Hezbollah

Spotlight on Terrorism – December 2025

During December 2025 the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip continued, which also led to a halt in the Houthi attacks. Counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria continued. The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire remained in force, despite IDF attacks on Hezbollah targets; The Gaza Strip: The ceasefire of October 10, 2025 remained in force. IDF forces attacked suspects who crossed the Yellow Line and eliminated terrorist operatives in response to ceasefire violations, including Ra'ad Saad, one of the senior operatives in the Hamas military wing; Israel, Judea and Samaria: Six terrorist attacks were carried out in which two Israeli civilians were killed and eight IDF soldiers were wounded. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria; The IDF continued attacks to prevent Hezbollah from violating the ceasefire understandings of November 27, 2024 and to prevent the organization from reconstructing its military capabilities and replenishing its arsenal. Nine Hezbollah terrorist operatives were eliminated, one of whom was also serving in the Lebanese army, and an operative of Iran's Qods Force and one from the Amal Movement were eliminated; IDF forces continued operating in southern Syria, detained an ISIS operative and confiscated weapons; The Houthis did not attack Israel or shipping in the Red Sea, and have not since the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip went into effect. They also announced the deaths of senior figures killed in United States attacks in early 2025; Two Muslim terrorists suspected of being affiliated with ISIS carried out a shooting attack at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, killing 15 people.
Read more...

Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (December 24-31, 2025)

The Iranian foreign minister said at a conference commemorating Qassem Soleimani that the “Palestinian resistance” has become a decisive player. He made it clear that Tehran would continue its support for the “resistance,” which, he said, shapes the future order in the Middle East; The Iranian ambassador to Beirut met with the Lebanese defense minister and the commander of the Lebanese Army; The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson condemned the attack on a mosque in Syria, attributing it to the “illegal interference” in the country and the occupation of parts of its territory; The IRGC has reportedly begun recruiting former commanders in the 4th Division and the military intelligence of the ousted Syrian regime to undermine security in the country. According to another report, supporters of the Assad regime are undergoing training in Houthi camps in Yemen; Iran’s ambassador to Iraq said that the Shiite militias in the country operate and make decisions independently, and that the decision regarding whether Iraq’s prime minister will remain in office rests with the Iraqi public and political forces; The Houthi leader condemned Israel for the “violations” in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, stressing that further rounds of fighting between Israel and the Houthis are “certain.”; Israel’s recognition of Somaliland sparked outrage in the Houthi leadership, which accused it of being an “aggressive step” and threatened to take military action against any Israeli presence in the strategic area of the Horn of Africa.
Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (December 22-29, 2025)

The IDF continued its activity to enforce the ceasefire agreement and to prevent Hezbollah’s renewed military buildup, and struck targets in south Lebanon and in the northern Beqa'a Valley, including Radwan Force training facilities and launch sites. The forces eliminated four Hezbollah operatives, one of them a soldier on active duty in the Lebanese army, and a terrorist operative in the Qods Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; Hezbollah secretary general Na’im Qassem said they were not afraid of a new war and accused the Lebanese government of making "free concessions" without Israel's fulfilling its commitments under the ceasefire agreement; Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he hoped the "cloud of war" was receding from Lebanon, after allegedly receiving American guarantees that Israel would not launch a new large-scale campaign; European countries are reportedly working to maintain a presence of their forces in south Lebanon to assist the Lebanese army after the end of UNIFIL’s mandate; Given the [alleged] completion of the first phase of Hezbollah’s disarmament south of the Litani River in accordance with the declaration from the Lebanese government, and Hezbollah’s opposition to further surrender of weapons, it was reported that the Lebanese government had still not made a decision regarding the transition to the second phase of demilitarizing the area between the Litani and Awali Rivers, and that the army commander would not give an order to collect weapons, citing a threat to civil peace in the country; Hezbollah is having difficulty financing housing allowances for tens of thousands of displaced families among its supporters following the intensified blockade of its funding sources.
Read more...

Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (December 17-24, 2025)

The Iranian foreign minister stressed Iran’s opposition to a two-state solution to the Palestinian problem; Senior Iranian officials continued to express opposition to Hezbollah’s disarmament; Iran’s ambassador to the UN said at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria that the Syrian residents’ “resistance” to Israel’s “aggression” exposes the inevitable consequences of an “ongoing occupation.”; Iran and Iraq have reached an agreement on the opening of a new border crossing between the two countries.; Several pro-Iranian militias in Iraq expressed willingness to relinquish their weapons, but the major militias clarified that the issue is not open for negotiation. It is assessed that the change in the militias’ position stems from a desire to integrate into a new government and in light of warnings of possible Israeli attacks; The Islamic Resistance Front in Syria announced the death of its leader, without specifying the circumstances. 
Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (December 15-22, 2025)

Overview[1] The IDF continued attacking Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon to enforce the ceasefire agreement, which prohibited the organization’s presence south of the Litani. The IDF reported that in the year since the ceasefire, more than 370 terrorist operatives, most of them from Hezbollah, had been eliminated and there had been approximately 1,200 targeted ground
Read more...

Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (December 10-17, 2025)

Tensions between Iran and Lebanon continue:  The Iranian foreign minister expressed surprise at his Lebanese counterpart’s decision not to accept an invitation to visit Tehran and announced his intention to visit Beirut. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed hope that a new ambassador would be stationed in Lebanon soon, despite the report that the Lebanese foreign minister was preventing his appointment; The Iranian ambassador to Beirut met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss developments in Lebanon and the region. At the same time, the Supreme Leader’s senior advisor for international affairs met with Hezbollah’s representative in Tehran; The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the events in Syria, including the killing of two American soldiers and an American interpreter, should not come as a surprise, given the growing instability caused by Israeli strikes and the “occupation” of territories by foreign actors; Iran’s ambassador to Iraq met with senior officials from the Kurdish region in northern Iraq. The visit reflects a growing Iranian effort following the parliamentary elections in Iraq to influence the process of forming a new government in the country; The Houthis condemned Israel’s “violations” in the Gaza Strip, particularly the targeted killing of senior Hamas military wing commander Raed Saad; According to an internal Houthi report, forty percent of their naval and rocket capabilities damaged by American and British strikes have been restored; The Iraqi foreign minister protested the US opposition to the inclusion of Shiite militias in the next government amid reports of increasing pressure from the US administration and threats of sanctions.
Read more...