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Hamas’ Perception of Hezbollah’s Role in the Multi-Arena Hostilities as Reflected in Documents from the Gaza Strip

The election of Yahya al-Sinwar as head of Hamas' political bureau in the Gaza Strip in 2017 led to closer cooperation between Hamas and Hezbollah after years of tension. Al-Sinwar regarded Hezbollah not only as a role model for confronting Israel, but also as an intermediary for Iran and a way to make Hamas an integral part of a regional alliance; The Sword of Jerusalem operation in May 2021 provided the first opportunity to implement the strategic cooperation between Hamas and Hezbollah in a multi-front campaign. Hamas documents brought back by the IDF from the Gaza Strip contained details of bilateral coordination through a joint operations room which functioned throughout the hostilities, including the transfer of real-time intelligence and Hezbollah's authorization for Hamas to fire rockets from Lebanese territory; Hamas documents revealed how senior Hamas figures persuaded Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah to participate in the campaign designed to realize their vision of the "destruction of Israel", even if only partially, while Nasrallah was initially cautious position before eventually becoming willing to cooperate in the hostilities; Hamas' decision to launch its invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023 caught Nasrallah by off guard, forcing him to decide quickly how to respond to Hamas' call for assistance in the new war. Hezbollah entered the war a day later to "support the Gaza Strip" and conducted controlled fighting based on a unilateral "deterrence equation" consistent with the organization's interests until the escalation in September 2024; The Hamas documents reveal the Hamas leadership's understanding that Hezbollah's involvement would be a force multiplier in any hostilities against Israel, whether through intelligence cooperation, limited operations which would occupy IDF forces along the northern border and thereby ease the fighting in the Gaza Strip and other arenas, or full-scale involvement which could help realize the vision of the "destruction of Israel." At the same time, al-Sinwar and Deif's decision to launch the attack without informing Hezbollah in advance reflected their understanding that the organization had its own interests in the Lebanese arena and its commitments to Iran, as manifested by Hezbollah's operational concept during the war and statements by its senior figures.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (June 29-July 6, 2026)

Lebanese President Aoun and Prime Minister Salam defended the framework agreement reached with Israel and said it was the only way to establish the state's sovereignty and cause the IDF to withdraw from south Lebanon; Senior Hezbollah figures and the speaker of the Lebanese Parliament were greatly opposed to the framework agreement and warned it would drag the country into a civil war, while representing the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States as the basis for ending the war; The IDF continued locating and destroying weapons and terrorist infrastructure in the security zone in south Lebanon and eliminating terrorists who posed a threat to the forces or attempted to transfer weapons; Hezbollah accused the IDF of "violating the ceasefire agreement" but did not claim responsibility for any new attacks. The organization held funerals for more than 200 terrorist commanders and operatives who were killed during the hostilities; Iran is reportedly preparing to transfer approximately $1 billion in aid to Hezbollah, to be allocated primarily for military reconstruction; Delegations from Hezbollah and Amal attended the funeral ceremony of Iran's former leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran and met with senior Iranian figures. Lebanon's defense minister represented his country at the ceremony despite the tensions between Beirut and Tehran.
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (June 24—July 1, 2026)

Iranian officials criticized the framework agreement signed between Israel and Lebanon, emphasizing the need for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon as a condition for completing negotiations with the United States; Iran reportedly raised the Palestinian issue as part of the negotiations with the United States in Switzerland; The Iranian foreign minister visited Baghdad and met with senior Iraqi government officials. The Iraqi prime minister expressed satisfaction with the pace of weapons handovers by the pro-Iranian militias; IDF forces in southern Syria eliminated two armed operatives who approached the border fence in the Golan Heights and were suspected of acting on behalf of Iran. Clashes broke out between IDF forces and local residents and armed operatives in a village in the Yarmouk Basin area.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (June 22-29, 2026)

The fifth round of direct talks in the United States between Lebanon and Israel ended on June 26, 2026, with the signing of a framework agreement which includes mutual recognition of sovereignty and conditions the withdrawal of IDF forces on the Lebanese army's ability to disarm Hezbollah and the other armed terrorist organizations. The Lebanese government and Hezbollah's opponents welcomed the agreement and said disarming the "resistance" was an essential condition for implementing state sovereignty. Hezbollah and Parliament Speaker Berri were strongly opposed and warned of a slide into civil war. Hezbollah reiterated that it would not yield to pressure and claimed the demand for disarmament served Israeli interests; IDF forces continued operating in the security zone in south Lebanon, destroying Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure and eliminating terrorists who posed a threat. Two IDF soldiers were killed in south Lebanon; Hezbollah accused Israel of "violating" the ceasefire and warned that it reserved the right to respond, but did not claim responsibility for attacks; Hezbollah is promoting a "resistance"-Iranian "victory" narrative to establish its status as an indispensable partner in any future arrangement in Lebanon. Members of the Lebanese Parliament opposed to Hezbollah called for Hezbollah and Iran to bear the costs of the war; Hezbollah has been criticized following reports that it directed most of the funds it received from Iran to military needs while providing only limited assistance to civilians; Lebanese President Aoun welcomed the announcement by France and Italy of their intention to establish a multinational coalition to strengthen the Lebanese army following the end of UNIFIL's mandate.
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The Israel-Lebanon Framework Agreement: Insights and Responses

On June 26, 2026, at the conclusion of the fifth round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel in the United States, the ambassadors of the two countries signed a framework agreement in the presence of the United States secretary of state. Its main provisions are: Mutual recognition by each state of the other's sovereignty and a commitment to continue negotiations to end the state of war and establish peace, gradual Israeli withdrawal from pilot areas in south Lebanon, into which the Lebanese army will enter to dismantle all non-state armed groups and enforce the state's sovereignty. The IDF withdrawal will be completed only after the dismantling of the groups and their infrastructure has been officially verified; Hezbollah and its allies rejected the framework agreement outright, claiming it was "surrender," undermined Lebanon's sovereignty and could lead to civil war; Hezbollah's opponents praised the agreement and said they were confident it would reduce Hezbollah and Iran's influence over decision-making in the country; In Amit Institute assessment, the signing of the framework agreement marks a turning point in the Lebanese arena, since for the first time the Lebanese leadership has presented a political framework linking an Israeli withdrawal to the expansion of state sovereignty and the disarmament of Hezbollah; The framework agreement will be tested by Lebanon's ability to put into practice the provisions concerning the state's control over the country's security. The Lebanese government faces the challenge of asserting its authority without sliding into a violent confrontation with the Shi'ite camp. Hezbollah faces the challenges of preserving its status as the leading extra-state military and political force and of preventing Iran from being pushed out of Lebanon. 
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (June 17—24, 2026)

Senior Iranian officials reiterated warnings that continued IDF attacks in Lebanon would jeopardize the memorandum of understanding with the United States, harming negotiations and the attainment of a final agreement; The Iranian foreign minister spoke with a senior Hamas official, noting that his country is raising the issue of “Israeli violations” in the Gaza Strip during negotiations with the United States; The commander of the Qods Force warned Israel against a renewed escalation in the Gaza Strip; The IRGC reportedly established several small cells in Iraq, which carried out drone attacks against Gulf States during the war; The Houthis emphasized their continued stance alongside the Palestinians and warned that the “Axis of Resistance” would not remain silent in the face of an Israeli escalation in Lebanon.
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