Hamas

Spotlight on Terrorism: Lebanon and Hezbollah (February 17 – 24, 2025)

Hezbollah held a funeral for its former secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, and his designated successor, Hashem Safi al-Din, in Beirut. Hundreds of thousands of people attended, including an Iranian delegation led by the foreign minister and the speaker of the Majlis, as well as foreign delegations affiliated with the "resistance axis." The Lebanese president and prime minister did not attend the ceremony. the speaker of the Lebanese Parliament was the highest-ranking government representative; Hezbollah’ secretary general, Na’im Qassem (who did not attend the funeral), said the organization would follow Nasrallah's "legacy" and continue on the path of "resistance," adding that they would continue to support the Palestinians. He claimed Hezbollah had demonstrated resilience and agreed to the ceasefire because they did not wish to continue fighting without a "political horizon"; The IDF completed its withdrawal from south Lebanon, except for a presence at five strategic points near the border with Israel. Even after the withdrawal, IDF forces continued operations to prevent Hezbollah from strengthening its presence and military capabilities in south Lebanon. Senior Lebanese government officials said they would continue diplomatic efforts to secure the full withdrawal of Israel; Senior Lebanese officials met with the Iranians who arrived for Nasrallah’s funeral. Lebanese President Aoun told them his country was weary of the wars of other countries and called on foreign nations not to interfere in its internal affairs.
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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (February 11 – 18 , 2025)

Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad released three Israeli hostages, and in return Israel released 369 Palestinian prisoners. Despite Hamas' agreeing to resume prisoner releases, senior figures in the movement continued to accuse Israel of violating the humanitarian clauses of the ceasefire agreement and delaying negotiations on the second phase; Given the announcement of Trump's plan to relocate Gazan to other countries, Egypt and several other Arab states reportedly have a plan to reconstruct the Gaza Strip without evacuating the residents and without Hamas involvement; Senior Hamas figures emphasized that the movement did not seek to govern the Gaza Strip the "day after" but opposed transferring full authority to the Palestinian Authority. Elections for the Hamas leadership will most likely be postponed given the uncertainty of the future of the ceasefire; An Israeli civilian was injured in an axe attack on Mt. Gilboa in northern Israel; the terrorist was detained. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism operations in northern Judea and Samaria; Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas said he opposed the "displacement" of the Gazans and called for the implementation of the [so-called] "right of return."
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah Lebanon (February 10 – 17, 2025)

Preparations are being made in Lebanon ahead of the February 18, 2025 deadline for the completion of the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon. Hezbollah and senior Lebanese government officials expressed opposition to Israel’s intention to retain military forces at five strategic points on the Lebanese side of the border and demanded a full withdrawal; IDF forces continued operations against Hezbollah ceasefire violations, targeting Hezbollah weapons depots and operatives in south Lebanon and inside the country. A senior member of Hamas’s military wing responsible for orchestrating attacks in Judea and Samaria was eliminated; Hezbollah supporters rioted against Lebanese security forces near Beirut airport after the government prevented the arrival of an Iranian plane, having been informed that it was carrying funds for Hezbollah and could be targeted by Israel; Na'im Qassem, Hezbollah secretary general, claimed Nasrallah's funeral would be a show of strength; Nawaf Salam, Lebanon’s new prime minister, said only Lebanese security forces should bear arms. 
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Hamas Promotes a “Victory” Narrative for Gaza Strip War

The announcement of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, even before it went into effect on January 19, 2025, provided Hamas with an opportunity to start promoting a "victory" narrative over Israel in the aza Strip War, which they refer to as Operation al-Aqsa Flood, which began with the Hamas terrorist attack and massacre on October 7, 2023; Official statements from Hamas and its senior figures, amplified by the movement's official and affiliated media outlets, as well as during public "release ceremonies" for Israeli hostages, aimed to promote the narrative that Israel had failed to achieve its objectives against the "resistance" and the "steadfastness" of the Gazans; Hamas' media made extensive use of statements from Israeli political, military and media figures, which in their perspective reinforced the message of Israel's "failure" to achieve the war's objectives; In ITIC assessment, Hamas will continue highlighting Israel's failure to achieve its objectives and promoting the "victory" narrative as long as the ceasefire agreement is maintained, in order to soften public criticism in Gaza of the extensive devastation in the Strip. If the agreement transitions to the second phase, which is expected to include further Israeli withdrawals from Gaza and the release of more prisoners who committed particularly serious crimes, Hamas will intensify its "victory" propaganda to increase its power in Gaza and maintain its position in the Palestinian arena, even if it is forced to relinquish actual control over the Gaza Strip.
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Al-Jazeera Program about the October 7, 2023, Terrorist Attack and Massacre

On January 24, 2025, al-Jazeera TV aired a special episode of the investigative program "What Is Hidden Is Greater." It focused on the Hamas terrorist attack and massacre on October 7, 2023 [the so-called "Operation al-Aqsa Flood"] from the perspective of Hamas' military wing; The program aired previously-unseen footage of Muhammed Deif, the commander of Hamas' military wing, and Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip; The program promoted Hamas's false narrative that the attack was intended only to harm Israeli military personnel and abduct soldiers and officers while not harming children and the elderly; In ITIC assessment, the program was broadcast to reinforce the "victory" narrative Hamas has been promoting since the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip went into effect and to justify the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre as a "legitimate military action." Al-Sinwar in the Rafah was shown in the combat zone to establish the narrative of the "fighter leader" who was on the front lines until his death, not hiding in tunnels. The details the programs revealed about al-Sinwar and Deif provided further evidence of the close connection between Hamas and Qatar's al-Jazeera network, as did its correspondents' exposure as operatives in the Hamas military-terrorist wing and its exclusive permission to cover the release of Israeli hostages.
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Spotlight on Syria (After the Fall of the Assad Regime) February 5 – 12 , 2025

For several days the security forces of the new Syrian regime exchanged fire with Hezbollah-affiliated arms and drug smugglers near the border with Lebanon; Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Trump's plan to evacuate residents of the Gaza Strip was a "serious crime" but said he hoped Trump would succeed in promoting peace in the Middle East; The Syrian army deployed its first divisions across the country. A new commander was appointed to the Syrian Air Force; The IDF attacked a Hamas weapons depot in southern Syria. Other Israeli raids were reported in villages in the Golan Heights outside the buffer zone.
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