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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (November 25 – December 2 ,2024)

On November 27, 2024, a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon went into effect. Hezbollah declared "victory" and claimed it would cooperate with the Lebanese Army in implementing the agreement. IDF forces attacked Hezbollah operatives and facilities following violations of the ceasefire agreement. The Lebanese Army and Parliament Speaker Berri accused Israel of violating the agreement; Over the past week, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 40 attacks (some unverified) on Israeli civilian, military and security targets, all before the start of the ceasefire. According to Hezbollah, since the beginning of the conflict on October 8, 2023, at least 4,637 attacks have been carried out against Israel, including 1,666 attacks since the escalation in mid-September 2024. Hezbollah estimates that 4,000 of its operatives have been killed; The Lebanese ministry of health reported that 3,961 people had been killed between the start of the fighting until the ceasefire. The minister of economy estimated economic damage at $15-20 billion and said the reconstruction process would take about four years; The IDF continued strikes on crossings along the Syria-Lebanon border which were used to transfer weapons to Hezbollah, including after the ceasefire went into effect.
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Hamas and Hezbollah Activities in Europe: Germany as a Test Case

In November 2024, charges filed in Germany against four suspects affiliated with Hamas for operating weapons depots for Hamas in Europe and planning attacks on Israeli, Jewish and Western targets in Germany. In July 2024, the German ministry of the interior ordered the closure of the Islamic Center in Hamburg after evidence was found that for years it had served the interests of Iran and Hezbollah in the country; Both cases provide evidence of the continued presence of Hamas and Hezbollah in Europe in general and Germany in particular, despite efforts by authorities to limit or prevent their activities, especially following the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre in Israel; Germany, like other European countries, has always walked a fine line between counterterrorism, its commitment to absorbing immigrants and the protection of human rights. That was why for years if did not designate Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations or outlaw outlawing them, allowing their organizations and charities to raise funds for terrorist activities which also targeted German; In 2020, Germany ended the EU's arbitrary separation between Hezbollah’s military wing and its so-called political wing, and designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization. A similar move against Hamas was taken only in November 2023, although the movement as a whole had been designated a terrorist organization by the EU since 2014; An October 2024 report issued by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) warned that in addition to actions by individuals motivated by antisemitism, the escalation in the Middle East also posed a threat to Jewish and Israeli targets because of operational preparations by Iranian or Hezbollah proxies or by Hamas; In ITIC assessment, German law enforcement authorities will continue efforts to prevent Hamas and Hezbollah activities as part of a growing European effort to reduce the risk from Iranian proxies. However, the threat posed by Hamas and Hezbollah can be expected to remain high for Europe in general and for Germany in particular. The arrest of Hamas operatives and the exposure of weapons depots may indicate a change in the movement’s activities in Europe, which until now avoided carrying out attacks abroad and focused on fundraising and promoting its agenda within civilian social organizations. Hezbollah may also activate its network, which in all probability still exists in Germany, to attack Israeli and Jewish targets, either as revenge for the killing of Hassan Nasrallah and senior organization members or as part of a possible Iranian response to the Israeli strike on Iran in October 2024. Hamas and Hezbollah may also exploit the radicalization of Muslim immigrant communities in Europe, as demonstrated by the attack on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam in November 2024, to construct a support base which would help them spread their anti-Israeli and antisemitic agenda and even carry out attacks.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (November 18 – 25 ,2024)

IDF forces continued their maneuvers in south Lebanon, advancing to the "second village line" near the Litani River. The forces eliminated Hezbollah terrorist operatives, destroyed terrorist facilities concealed in civilian sites and uncovered numerous weapons. Meanwhile, the IDF attacked Hezbollah targets from the air in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in Beirut and other areas in Lebanon. Four IDF soldiers were killed in the fighting; This past week Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 232 attacks (some unverified) on civilian, military and security targets in Israel, including the Greater Tel Aviv area and IDF forces in south Lebanon. On November 24, 2024, Hezbollah claimed a record 51 attacks in a single day. One civilian was killed in Hezbollah attacks and significant property damage was reported; Hezbollah secretary general Na'im Qassem threatened that any Israeli strike in Beirut would be answered with an attack on central Tel Aviv. He said the organization would continue attacking while working toward a ceasefire; Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah continued. Lebanon's interim prime minister and speaker of the Lebanese Parliament met with American envoy Hochstein and reported progress in negotiations, while awaiting Israel's response. Hezbollah expressed opposition to Israel's demand for freedom of operation in Lebanon. A senior Hezbollah figure claimed Hezbollah cooperated with the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL in south Lebanon, and therefore did not oppose expanding the Lebanese Army's activities in the south; Hezbollah was publicly criticized for dragging the country into war and destruction and for its inability to protect the south, alongside calls to disarm the organization after the war; Lebanon's minister of the economy reported economic losses of between $15-20 billion. Damages to electricity infrastructure were reported to have reached $221 million; UNIFIL reported several soldiers had been injured in attacks on positions in south Lebanon. An IDF spokesperson stated the attacks were Hezbollah rocket attacks targeting Israel which misfired; According to reports, in Syria more than 100 people died in an attack attributed to Israel on pro-Iranian militia and Hezbollah sites in the city of Palmyra in central Syria.
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (November 13—20, 2024)

