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Incitement and Delegitimization

Hamas’ Battle for Hearts and Minds after the Ceasefire Agreement in the Gaza Strip

After previous rounds of fighting conducted by Hamas, the movement made sure to promote a "victory narrative" and to emphasize its achievements, usually through ostentatious public ceremonies, such as those held for the release of the Israeli hostages during the ceasefire that between January and March 2025; However, since the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip went into effect on October 10, 2025, Hamas has used other media tactics, showing relative restraint and without unequivocal claims of "victory."; An examination of the Hamas' narrative promoted by its spokesmen and its affiliated media indicates an ongoing effort to market a series of achievements, including the shock generated in Israel by the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre and the damage caused to Israel’s international standing, Hamas’ survival as a governing and military presence in the Strip, Israel’s failure to disarm the "resistance," the release of Palestinian prisoners who had murdered Israelis and the new regional era initiated by Yahya al-Sinwar; In ITIC assessment, Hamas' relatively moderate and cautious media products are the result of its desire to tiptoe through this period, which is sensitive for it, while continuing to wage a narrative offensive for three reasons: one, strengthening civilian and security governance in the Strip before progressing to the next stages of the ceasefire agreement. According to public statements made by senior Hamas figures they want to move forward, but it is still unclear to what extent that will be translated into action on the ground, at least in the foreseeable future. Two, the movement’s desire to prevent a confrontation with the states supervising the implementation of the agreement. Three, Hamas’ understanding that after two years of war, the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is incompatible with "victory celebrations," which could damage its image at a time when it has to struggle for its existence in general and for its future as a controlling and influential actor in the Gaza Strip in particular.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (November 11-18, 2025)

IDF forces continued operating within the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to destroy tunnels and terrorist facilities, and eliminated terrorists who posed a threat. According to claims, in the month since beginning of the ceasefire, IDF forces destroyed more than 1,500 structures in the Gaza Strip; Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad returned the body of an Israeli civilian who had been murdered and kidnapped in the October 7, 2023 attack. The bodies of three murdered hostages remain in the Gaza Strip; Hamas continued to advance its civil and security governance in the Strip; Israel opened the Zikim Crossing for the entry of aid trucks, while the American Coordination Center reported that the daily average number of aid trucks had increased from 600 to 800 and that more than 40 countries and organizations were participating in the aid activity. Hamas and its media exploited the rain in the Gaza Strip to promote a "Gaza is sinking" narrative, while blaming Israel for the situation and calling on the international community to send assistance to the Strip; The UN Security Council passed a resolution adopting the American plan for a ceasefire and the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip. Hamas condemned the resolution and warned that any international force operating in the Strip would be considered fighting alongside "the occupation." The Palestinian Authority (PA) welcomed the resolution and continued preparations to reassume responsibility for the Strip; The organizers of the Global Sunud (Perseverance) Flotilla, prevented from reaching the Gaza Strip by Israel in early October 2025, announced that they would dispatch a larger flotilla to the Gaza Strip in the coming months; Israeli security forces continued extensive activity in Judea and Samaria, eliminating terrorists and terrorist cells attempting to attack security personnel and civilians. Clashes continued between Jewish settlers and Palestinian residents during the olive harvest season; The chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, announced that a delegation would arrive for talks at UNESCO for adapting the Palestinian curricula to international standards while preserving "the core of the Palestinian national consciousness."
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (November 1-11, 2025)

IDF forces operated within Yellow Line areas in the Gaza Strip to destroy tunnels and terrorist facilities, eliminated terrorists who posed a threat, and prevented Hamas from smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip through the Egyptian border. Hamas accused Israel of "violations" and of having killed more than 270 Gazans since the start of the ceasefire; Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad returned the bodies of six murdered Israeli hostages who had been held since October 7, 2023, along with the body of an IDF soldier who was abducted during Operation Protective Edge in August 2014. The bodies of four murdered Israeli hostages remain in the Gaza Strip. The mediators are trying to resolve the crisis of the armed Hamas terrorist operatives trapped in tunnels in Rafah in areas under Israeli control; Food and humanitarian aid continue to enter the Gaza Strip, while Hamas continues to strengthen its security and civilian control over the local population; The Palestinian Authority (PA) and Fatah called on Hamas to agree to disarm and to allow a PA government minister to be appointed as head of the committee administering the Gaza Strip. A senior Hamas figure unconditionally opposed the deployment of any foreign military force in the Strip; Security and law enforcement authorities in Austria found a suitcase containing weapons suspected of being intended for Hamas terrorist attacks. According to reports, the son of a senior Hamas figure was arrested in London on suspicion of involvement in the case; Israeli security forces continued widespread operations in Judea and Samaria and eliminated terrorists who attacked the forces and carried out attacks; The Saudi Arabian crown prince sent a letter to PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas in support of the Palestinian people and their aspiration to establish an independent state.
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Spotlight on Terrorism – October 2025

