Hamas

Reactions to Hezbollah’s Attack in Retaliation for the Killing of Fuad Shukr

On August 25, 2024, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a combined rocket-UAV attack on military targets in Israel in retaliation for the killing of Fuad Shukr, the organization's military commander, in an Israeli targeted attack in Beirut on July 30, 2024. Hezbollah claimed the attack had achieved its goals. Earlier, a hundred Israeli Air Force fighter jets carried out a pre-emptive strike against thousands of Hezbollah rocket and missile launchers in south Lebanon which were aimed at northern and central Israel; Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah secretary general, claimed 340 rockets had been fired at IDF bases in northern Israel, after which a large number of UAVs were launched deep into Israeli territory, hitting an aerial defense base and an intelligence base. He added that if the results were not "satisfactory" Hezbollah "reserved the right" to carry out further attacks; Contrary to Nasrallah's claim, the aerial defense and intelligence bases were not attacked. Israel's aerial defense forces, the Israeli Air Force and the Israeli Navy intercepted most of the rocket and UAV launches. One IDF soldier was killed and two were injured by an interceptor explosion near a Navy ship. A woman was injured by shrapnel in Acre and extensive property damage was caused; Iran and the "resistance axis" organizations, including Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, praised Hezbollah for the attack on Israel; Social media users in Lebanon and the Arab world mocked Hezbollah's attack; Hezbollah made an effort to establish the false narrative that the IDF's preemptive attack was unsuccessful, did not cause significant damage to the organization, and claimed success in hitting important targets in Israel. That was because Hezbollah wanted to justify its activities to the citizens of Lebanon, hide the extent of the damage caused to the organization by the preemptive attack, and possibly because the extent of the damage had not yet been fully calculated; In ITIC assessment , after Hezbollah finishes retaliating for the death of Fuad Shukr, its attacks on the northern border will continue according to the organization's initial use of force and "equations," which includes proactive fire near the border and reactive fire further away with varying extent, depending on the strength and nature of the IDF's proactive activity.
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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (August 20-27 , 2024)

IDF forces continued fighting in the southern and central Gaza Strip, expanding their activity in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah. The Palestinian terrorist organizations continued firing rockets into Israeli territory, including the central part of the country. Seven IDF soldiers were killed in combat; Israeli security forces rescued an Israeli hostage who was being held in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip. The Hamas delegation left Cairo after another round of talks in an attempt to reach an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Hamas accused Israel of making new demands; More than 1.2 million doses of polio vaccine arrived in the Gaza Strip in preparation for a mass drive to vaccinate children up to the age of ten. Israel, Judea and Samaria: This past week Palestinian terrorists carried out three attacks. An IDF soldier was injured in a vehicle ramming near Ariel. IEDs exploded near Avni Hefetz and Tekoa; there were no casualties. The Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria; Preparations continued to advance Mahmoud Abbas' initiative to visit the Gaza Strip.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (August 19-26 , 2024)

On August 25, 2024, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing 340 rockets at air defense facilities in northern Israel and launching a large number of UAVs at IDF bases in retaliation to the killing of Fuad Shukr, the organization's military commander. Earlier, the Israeli Air Force carried out a pre-emptive strike on thousands of Hezbollah missile launchers. An IDF soldier was killed during the interception of a Hezbollah rocket, a woman was injured by shrapnel in Acre, and Hezbollah's attacks caused substantial property damage; During this past week, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 72 attacks on military and civilian targets in Israel. An Israeli citizen was injured and there was considerable property damage; Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked Hezbollah terrorist targets and operatives in south Lebanon and the Lebanon Valley; Hezbollah announced the death of 16 of its operatives. One Amal operative was also killed, as was senior Fatah terrorist operative was killed, who He had worked with the Iranian Qods Force to smuggle weapons and direct attacks against Israel from Judea and Samaria; Syria: Air strikes attributed to Israel attacked sites of the pro-Iranian militias and the Syrian army in Homs and Hama. Three militia operatives were reported dead and the United States military killed a senior member of an al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadi organization.
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Spotlight on Iran (August 14-21, 2024)

