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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (May 27 – June 3, 2025)

IDF forces continued extensive aerial and ground attacks on terrorist targets of Hamas and other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. Three IDF soldiers and an Israeli civilian employee of the IDF were killed in two explosive device incidents in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF spokesperson officially announced the elimination of Muhammad al-Sinwar, the head of Hamas’ military wing; Israel and Hamas disagreed over the ceasefire agreement proposed by United States envoy Steve Witkoff. Hamas said that while they were open to negotiations, they would not release hostages without sufficient guarantees for ending the war; The American company established to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza reported that approximately six million packages had been distributed at four centers in the southern and central Gaza Strip. Reports of the increasing looting of aid trucks and food warehouses led Hamas security forces to execute suspects; A ship of pro-Palestinian activists set sail from Sicily toward the Gaza Strip in an attempt to “break the siege; Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria, during which about $2 million intended for financing terrorism was seized; Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas held an online meeting with a delegation of Arab foreign ministers after Israel prevented them from arriving in Ramallah.
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Khaled Mashal, Hamas’ “external” leader, is a controversial figure, as documented in documents found by the IDF in the Gaza Strip

Khaled Mashal, who has headed the Hamas “external” leadership since April 2021, is one of the founders of the movement, was head of its political bureau for 21 years. Nevertheless, he is considered a controversial figure who symbolizes the tension between the “external” leadership and the “internal” leadership in the Gaza Strip; Hamas documents found by the IDF during the war in the Gaza Strip provided evidence of power struggles in the movement’s upper echelons. The documents described how the “internal” leadership, led by Yahya al-Sinwar, sought to weaken Mashal’s influence in the Hamas decision-making centers; The documents also showed Mashal was perceived as an obstacle to strategic relations with Iran, by both al-Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, and by Mohammad Saeed Izadi, head of the "Palestine branch" of Iran’s Qods Force; The documents showed that the “internal” leadership and Iran worked to isolate Mashal during the reconciliation process with Syria as part of strengthening the “resistance axis"; Hamas is now led by a temporary committee of five senior figures, including Mashal. Elections for the senior positions in the movement’s leadership are expected to take place only after the end of the war in the Gaza Strip. However, in light of the eliminations of many members of the “internal” civilian and military leadership, the importance of the “external” leadership is expected to increase, particularly that of Mashal, who has lost his main rivals in the movement’s upper echelons. In addition, Iran’s regional weakening and the downfall of the Assad regime in Syria may also reduce opposition to Mashal’s power.
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The Armed Palestinian Terrorist Organizations in Lebanon

 The Palestinian terrorist organizations have maintained an armed presence in the Lebanese refugee camps for decades without intervention by the authorities. Because of the Palestinians' involvement in the Lebanese civil war in the 1970s and reluctance to take action against the Palestinian "struggle," the authorities did nothing about the Palestinian weapons in Lebanon.
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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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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (May 19-26, 2025)

IDF forces continued operations against Hezbollah’s presence in south Lebanon, which violates the understandings of the ceasefire agreement, and against the organization’s attempts to renew its military-terrorist capabilities. A specialist in constructing facilities for the production of precision surface-to-surface missiles and operatives from the organization’s elite Radwan Force were eliminated; Hezbollah used the events marking the 25th anniversary of the IDF’s withdrawal from Lebanon to emphasize the role of the “resistance” and to pressure Lebanese state institutions to take action to end the Israeli “violations.” Hezbollah’s secretary general, Na’im Qassem, warned that if the state did not act, there were “other options,” but added that the use of weapons was based "solely on the interests of the people."; Lebanese officials said they were continuing efforts with the international community to exert pressure on Israel to implement the agreements and withdraw from the five disputed points in south Lebanon; Hezbollah continues to face challenges in its military reconstruction in the wake of the fighting with Israel; The joint Hezbollah-Amal list won the overwhelming majority of municipalities in south Lebanon in the local elections; Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas visited Lebanon and met with the Lebanese leadership and representatives of Palestinian "factions." They reached an agreement to disarm Palestinian "groups" in refugee camps beginning in June 2025. Hamas demanded to be consulted regarding the issue of weapons.
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (May 14-21, 2025)

Iran’s Supreme Leader called Israel “a dangerous and deadly cancerous tumor that must be uprooted”; Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon met with the commander of the Lebanese army and discussed developments in the country; The commander of the Qods Force visited Iraq and met with Iraq’s national security advisor and senior members of the pro-Iranian Shiite militias; The Houthis claimed responsibility for four attacks on Ben Gurion Airport using ballistic missiles and drones. The IDF Spokesperson reported two cases of intercepting a ballistic missile and another interception of a drone. In response, the IDF attacked two Houthi seaports. The Houthis, in response, threatened to continue the attacks and also announced the imposition of a “siege” on the Israeli port of Haifa. 
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