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Hamas

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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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (September 8-16, 2026)

IDF forces eliminated more than ten Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad commanders and terrorist operatives, including the commanders of the Rafah and Khan Yunis Brigades; The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) denied allegations made by Hamas agencies of a shortage of medical equipment and of preventing patients from leaving for medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip; Armed clashes continued between militia operatives and Hamas operatives; Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria, detaining two wanted men who had planned shooting attacks. A terrorist cell of more than 30 terrorists was exposed in east Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria; The Palestinian Authority welcomed Britain's decision to prohibit imports of products from Israeli communities beyond the Green Line and impose sanctions on extremist settlers. Hamas and the boycott movement claimed the measures were insufficient.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (September 7-15, 2026)

The IDF destroyed Hezbollah's underground facility on the Ali al-Taher Ridge and continued attacks on Hezbollah targets in various areas of south Lebanon, Senior Hezbollah figures downplayed the significance of the facility's destruction, but promoted the narrative of the "heroic battle" of the operatives who had been trapped on the ridge; Hezbollah reportedly changed the deployment of its forces and weapons because of the IDF attacks, but fearing an Israeli response, took no action; Residents of Hezbollah strongholds in south Lebanon called on the state authorities to expand their authority and deploy the security forces out of concern of an expansion of IDF activity; Direct talks between the Lebanese and Israeli delegations are expected to resume in October 2026, but the United States is currently promoting a meeting between the countries' ambassadors in Washington and considering additional coordination mechanisms, including military ones; The council of Arab League foreign ministers condemned Hezbollah's activity, held it responsible for the war with Israel and expressed support for the position of the Lebanese government; The Lebanese prime minister said the cost of the two most recent wars had reached more than $20 billion.
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Hamas

Hamas is a fundamentalist Sunni Muslim organization founded in the Gaza Strip in 1987 by members of the Muslim Brotherhood. It seeks to establish an Islamic state on the entire territory of the State of Israel and does not recognize Israel’s right to exist.


The Hamas leadership has two branches: the internal leadership, which includes the military wing and the de-facto Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip, responsible for the day-to-day activities of governing the Gaza Strip population, in addition to social, educational activity vis-à-vis the population of the Gaza Strip; and the external leadership, Hamas’s political bureau, located beyond the borders of the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria. The external leadership maintains relations with various countries and bodies, and deals mainly with raising money and finding other resources for Hamas in the Gaza Strip.


Hamas’s ideology seeks to establish an Islamic Palestinian state on the entire territory of Israel. The preferred way to achieve this goal is through armed struggle. Hamas has a military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, which carries out terrorist attacks against Israel, including rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and various kinds of other attacks (such as shooting, suicide bombings, abductions etc.) in the territories of Judea, Samaria and Israel.


Over the years, Hamas has challenged the PLO and the Palestinian Authority, causing conflicts between the sides, culminating in June 2007 with Hamas’s violent takeover of the Gaza Strip and the suppression of Fatah and the Palestinian Authority members. Ever since, the rift between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority has grown.

Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, including Israel, the United States, and the European Union.