attempt to kill Ali al-'Amoudi, the most senior Hamas figure in the Gaza Strip, failed; The head of the Hamas political bureau, Khalil al-Hayya, claimed that the movement was prepared to implement the ceasefire roadmap, but demanded it be viewed as a single, indivisible package; A report by the Hamas ministry of health in the Gaza Strip noted that in 2025 the population of the Gaza Strip increased and the number of deaths not resulting from war was identical to the figures recorded through 2023; A stabbing attack at a farm in north of Ramallah was prevented. Two Palestinian terrorists trying to run over IDF soldiers near Hebron were eliminated. 
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (September 16-24, 2026)

 IDF forces exposed a tunnel in the central Gaza Strip and eliminated more than ten Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, including the Hamas finance director and operatives involved in the October 7, 2023 terrorist invasion and massacre. An IDF engineering vehicle drove over an explosive device in the Yellow Line area. There were no casualties; A Hamas spokesman denied claims of violations or that the movement was planning to abduct Israeli soldiers or civilians; The High representative of the Board of Peace said the sensitive political situation caused by the upcoming elections in Israel was making it difficult to advance the ceasefire agreement; One Israeli was killed and an IDF reserve soldier was critically wounded in three terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria. Two Israeli Arabs were charged with supporting Hamas.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (September 15-23, 2026)

Two IDF soldiers were wounded by an explosive device and the IDF responded by striking Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon. Tensions between IDF forces and the Lebanese army caused by a Lebanese observation post relaxed following contacts carried out through the military coordination mechanism; The Hezbollah secretary general said the organization would continue to pursue the option of "resistance" to Israel, but did not relate to the IDF's demolition of the Ali al-Taher Ridge; The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States met in Washington; no progress was reported in resolving disagreements over the next steps. The Lebanese president said a security agreement with Israel could lead to a peace agreement; Nawaf Salam's government survived a vote of confidence in the Lebanese Parliament after a discussion over implementing the state monopoly on weapons. Members of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament left before the vote; The head of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament claimed an "in-depth examination" of the organization's conduct since the beginning of the campaign against Israel on October 8, 2023; According to an unverified report, the powers of the Hezbollah secretary general were limited following Iranian criticism of his performance.
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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.
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Fighting Terrorism

One of the global challenges today is the war on terrorism. There are a variety of means and methods available to the war on terrorism, one of which is conventional military force. There are other approaches to the war on terrorism beyond the military, such as preventing financing, enforcing laws, using political and economic measures to cut organizations off from their supporters, and infiltrating counterterrorism agents into terrorist organizations in order to expose them. In addition, a political and PR struggle against the organizations and the countries sponsoring terrorism is also being waged.
There are a variety of entities involved in the war on terrorism, among them military, internal security, judicial and economic bodies. Many countries have established units especially to fight terrorism, whose duties include preventive counterterrorism measures and fighting in real time.

Science and technology can also help in the war on terrorism because the global terrorism environment is constantly changing and the terrorist organizations become more sophisticated as they exploit technical innovations to increase their threats. The cyber arena is becoming more and more prominent in fighting terrorism, both in defensive as well as offensive terms.

The Anti-Terrorism Law, 5776-2016, was passed in Israel. The purpose of the law is to provide the state authorities with the appropriate tools in the area of criminal and public law to cope with the terrorist threats faced by the State of Israel. The Anti-Terrorism Law stipulates serious penalties for terrorists and members of terrorist organizations. The law also stipulates penalties for persons expressing support for terrorism or affiliated with a terrorist organization.  The law regulates the issue of declaring an organization as a terrorist organization and the use of administrative detention. In addition to making the penalties for terrorist offenses more severe, the law replaces many regulations that were part of the Defense (Emergency) Regulations. The law was passed by the Knesset in June 2016, and entered into effect on November 1, 2016.