During October 2025, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip and in Judea and Samaria, and the Houthi attacks continued from Yemen. On October 10, 2025, a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip went into effect, also pausing the Houthi attacks. The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was maintained despite IDF attacks on Hezbollah targets; The Gaza Strip: Until the ceasefire on October 10, the IDF continued attacking terrorist targets from the air and on the ground throughout the Strip, focusing on maneuvering inside Gaza City. Two IDF soldiers were killed. Eight rockets were fired at Israel. After the ceasefire began and IDF forces withdrew from parts of the Strip, the IDF continued enforcing the agreement against threats to its forces and in response to Hamas violations. Three IDF soldiers were killed. As part of the agreement, the twenty remaining live hostages held in the Gaza Strip were released, along with the bodies of seventeen murdered hostages from the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre. Eleven bodies of murdered hostages remain in the Gaza Strip; Judea, Samaria, and Israel: There was one terrorist attack, compared to four the previous month; there were no casualties. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism operations throughout Judea and Samaria, during which rockets were found, terrorist operatives planning attacks were eliminated, and a large shipment of weapons from Iran was seized; Lebanon: The IDF intensified its activity to prevent Hezbollah from violating the understandings of the ceasefire which went into effect on November 27, 2024, and against the organization's efforts to regain its military capabilities and restore its arsenal. More than twenty Hezbollah operatives were eliminated, including the logistics commander of the southern front headquarters and commanders and operatives from the Radwan Force. Hundreds of engineering vehicles and military infrastructures were destroyed; Syria: IDF forces prevented weapons from being smuggled into Israel and Lebanon from southern Syria; The Houthis: Until the Gaza ceasefire on October 10, the Houthis claimed responsibility for one ballistic missile attack on targets in Israel. The IDF spokesperson reported the interception of one ballistic missile and seven UAVs. The Houthis also claimed responsibility for an attack on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, during which one crew member was killed. The Houthis announced the death of their chief of staff in an Israeli attack at the end of August 2025.
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The Turkish IHH, which led the Mavi Marmara flotilla, operates in the Gaza Strip and is involved in its reconstruction

The Turkish IHH organization announced the launch of a project to clear rubble and open blocked roads in the Gaza Strip as part of reconstruction efforts, following the declaration of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The organization was involved in launching flotillas to the Gaza Strip, foremost of which was the Mavi Marmara flotilla which ended in a violent confrontation with IDF forces in May 2010 and the Global Sumud ("resilience''') flotilla, which was halted by the IDF in October 2025; The IHH is an NGO founded in 1992 and with close ties to the Turkish government. It promotes radical Islamist, anti-Israeli and anti-Western activity. Bülent Yıldırım, the head of the organization, has repeatedly made anti-Israeli and antisemitic statements; The IHH also has ties with Hamas and was outlawed in Israel in 2008 due to its involvement in a network of charity associations which raised funds for Hamas institutions abroad; This study is based on dozens of report issued about the IHH by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) since 2010. It summarizes the main aspects of the ties between the organization and Hamas and the central role Bülent Yıldırım plays, in cooperation with Hamas, in the campaign to delegitimize Israel; In ITIC assessment, the IHH's involvement in reconstruction activity in the Gaza Strip may be another way of strengthening Hamas' influence over affairs in the Strip even after the ceasefire goes into effect. The locating of Hamas headquarters in Turkey, which is one of the sponsors of the ceasefire agreement, and the ties between the movement and the IHH, may also provide Hamas with a direct channel for transferring funds and equipment to restore the military wing, under the cover of humanitarian aid. In addition, the direct connection between the IHH and the Turkish government, one of the signatories to the ceasefire agreement and an unreserved supporter of Hamas, gives the Turkish regime a foothold in the Gaza Strip and increases its regional influence on Israel's border.
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Documentary Evidence of Hamas-Al Jazeera Relations and Cooperation

The Al Jazeera network, controlled by Qatar's ruling family, is one of the most prominent media outlets in the Arab world. For years, it has promoted radical Sunni Islam agendas, including those of Hamas; During the Gaza Strip War, Al Jazeera gave Hamas' political and military leadership a platform for conveying their messages and promoted Hamas' psychological warfare by showing videos of hostages, exclusive broadcasts of "ceremonies" for the release of hostages and pictures of Hamas terrorists attacking IDF forces in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the network systematically ignored anti-Hamas protests in the Gaza Strip; Hamas documents brought back from the Gaza Strip by IDF forces showed that the cooperation and media coordination between Hamas and Al Jazeera were neither random nor isolated but systematic, organized and continuous. They showed Hamas' transfer of coverage guidelines and instructions to the network's management to influence its editorial policy on issues related to the movement and established a secure phone line between the movement's military emergency operations room and Al Jazeera; The documents showed that many journalists who worked for Al Jazeera in the Gaza Strip were simultaneously operatives in Hamas' military wing. Some of them accompanied the waves of infiltration into Israeli territory during the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre; Research indicates that for years, especially during the Gaza Strip War, Hamas regarded Al Jazeera not merely as a media platform for reporting and message transmission but as an integral part of the movement's propaganda, de-legitimization of Israel, and psychological warfare machine- Even after the announcement of the ceasefire agreement, Al Jazeera continues to provide extensive coverage of Hamas and its messages while emphasizing both the movement's survival and the high price the war exacted from Israel. Continued cooperation between Hamas and Al Jazeera is also evident in the exclusive coverage granted to the network's correspondents and their access to locations where hostages and bodies are transferred to the Red Cross.
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