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Lebanon

Spotlight on Terrorism Hezbollah and Lebanon (Aug 10 – 17, 2026)

A Hezbollah explosive drone struck an IDF force operating in the area of the Ali al-Taher ridge, critically wounding three IDF soldiers. In response, the IDF struck Hezbollah targets, including north of the Litani River; The United States continues its efforts to preserve the Israeli-Lebanese negotiation track and promote an international oversight mechanism. Despite mounting frustration in Beirut, President Joseph Aoun continues to present the diplomatic path as a strategic choice; however, the Lebanese leadership is demanding tangible gains to help rally domestic support; Disputes within the internal Lebanese arena regarding Hezbollah’s disarmament and negotiations with Israel have sharply escalated. Hezbollah and its leadership continue to oppose disarming the group and call for halting talks with Israel, whereas the organization's opponents insist on disarmament as a prerequisite for restoring sovereignty and advancing an agreement with Israel; Hezbollah is working to maintain and restore its room for maneuver across both the domestic and regional arenas amid the military and political pressure exerted on it. This includes renewing dialogue channels with President Aoun, tactical overtures to the Free Patriotic Movement, and efforts to establish a channel of communication with the new Syrian leadership; In southern Lebanon, difficulties persist regarding the return of residents and the reconstruction of damaged communities. Even in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh - the first 'pilot zone' where the Lebanese Army deployed - extensive destruction, a shortage of essential services, and continued Israeli activity illustrate that the transfer of security control to the state has not yet translated into a full return to normalcy.
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Hamas in Lebanon, Based on Documents Brought Back by the IDF from the Gaza Strip

Hamas documents seized by the IDF in the Gaza Strip showed that the idea of establishing a military infrastructure in Lebanon was first raised around 2012; The documents also described how senior Hamas leaders led by Yahya al-Sinwar, encouraged by the sense of "victory" in Operation "Guardian of the Walls" in May 2021, worked with Hezbollah and Iran to establish a large military infrastructure for the movement in Lebanon that would form a fundamental part of the decisive campaign against Israel that began on October 7, 2023; according to the documents, internal power struggles took place within Hamas and against Iran and Hezbollah over control of the military infrastructure in Lebanon; Hamas' military wing in Lebanon participated in the campaign that Hezbollah launched against Israel on October 8, 2023, as "support" in the Gaza Strip and claimed responsibility for 13 attacks on the north of Israel until the ceasefire in November 2024. More than twenty commanders and operatives were thwarted in Israeli attacks during the campaign and after the ceasefire.
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (August 5—12, 2026)

The Iranian Supreme Leader’s advisor for international affairs stressed the importance of the Axis of Resistance; The Iranian President spoke with the new head of Hamas’ political bureau and emphasized Iran’s support for the Palestinians; The commander of the Qods Force visited Baghdad and met with commanders of the pro-Iranian Shiite militias to discuss the Iraqi government’s demand that they disarm by September 30, 2026; The pro-Iranian militias in Iraq canceled planned attacks against Saudi Arabia at the last minute but threatened that they were still prepared to carry out an “appropriate military response”; Houthi attacks against; A pro-Iranian militia in southern Syria claimed responsibility for an attack on an IDF base in Daraa. The claim could not be independently verified. 
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (August 4 –10, 2026)

 Fighting in southern Lebanon escalated this week following an IED explosion in Majdal Zoun that killed two IDF soldiers and severely wounded four others—an incident that prompted the expansion of IDF operations in the area, an unusual evacuation order in El Mansouri, and strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure. Meanwhile, the seventh round of direct negotiations in Rome concluded without a breakthrough on core issues due to deep disagreements over conditioning the expansion of 'pilot zones' on the disarmament of the organization's infrastructure along the Ali el-Tahar ridge; nevertheless, some progress was recorded regarding border issues, detainees, and implementation mechanisms, alongside the consideration of a new international monitoring and demilitarization force led by Italy and Europe. On the political and regional front, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam launched a harsh attack against Hezbollah for violating state sovereignty while the organization demands the severing of contacts, against the backdrop of reports regarding initial contacts between Hezbollah and the new Syrian regime, intercepted arms smuggling along the border, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis involving hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese unable to return to their destroyed homes.  
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (July 27 – August 4, 2026)

A new round of talks between Lebanon and Israel began in Rome on August 4, 2026. The Lebanese delegation focuses on halting Israeli strikes and advancing additional IDF withdrawals from south Lebanon; Hezbollah secretary general called on the Lebanese authorities to halt the negotiations, claiming they only involved Lebanese concessions to Israel; ; The Lebanese army continued to consolidate its control over the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya as part of the pilot areas plan, but claimed legal restrictions prevented them from searching private homes and accused Israel's strikes of hindering its mission; IDF forces destroyed key Hezbollah underground facilities in the Beaufort Ridge area and continued locating weapons and eliminating terrorists in the security zone; The Lebanese president visited Turkey, and Ankara is reportedly interested in participating in a future multinational force to be deployed in south Lebanon once UNIFIL's mandate ends. 
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (July 22-29, 2026)

Iran’s Supreme Leader sent a letter to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, reaffirming Iran’s support for Hezbollah and linking the ceasefire in Lebanon to the end of the war between Iran and the United States; An attempt by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence to infiltrate an operational cell into Israel to carry out attacks against senior Israeli officials was foiled; The Iranian leadership used the Iraqi Prime Minister’s visit to Tehran as an opportunity to address the repercussions of his visit to the United States and the growing pressure to disarm the Shiite militias in Iraq; Iran reportedly transported IRGC officers and equipment for manufacturing missiles and drones to the Houthis in Yemen; The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks against Saudi oil tankers and energy facilities. They denied closing the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, asserting that they were only imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia until it lifted the blockade on Yemen; Israeli assessments indicate that three drones intercepted near the Jordanian border were launched by the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq; The United States and Saudi Arabia struck targets belonging to the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq in response to dozens of attacks against US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure over a 72-hour period. The militias reported at least 20 fatalities.
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Lebanon

Lebanon is a small country with a population of only about 4.1 million. Situated on the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon borders on Israel in the south and Syria in the east and north. It gained its independence from France on November 22, 1943. Due to Lebanon’s varied ethnic composition, its history is rife with schisms, conflicts and civil wars based on sectarian allegiances. Since its independence, Lebanon has had a unique political system of ethnic distribution with a parliamentary democracy based on ethnic-sectarian-religious representation. The most important offices are divided among the various religious groups, in accordance with the national charter of 1943.


Lebanon’s social complexity, the weakness of its central government, and the social and economic gaps between the various ethnic groups led to the rise of many armed sectarian-political militias, some of which turned to terrorism. The most prominent Shiite terrorist organization in Lebanon is Hezbollah, which was founded in the summer of 1982 during the First Lebanon War. It is not only a terrorist organization which owes its allegiance to the Iranian regime, it has also been incorporated into the Lebanese political system.


Lebanon has traditionally served as an arena for foreign forces, both Middle Eastern and international. In the past, Syria’s intervention in Lebanon was most conspicuous. Today, Iran’s intervention is most conspicuous: it provides Hezbollah in Lebanon with weapons, ammunition, financing and military training. The border between Israel and Lebanon has undergone some tense periods and several confrontations where IDF forces entered the Lebanese territory. Since the Second Lebanon War (2006), the border between Israel and Lebanon has been relatively quiet, a situation exploited by Hezbollah to advance its military buildup and intensely intervene in the civil war in Syria, under Iranian direction.