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Iran

Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., December 5, 2023)

The integrated IDF forces extended the fighting in the Gaza Strip, focusing their activity in the Jabalia and Shejaiya areas in the northern Gaza Strip and in the Khan Yunis region in the south. The Palestinian media reported a very difficult night in the Khan Yunis region and in the central Gaza Strip. A Hamas source said the Gaza Strip was burning "in the most horrific war in modern history. Hamas is calling for a return to indirect negotiations, but not under fire. Hamas claims that since most of the hostages are officers and soldiers, there will be different criteria for their release. Hamas denied the accusations of acts of rape and other sexual abuse committed during the October 7 attack and accused Israel of spreading "false propaganda. Hezbollah continued attacking IDF positions along the northern border; the IDF responded with artillery and aerial fire. Hamas sources in Lebanon announced the establishment of an organization called Pioneers of Operation al-Aqsa Storm, calling on young and adult men to join its ranks. The organization was apparently established with Hezbollah's blessing. Following criticism, Hamas was quick to claim it was not a military organization, but rather the "popular recruitment" of young Palestinians into its ranks.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., December 4, 2023)

The IDF forces continued intensive integrated maneuvers in the northern and southern Gaza Strip.. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) sources emphasized the "inferiority of the IDF" which, they claimed, had achieved nothing in all the days of fighting. A Palestinian military commentator claimed the IDF would encounter stronger resistance in the southern Gaza Strip, since the forces there had "more combat experience."The announcement by the British Ministry of Defense that it would help locate the hostages in the Gaza Strip by means of aerial intelligence patrols was condemned by Hamas and the PIJ, which claimed the UK was thereby becoming an accomplice to "Israel's crimes. Many Gazans from the southern Gaza Strip began concentrating in the Rafah area, where a tent camp was erected. The hospitals continue to convey distress because of the large number of wounded. Hezbollah continued attacking IDF posts and vehicles, injuring 15 soldiers continued their counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., December 3, 2023)

Following the extension of the temporary ceasefire, another group of hostages was returned to Israel on the night of November 30. Efforts to extend the temporary ceasefire and return additional hostages failed since Hamas did not honor its commitment, and on the morning of December 1, 2023, fighting in the Gaza Strip resumed. Senior Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in Palestine (PIJ) terrorists continued to state they were prepared to continue negotiations, however, Saleh al-'Arouri unequivocally announced there would be no negotiations before a comprehensive ceasefire, closing the door to further efforts.: Integrated IDF forces resumed fighting in the northern, central and southern Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip continue firing rockets and mortar shells at Israel. Since the beginning of the integrated ground maneuver, IDF forces have located more than 800 shafts of Hamas tunnels and have destroyed approximately 500 of them. Another field hospital was established in Rafah. The spokesman for the ministry of health in the Gaza Strip reported the hospitals were operating beyond full capacity.: With the resumption of fighting in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah resumed its attacks on the Israel-Lebanon border. So far, it has claimed responsibility for 17 attacks. The IDF responded with artillery fire and airstrikes. A launch attempt was made from Syria and failed.In Judea and Samaria Palestinian terrorists attempted a stabbing and a hit and run attack. Two IDF soldiers were injured. Mahmoud Abbas and Muhammad Shtayyeh met with Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, who visited Ramallah. The heads of Palestinian human rights organizations refused to meet with him on the grounds that he was biased towards Israel.
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Iranian efforts to blur the Shi’ite-Sunni rift over the war in Gaza

Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, there has been considerable effort by the Islamic Republic of Iran to blur the Sunni-Shi’ite rift, which it sees as liable to undermine its efforts to enlist the support of Muslim and Arab public opinion in the campaign against Israel and to arouse opposition from both Sunnis and Shi’ites to its support for the Palestinians, especially Hamas. Statements and commentaries by Iranian officials include two main messages: emphasizing the need for Islamic unity between Shi’ites and Sunnis in the struggle against Israel and presenting the Palestinians as closer to Shi’a despite their Sunni Islamic affiliation.The call for Muslim unity, especially against the enemies of Islam, reflects the official policy of the Islamic Republic since its establishment in 1979. Against the backdrop of the 2011 regional upheaval, which deepened the Sunni-Shi’ite rift in the Arab world, senior Iranian officials, headed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have stressed that the Islamic Republic advocates Islamic solidarity and is committed to supporting both Shi’ites and Sunnis regardless of their sectarian affiliation. Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, Iranian officials have stressed that increasing unity between Shi’ites and Sunnis will strengthen the Muslim world in the campaign against Israel.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 30, 2023)

Following the extension of the temporary ceasefire, a sixth group of abductees was released. The ceasefire was extended. Three people were killed in a shooting attack at the entrance to Jerusalem, Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. Despite the temporary ceasefire, three Palestinians were killed in a clash with IDF forces. According to an unofficial estimate, since October 7 approximately 1,200 Israeli civilians and security personnel have been killed, 395 of them soldiers and officers (including three bodies); 145 civilian and military abductees are being held by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.88 hostages have been released to date. In Gaza Strip: Local figures are calling for more humanitarian aid. The northern sector: Aerial defense fighters intercepted a suspicious target crossing the Lebanese border into Israeli territory. Judea and Samaria: Israeli security force counterterrorism activities continue. The foreign ministers of the UN Security Council convened to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 29, 2023)

Following the extension of the temporary ceasefire, a fifth group of abductees, ten Israeli women and two foreign civilians, were released in the evening. On this occasion there was a prominent presence of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist operatives.. The talks to extend the ceasefire continue. Despite the temporary ceasefire, on the afternoon of November 28, 2023, three explosive devices were detonated in two different incidents and Palestinian terrorist organizations shot at IDF forces in the northern Gaza Strip, wounding several. Hamas' military-terrorist wing claimed it was "friction on the ground" caused by "an Israeli violation of the temporary ceasefire agreement. In Gaza Strip local and international figures continue to assess the damage, claiming the aid reaching the Gaza Strip is insufficient and there is concern over the outbreak of epidemics. In The northern sector The presence of Hezbollah terrorist operatives, some of them armed, has been reported along the Israel-Lebanon border.
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Iran

Exporting the Islamic Revolution was one of the Iranian Revolution’s original, basic objectives. Iran seeks regional hegemony and more than that – dominance of the Muslim world. To that end, Iran has developed a network of underground organizations and terrorist groups within Islamic (especially Shiite) communities in the Middle East and around the world, including Africa, Latin America, Asia and beyond. In the Middle East, Iran is leading an anti-American and anti-Israeli Shiite axis struggling against the Middle Eastern Sunni countries led by Saudi Arabia. The Iranian axis (the “Axis of Resistance”) includes Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Bahrain. In these countries, Iran handles proxy organizations operating to promote Iran’s interests.

Israeli-Iranian relations had their ups and downs. During the reign of the Shah of Iran, the two countries were allied politically. After the revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, Iran revoked its recognition of Israel and ended all official relations with it.

To implement its anti-Israeli policies, Iran has broadened its ties to the terrorist organizations operating against Israel. Iran instigates terrorist organizations, especially the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, to attack Israel, and finances and arms both organizations. In recent years, large shipments of weapons from Iran have been intercepted as they were en route to the Palestinian terrorist organizations.


To promote its regional and global interests and aspirations, Iran is developing military nuclear capabilities. It is also developing long-range missiles and warheads which can reach Israel, the rest of the Middle East, and Europe.