Hamas

IDF forces attacked Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon and the Beqa'a Valley to enforce the November 2024 ceasefire agreement and to prevent Hezbollah's renewed military buildup. The IDF detained a senior operative from Hamas-affiliated al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya, the Muslim Brotherhood branch in Lebanon; Hezbollah's secretary general called the confrontation with Israel and the United States part of a regional campaign led by Iran, and argued that political pressure was being exerted to achieve gains which Israel had not achieved militarily; Lebanese Prime Minister visited the border villages in south Lebanon and received a sympathetic welcome; Israel reportedly told Lebanon that it would continue its attacks until Hezbollah had been completely disarmed, and would withdraw IDF forces from positions in south Lebanon only in exchange for a declaration ending the state of hostility between the two countries and the signing of a new security agreement. It was also reported that a secret meeting was held in the United States between senior officers from the Lebanese army and the IDF; Lebanese army Commander visited the United States to present the army's needs and its difficulties in completing missions, especially the state's monopoly on weapons; The Hezbollah leadership accepted Wafiq Safa's resignation as the head of the Liaison and Coordination Unit, an unprecedented step in the organization's security apparatus. He reportedly resigned following serious disputes at the upper echelons of the organization, alongside a reduction of powers and Safa's deviation from Lebanon's line; Tension continues between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government. Senior figures in Lebanon opposed a Hezbollah-Lebanon involvement if a confrontation with Iran developed. Read more...