Financing Terrorism

Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (May 20 – 27, 2025)

IDF forces continued attacking Hamas and other terrorist organization targets in the Gaza Strip from the air and on the ground, and ordered local residents to evacuate from the northern Gaza Strip and the Khan Yunis area. An IDF soldier was killed in the southern Gaza Strip; There were reportedly intensive diplomatic contacts in Egypt and Qatar in an attempt to reach a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of hostages. Hamas claimed they were “open minded” and willing to consider any proposal that would end the war and lead to the IDF’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip; The American company established to distribute humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip began operating in Rafah. There were reports that aid trucks, warehouses and bakeries were looted because of a flour shortage; A terrorist operative was killed in a stabbing attack at a checkpoint in Hebron; there were no casualties. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria, including the detention of terrorist squads responsible for shooting attacks. At least 19 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons in the hostage deal were reportedly detained again. Security forces also took action against branches of a currency exchange company suspected of ties to terrorist organizations; Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas visited Lebanon and discussed disarming the Palestinian refugee camps. 
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Challenges Faced by Hezbolla after the November 27, 2024 ceasfire

 The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement of November 27, 2024, which ended the fighting that began on October 8, 2023, placed Hezbollah at a crossroads, the most significant since the organization's founding in 1982. Its situation was the result of the loss of its top leadership, primarily secretary general Hassan Nasrallah and his designated successor Hashem Safi al-Din, as well as commanders and thousands of operatives. In addition, key military-terrorist capabilities and infrastructure were destroyed and the organization's status inside Lebanon was damaged.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (May 12 – 19, 2025)

IDF forces continued operations targeting Hezbollah’s presence in south Lebanon, which is in violation of the ceasefire, preventing the organization from rebuilding its military capabilities. The forces eliminated Hezbollah terrorist field commanders and operatives in south Lebanon; Hezbollah secretary general Na'im Qassem called on Lebanese state institutions to increase pressure on Israel against its "ongoing aggression and violations." He also admitted that Iran had served the "resistance” and that they had benefited from it in every respect; Lebanese leaders claimed that American-led international pressure should compel Israel to withdraw from south Lebanon and halt its attacks in the country. Lebanese President Aoun said Hezbollah had to understand it had no choice but to accept the concept of the state's monopoly on weapons, but added that it had to be achieved through dialogue and not hastily, to avoid confrontation; The United States is reportedly pressuring the Lebanese government to shut down Hezbollah’s financial arm; An indictment was filed against a person affiliated with Hezbollah accused of collaborating with Israel by providing information enabling Israel to target senior Hezbollah terrorists during and after the war; Lebanon is preparing for a visit by Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who is expected to discuss the disarmament of armed Palestinian "factions" in the refugee camps. President Aoun questioned whether Palestinian arms were truly meant "to liberate Palestine" or to kill Palestinians and Lebanese.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (May 5 – 12, 2025)

IDF forces continued taking action against Hezbollah's presence in south Lebanon, which violates the ceasefire, and against the organization's efforts to renew its military capabilities. The IDF attacked a Hezbollah underground compound in the Beaufort Ridge and eliminated several Hezbollah operatives. A senior operative in Hamas' military wing in Lebanon was also eliminated; Hezbollah accused Israel of more than 3,100 “violations” since the start of the ceasefire in November 2024 and claimed 156 people had been killed. Senior Hezbollah figures criticized the government and accused it of weakness in the face of Israeli “aggression."; Senior Lebanese officials condemned the Israeli “violations” and demanded a full withdrawal of IDF forces from Lebanese territory; UNIFIL’s commander said UN forces had discovered more than 200 weapons cache sites and warned that the situation in south Lebanon remained fragile; The Lebanese foreign minister warned that Hezbollah’s stance weakened Lebanon; Senior Hezbollah figures are reportedly pressuring secretary general Na'im Qassem to hold new elections for the Shura Council and hold senior officials who failed during the war with Israel accountable for their failure; Dozens of workers at Beirut Airport were reportedly fired over suspected ties with Hezbollah, part of the government's effort to prevent arms smuggling; A senior Hamas figure in Lebanon claimed they were committed to the ceasefire and the movement had not yet been asked to hand over its weapons.
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Operation Guardian of the Walls as a watershed moment in Hamas’ strategy for the “destruction of Israel,” as reflected in documents found by the IDF in the Gaza Strip

Israel considered Operation Guardian of the Walls (May 2021) a major success which severely damaged Hamas and strengthened Israeli deterrence. Statements by senior Israeli officials, including the prime minister, the defense minister and senior IDF officers, emphasized the blow to Hamas’ military capabilities, primarily the tunnel system (the so-called “tunnel system”) and claimed Hamas was unlikely to act against Israel for years; Hamas, however, held an opposing view and considered the operation, which it referred to as Operation Sword of Jerusalem, a significant achievement for the movement and a defeat for Israel. That was reflected in public statements by Hamas leaders in the days following the ceasefire, in which they declared a strategic victory and downplayed the extent of damage to their military capabilities. Leaders of the “resistance axis” also praised Hamas and its military wing; The sense of achievement also appeared in captured Hamas documents found during the Gaza Strip War. They included transcripts of conversations and written correspondence between Hamas leaders and senior figures in Iran and Hezbollah; Hamas’ perception of success in the operation bolstered the confidence of Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, who moved forward with military plans to implement the vision of “destroying Israel,” in coordination with other members of the “resistance axis,” even if Iran and Hezbollah were not actively involved; The documents reinforce the assessment, also evident from public statements, that Hamas regarded Operation Guardian of the Walls as a watershed moment in its future strategic plan for the conflict with Israel. Despite the proposal to promote a political move toward a temporary cessation of hostilities, the Hamas leadership under al-Sinwar focused on practical preparations for a major military operation, culminating in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre, a step in realizing the movement’s long-term vision of “destroying Israel.”
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (April 8 – 21, 2025)

IDF forces continued taking action to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities and against the organization’s presence in south Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire, and eliminated senior terrorist figures and operatives, including the deputy head of the unit for transferring weapons and funds from Iran; Hezbollah continued placing responsibility on Lebanese state institutions to act against the Israeli “violations.” Secretary general Na'im Qassem said diplomatic solutions had a time limit and if the government made the decision, Hezbollah was prepared to fight at the border; Lebanese government officials called on the international community to increase pressure on Israel to withdraw from the five points it holds in south Lebanon; The Lebanese army uncovered hundreds of weapons and dismantled Hezbollah installations in south Lebanon without resistance from the organization; Discussion over Hezbollah's disarmament intensified. Na'im Qassem, the organization’s secretary general, warned they would confront anyone who tried to disarm them, although senior Hezbollah figures expressed willingness to discuss a “national defense strategy” after Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon. President Aoun said a decision had been made to restrict weapons’ carrying to state security forces, but added that the issue would be resolved through dialogue; The Lebanese army announced the arrest of suspects involved in firing rockets at northern Israel. The detainees were reportedly Hamas operatives, although the movement denied it. President Aoun reportedly decided to disarm the Hamas branch in Lebanon.
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