This week, senior Iranian officials resumed their threats to retaliate for the Israeli attack on Iran on October 26, 2024. They stressed that Iran is committed to taking revenge on Israel and would do so at the time and in the manner it saw fit; High-level reciprocal visits between Iran and Syria: Ali Larijani, advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran, visited Syria and Lebanon and met with senior government officials in Damascus and Beirut. The Iranian defense minister also visited Syria and met with senior government officials, headed by President Assad. The Syrian foreign minister also visited Tehran and met with his Iranian counterpart; It was reported that Iran had informed Hezbollah of its commitment to rebuild southern Lebanon, the Dahiyeh in Beirut, and the destruction caused in the Beqaa Valley after the war. The IRGC deputy commander and the Iranian foreign minister emphasized Iran's continued commitment to supporting Hezbollah and the “resistance front” in the region; The Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued 17 statements claiming responsibility for drone attacks against targets in Israel. The Saraya Awliya al-Dam militia claimed responsibility for four more attacks; The IDF Spokesperson announced the interception of at least five drones, some of them in Syrian territory. Israel reportedly conveyed a message to the Iraqi government that if militia attacks did not stop, it would attack Iraq. “Elements” in the militias threatened to respond by expanding attacks against Israel if it acted against them, and the Iraqi government claimed that it was working to prevent the use of Iraqi territory to carry out attacks; The pro-Iranian militias continued their attacks against American bases in Syria. US forces in Syria were reportedly reinforced in preparation for the entry of the Trump administration; The Houthis claimed responsibility for two drone attacks against Israel. The IDF Spokesperson said drones were intercepted, and there were no casualties; The Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a ship in the Red Sea and continued their threats to act against American aircraft carriers and warships in the Red Sea. A senior Pentagon official acknowledged that Houthi military capabilities “are getting scary.”
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (November 11 – 18 ,2024)

IDF forces continued their maneuver in south Lebanon, deepening operations into the "second line of villages." They eliminated Hezbollah terrorist operatives, located and destroyed facilities hidden in civilian sites and uncovered large quantities of weapons. The IDF continued aerial strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut and other areas in Lebanon. Eight IDF soldiers were killed in the fighting; This past week Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 170 attacks on civilian, military and security targets in Israel, including the Greater Tel Aviv area, and IDF forces in south Lebanon. Hezbollah claimed its first attack against IDF Headquarters in Tel Aviv and showcased the new weapons used in its attacks on Israel. Two civilians were killed in Hezbollah attacks, and significant property damage was reported; Hezbollah reported that its media chief, Muhammad Afif, was killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut. Reports indicated the deaths of other senior commanders (without official acknowledgment from Hezbollah), with an estimated 1,550 Hezbollah fatalities since October 8, 2023; According to reports, Hezbollah submitted its response to the United States draft proposal for a ceasefire and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in south Lebanon, though some points still require discussion. Lebanon was preparing for the visit of United States envoy Amos Hochstein; Syria: The IDF attacked Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets in Damascus, killing two senior figures and seven terrorist operatives. The IDF continued attacking along the Syria-Lebanon border to prevent Hezbollah weapons smuggling and the infiltration of terrorist operatives. 
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Spotlight on Terrorism – October 2024

During October 2024, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, Judea, Samaria, and south Lebanon, with attacks on Israel from pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Yemen; Lebanon: The fighting escalated with the start of the IDF maneuver against Hezbollah in south Lebanon on October 1, 2024. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 806 attacks on IDF forces and military, security and civilian targets in Israel as far as the Tel Aviv area, and deployed new weapons. Due to high number of casualties, Hezbollah stopped issuing mourning notices for senior figures and operatives, except for the announcement of the elimination of Hashem Safi al-Din, head of the Executive Council, who was to be appointed Hezbollah secretary general; The Gaza Strip: The terrorist organizations fired 28 rockets at Israeli territory, compared to four rockets in September. Targeted killings of senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist operatives continued, including Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip; Israel, Judea and Samaria: Palestinian terrorists carried out eight attacks were carried out in Israel, Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem, compared to six in September; eight civilians and two security personnel were killed. Three of the terrorists held Israeli identification cards and two others held Jordanian citizenship. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism operations focused on northern Samaria. At least 27 terrorist operatives were eliminated in exchanges of fire and airstrikes, including commanders of terrorist organizations in Tulkarm, Nablus and Jenin, as well as operatives preparing to carry out attacks; Shi'ite militias: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued 72 claims of responsibility for attacking 76 targets in Israeli territory, the highest number since the attacks began in November 2023, prompted by the escalation in the fighting between in Lebanon and the killing of al-Sinwar. The Saraya Awliya al-Dam militia issued 17 claims of responsibility. Most of the Iraqi militia launches were not verified, and some were intercepted. Two IDF soldiers were killed by an UAV in the Golan Heights, the first fatalities from attacks originating in Iraq. The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacking eight targets in Israel, compared to four in September.
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