Senior Iranian officials continued to warn of Iran’s intention to retaliate for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, stressing that there was no direct connection between the negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the right of Iran to retaliate against Israel. However, it is evident that the Iranian threats of direct military attack against Israel have decreased and that Iran is also examining other response options.; A senior officer in the IRGC’s aerospace arm, who served as an Iranian military advisor in Syria, died of his wounds after apparently being wounded in an airstrike by US-led coalition forces in Syria at the end of July 2024; The Iranian embassy in Lebanon referred to a video released by Hezbollah documenting an underground facility for storing precision missiles and heavy rockets and threatened that Iran also had the ability to attack its enemies from any point in its territory.; Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued seizure orders for 18 oil tankers linked to Iran, used to finance the Qods Force and Hezbollah; The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced two drone attacks against targets in the Golan Heights and Eilat for the first time since July 24, 2024. The claims have not been verified; Gunmen attacked an oil tanker in the Red Sea. There were reportedly no casualties, but fire broke out and the crew lost control of the tanker; The Houthi leader threatened that the “axis of resistance” would inevitably retaliate against Israel, despite the delays.
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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (August 13 – 20 , 2024)

IDF forces continued their activity in the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip and the Netzarim Corridor in the central Gaza Strip, expanding their activities in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah. The Palestinian organizations continued firing rockets into Israeli territory, including targeting the center of the country. Three IDF soldiers were killed in combat; Israeli security forces rescued the bodies of six Israeli hostages from a tunnel in Khan Yunis. Efforts to promote a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages continued, while senior Hamas figures continued to accuse Israel of making new demands; The UN called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to allow children to be vaccinated against polio. The Hamas-controlled ministry of health in Gaza claimed to have identified the first active case of the virus; Israel, Judea and Samaria: This past week Palestinian terrorists carried out two attacks, murdering one Israeli civilian and wounding another. An Israeli citizen was injured when an IED exploded in Tel Aviv. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the "suicide attack." In an attack in an industrial area in Samaria, an Israeli citizen was killed by a hammer-wielding Palestine. The Israeli security forces continued their counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria; A Palestinian was killed when dozens of Jewish settlers rioted in the village of Jit in Samaria; PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas visited Turkey and met with President Erdogan. He gave a speech to the Turkish Parliament, announcing his intention to visit the Gaza Strip with senior Palestinian figures.
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Internal Lebanese criticism of Hezbollah in the wake of its escalation and the threat of war

Since Hezbollah began attacking Israel on October 8, 2023, there has been internal criticism in Lebanon of the organization's decision to fight against Israel, claiming it was "supporting" the Gaza Strip. The murder of 12 children and teenagers by a rocket fired by Hezbollah at Majdal Shams on July 27, 2024, and its threats to respond "strongly" to Israel's elimination of Fuad Shukr, its military commander, in Beirut on July 31, 2024, increased the Lebanese public's fear that the situation would deteriorate from border fighting in south Lebanon into an all-out war; Public criticism comes mainly from a handful of politicians and media figures, most of them Christians known to oppose Hezbollah. They accuse Hezbollah of acting contrary to the national interest and endangering the lives of the Lebanese by fighting an unnecessary war for the sake of Iran; More sharp criticism against Hezbollah appears on social networks, where posts call the organization "terrorist" and express public support for the death of Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah. Some public criticism has also appeared in the form of signs opposing the war, but no one accepted responsibility for them; Criticism of Hezbollah is also reflected in the reception received by the Shi'ites who fled the Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut in fear of Israeli attacks; Hassan Nasrallah warned it played into Israel's hands and called on those who did not support the organization "not to stab the 'resistance' in the back." Despite the response, apparently so far the criticism has not had a significant impact on the decisions Hezbollah makes.
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