Lebanon

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (December 30, 2025 – January 6, 2026)

IDF forces continued to operate within the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip, eliminating terrorist operatives who posed a threat and exposing rocket launchers ready for firing at Israeli territory; Hamas condemned Israel's decision to halt the activity in the Gaza Strip of more than 30 international aid organizations; The consolidation of Hamas' civilian and security governance continued, opening schools and hospitals with assistance from Qatar and Turkey; Internal tensions were reported within the Hamas leadership following the formation of a new leadership in the Gaza Strip led by Ali al-Amoudi, one of Yahya al-Sinwar's close associates; Hamas continued to defy the Israeli and American demand that the movement disarm, claiming it was a ploy to prevent the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement; The deputy chairman of the Palestinian Authority held talks in Egypt and Saudi Arabia for implementing the second phase of the agreement in the Strip. According to reports, the Authority's role at the beginning of the phase would be limited to managing the Rafah Crossing; Hamas in Judea and Samaria accused Israel of attempting to impose a new situation on the ground and called on all "factions" to formulate a "joint line of resistance."
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (December 29, 2025 – January 5, 2026)

The IDF continued attacking Hezbollah targets to enforce the November 2024 ceasefire agreement and to prevent the organization's renewed military buildup. The forces attacked a Radwan Force training compound and eliminated two Hezbollah operatives; Hezbollah's secretary general called for arming the Lebanese army so it could confront "enemies" and expressed pride in the organization's ties with Iran; The president of Lebanon expressed cautious optimism about preventing renewed escalation, reportedly stemming from his understanding that for the time being, the American president and the Israeli prime minister had agreed not to carry out large-scale attacks in Lebanon because they were focused on the possibility of taking action against Iran; The Lebanese prime minister said the weapons Hezbollah would hand over to the state would not be thrown into the sea or transferred to Israel. According to reports, the commander of the Lebanese army is expected to announce the completion of the first phase of disarmament south of the Litani River at a cabinet meeting on January 8, 2026, although "Lebanese military sources" admitted that Hezbollah had not fully withdrawn from the area; Iran has reportedly increased oversight of the transfer of funds to Hezbollah and is setting priorities for resource allocation; Criticism was voiced in Lebanon over Hamas' refusal to hand over its medium and heavy weapons to the Lebanese army, after Fatah handed over large quantities of weapons in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp.
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Spotlight on Terrorism – December 2025

During December 2025 the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip continued, which also led to a halt in the Houthi attacks. Counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria continued. The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire remained in force, despite IDF attacks on Hezbollah targets; The Gaza Strip: The ceasefire of October 10, 2025 remained in force. IDF forces attacked suspects who crossed the Yellow Line and eliminated terrorist operatives in response to ceasefire violations, including Ra'ad Saad, one of the senior operatives in the Hamas military wing; Israel, Judea and Samaria: Six terrorist attacks were carried out in which two Israeli civilians were killed and eight IDF soldiers were wounded. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria; The IDF continued attacks to prevent Hezbollah from violating the ceasefire understandings of November 27, 2024 and to prevent the organization from reconstructing its military capabilities and replenishing its arsenal. Nine Hezbollah terrorist operatives were eliminated, one of whom was also serving in the Lebanese army, and an operative of Iran's Qods Force and one from the Amal Movement were eliminated; IDF forces continued operating in southern Syria, detained an ISIS operative and confiscated weapons; The Houthis did not attack Israel or shipping in the Red Sea, and have not since the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip went into effect. They also announced the deaths of senior figures killed in United States attacks in early 2025; Two Muslim terrorists suspected of being affiliated with ISIS carried out a shooting attack at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, killing 15 people.
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (December 24-31, 2025)

The Iranian foreign minister said at a conference commemorating Qassem Soleimani that the “Palestinian resistance” has become a decisive player. He made it clear that Tehran would continue its support for the “resistance,” which, he said, shapes the future order in the Middle East; The Iranian ambassador to Beirut met with the Lebanese defense minister and the commander of the Lebanese Army; The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson condemned the attack on a mosque in Syria, attributing it to the “illegal interference” in the country and the occupation of parts of its territory; The IRGC has reportedly begun recruiting former commanders in the 4th Division and the military intelligence of the ousted Syrian regime to undermine security in the country. According to another report, supporters of the Assad regime are undergoing training in Houthi camps in Yemen; Iran’s ambassador to Iraq said that the Shiite militias in the country operate and make decisions independently, and that the decision regarding whether Iraq’s prime minister will remain in office rests with the Iraqi public and political forces; The Houthi leader condemned Israel for the “violations” in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, stressing that further rounds of fighting between Israel and the Houthis are “certain.”; Israel’s recognition of Somaliland sparked outrage in the Houthi leadership, which accused it of being an “aggressive step” and threatened to take military action against any Israeli presence in the strategic area of the Horn of Africa.
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