Iran

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (May 5 –12, 2026)

IDF forces continued operations within the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip, destroying terrorist infrastructure and eliminating terrorists who posed a threat, including those involved in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre. The son of the Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas' political bureau in the Gaza Strip, was killed in an attack in Gaza City; Hamas continued to accuse Israel of preventing the transition to the second stage of the ceasefire agreement while refusing to comply with the demand to disarm. Hamas downplayed the importance of Israeli threats to renew the fighting, but said the Palestinians would "defend themselves" if attacked; Reportedly, 5,000 Palestinian policemen will undergo Israeli security screening and deploy under the supervision of the committee for managing the Gaza Strip; There has reportedly been a sharp decline in the flow of international aid to the Gaza Strip since the halt of the war against Iran; Hamas continued strengthening its civilian rule in the Strip, with increased "security" activity against "collaborators" and militias supported by Israel; According to reports, another international flotilla which was supposed to leave Turkey for the Gaza Strip was postponed after a request from the United States because of concern over a violent confrontation; Hamas is preparing to select the new head of the political bureau in a contest between Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Mashal; The Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria. A terrorist was shot and killed after shooting at the forces in the Qalandia refugee camp; there were no casualties; A court in Ramallah overturned the decision of the Palestinian minister of finance to stop payments to a Palestinian prisoner incarcerated in Israel.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (May 4 – 11, 2026)

The IDF continued to destroy terrorist infrastructure and eliminate terrorists within the forward defense zone (the Yellow Line) and other areas in south Lebanon, as well as the Beqa'a Valley. The commander of the Radwan Force was eliminated in a strike in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in Beirut, the first of its kind in a month. An IDF soldier was killed and at least 16 were wounded by explosive drones; Hezbollah ramped up its attacks and issued 132 claims of responsibility for attacks on IDF forces in south Lebanon and on military targets in northern Israel, with nearly half of the attacks using explosive drones; On May 14 and 15, 2026 Lebanon and Israel will reportedly hold the third round of direct talks in Washington with the participation of expanded delegations. The Lebanese administration continues its attempts to institute a complete ceasefire to focus the discussions on the remaining issues, but the United States and Israel reportedly insist on practical steps to disarm Hezbollah; Hezbollah continued its opposition to the continuation of direct negotiations, claiming they violated the Lebanese constitution and damaged state sovereignty, but did not rule out the possibility of indirect negotiations with Israel; The al-Qard al-Hassan association, Hezbollah’s financial arm, reportedly renewed its activity in a branch in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia which was not attacked by the IDF, while the organization continues to operate an international financing network to bypass sanctions and to reduce dependence on Iranian assistance; The Syrian authorities exposed a Hezbollah cell which trained in Lebanon and planned attacks and assassinations. Hezbollah denied the existence of such a cell and claimed that it had no presence in Syria; Hezbollah accused the American ambassador to Beirut of damaging coexistence in Lebanon after he visited the Maronite Patriarch following attacks on him by Hezbollah supporters.
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (April 29—May 6, 2026)

The Iranian foreign minister spoke with the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and discussed developments in Lebanon amid ongoing ceasefire violations between Israel and Hezbollah; Iran canceled the visa exemption for Lebanese citizens in response to the Lebanese government’s decision to take a similar step; The commander of the Qods Force and the Houthis condemned the IDF’s seizure of the flotilla to the Gaza Strip; Iran welcomed the appointment of Ali Faleh al-Zaidi as Prime Minister of Iraq on behalf of the Coordination Framework of the pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq. It was reported that one of the American conditions for cooperation with the new government will be the disarmament of the pro-Iranian militias; The US administration offered a $10 million reward for information on the secretary-general of Harakat al-Nujaba, one of the most powerful pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. 
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Spotlight on Terrorism – April 2026

During April 2026, hostilities continued between Israel and Hezbollah, even after a ceasefire was announced on April 16-17; The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip continued, and Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria; The Houthis stopped attacking Israel after the beginning of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States on April 8; Two Jews were seriously wounded in stabbing attack in London, terrorists opened fire near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.
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Spotlight on Terrorism Hezbollah and Lebanon (April 27 – May 4, 2026)

Hezbollah issued 49 claims of responsibility for attacks on IDF forces in south Lebanon, about half of them using explosive drones. Hezbollah admitted that thousands of the organization’s operatives had been killed since the beginning of the hostilities on March 2, 2026. Hezbollah secretary general Na'im Qassem claimed there was no ceasefire in Lebanon and praised the "resistance fighters'" hit-and-run methods against Israeli forces; Simon Karam, former Lebanese ambassador, will reportedly participate in the third meeting held by the ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel in the United States to demonstrate his country’s commitment to direct talks with Israel. However, Beirut said a meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not on the agenda, and they continued to demand a complete halt to Israeli attacks; Hezbollah secretary general accused the Lebanese authorities of stabbing the resistance in the back and claimed that direct negotiations with Israel would serve only the interests of Netanyahu and the United States. The editor of Hezbollah-affiliated daily al-Akhbar  warned that if Aoun met Netanyahu he would be considered a president working on behalf of the "occupation."; A satirical video on a Lebanese television channel showed the Hezbollah secretary general as a character from Angry Birds and angered Hezbollah supporters, who responded with drawings that insulted the Maronite Christian leader.
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Hezbollah Uses First Person View Drones Againt Israel

Rapid First Person View (FPV) drones, which are based on fiber optics and make precise strikes possible at distances of dozens of kilometers while overcoming electronic warfare capabilities, have become a cheap and accessible weapon on the battlefield in recent years, as was seen in the war in Ukraine; Hezbollah began limited use of FPV drones during the previous war against Israel (October 8, 2023-November 27, 2024). In the current war, which began on March 2, 2026, Hezbollah increased its use of explosive drones, and since the start of the ceasefire it has focused the attacks on IDF forces in south Lebanon; Hezbollah reportedly operates workshops in south Lebanon and the Beqa'a Valley to assemble the drones, which cost only hundreds of dollars. It was also claimed that last year the Lebanese army seized a shipment of 5,000 drones which were smuggled into Lebanon, but dozens of other shipments have reached the organization; Reports in media outlets affiliated with Hezbollah and the "resistance axis" noted the use of FPV drones as a game-changers in the war in south Lebanon, making it possible for the organization to wage an asymmetric war against Israel’s technological superiority, based on low cost, precision and flexibility; Hezbollah also exploits the drone attacks for propaganda, quoting reports and commentaries from Israeli media to strengthen the idea of a threat and make it seem as though Israel's technological superiority has been eroded; The use of fiber-optic FPV drones enables Hezbollah to increase pressure on IDF forces cheaply while increasing their propaganda value because they are difficult to intercept. In ITIC assessment, Hezbollah will continue using drones while improving their capabilities and integrating them into more complex combat arrays.
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