Lebanon

Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (October 14 – 28 ,2024)

The IDF forces continued maneuvering in south Lebanon, eliminating hundreds of Hezbollah terrorist operatives, locating and destroying facilities hidden in civilian sites, and locating large quantities of weapons. The Israeli Air Force continued airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut and other locations, killing senior Hezbollah leaders and field operatives in targeted attacks. Twenty-one IDF soldiers were killed in fighting in south Lebanon; Over the past two weeks Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 400 attacks on civilian, military and security targets in Israel and on IDF forces in south Lebanon. Rockets were fired and missiles and drones were launched at targets in northern Israel and deeper into the country, as far as south as the greater the Tel Aviv area, including the prime minister's private residence in Caesarea, IDF bases and defense industry sites. An IDF soldier and a civilian were killed, and significant property damage was reported; Hezbollah confirmed that Hashem Safi al-Din, head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, was killed in an Israeli strike in early October 2024; Na'im Qassem, Hezbollah deputy secretary general, said the organization’s goal was to cause Israel pain and suffering, claiming that the Israelis displaced from their homes in northern Israel would not return before a ceasefire. According to reports, Hezbollah will choose a new secretary general only after the fighting ends, in the meantime relying on a shared leadership; Lebanese authorities reported that over 2,653 people had been killed in Lebanon since the start of the fighting on October 8, 2023, and approximately 1.3 million people were displaced. Lebanon’s ministry of the economy noted that so far the war has cost Lebanon $20 billion and was expected to rise; Senior figures in the Lebanese government continued to call for a ceasefire and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701; The Lebanese Army announced the deaths of six officers and soldiers caused by Israeli strikes. UNIFIL reported that their forces were caught in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah; In an attack on Damascus, the IDF eliminated the new commander of Hezbollah's Unit 4400, responsible for economic operations and weapons smuggling. The IDF continued attacking Syria-Lebanon border crossings used for smuggling weapons.
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (October 9-15, 2024)

Iranian officials continued to threaten that they would retaliate for any possible Israeli attack on Iran following the Iranian missile attack on Israel on October 1, 2024; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Qatar, Iraq, and Oman this week as part of his diplomatic trip to the region amid the recent developments in Lebanon and the fear of an Israeli response to the Iranian missile attack; Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Majles, visited Lebanon and toured Beirut’s Dahiyeh. The visit reflects Iran’s increasing efforts to maintain its influence in Lebanon amid the severe blow to Hezbollah’s leadership and Israel’s ongoing military moves in Lebanon; The IRGC announced that the body of IRGC’s Qods Force Lebanon Corps commander Abbas Nilforoushan had been recovered. Nilforoushan was killed in an Israeli Air Force airstrike against the Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut, in which Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah was also killed; The pro-Iranian militias in Iraq claimed responsibility for 15 drone attacks against targets in Israel. The militias are preparing for a possible Israeli attack in Iraq and have threatened to retaliate against Israel and American interests in the event of an attack on Iran. In addition, the militias threatened to carry out suicide bombing attacks against IDF forces in southern Lebanon if approval for such actions was obtained. Attacks attributed to the United States hit targets of pro-Iranian militias in Syria; The Houthis claimed responsibility for two attacks against vessels in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. There were no casualties.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (October 7 – 14 ,2024)

IDF forces continued their maneuver in south Lebanon. The forces eliminated hundreds of terrorist operatives, located and destroyed terrorist facilities hidden in civilian sites and located large quantities of weapons. The IDF continued airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut and throughout Lebanon, and carried out targeted attacks of senior Hezbollah terrorists and terrorists operatives on the ground. An IDF soldier was killed. A UAV hit an IDF base, killing four IDF soldiers and injuring dozens. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack and for 152 attacks on targets in Israel and IDF forces in south Lebanon. Na'im Qassem, Hezbollah deputy secretary general, gave a speech describing the organization's difficulties after the death of Hassan Nasrallah, adding that they were in the process of choosing a new secretary general. He claimed the IDF had no successes in Lebanon, said he supported Hamas and contacts for a ceasefire in Lebanon, not conditioning it in a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. According to increasing reports, Wafiq Safa, chairman of Hezbollah's Executive Council was injured in an Israeli attack. Hezbollah continues the batting for hearts and minds by publishing propaganda videos of attacking IDF soldiers and collecting information within Israel. Lebanon authorities said that more than 2,250 people had been killed in Lebanon since the beginning of the fighting on October 8, 2023, and more than 1.2 million people were displaced. Lebanon's political leadership called for a ceasefire. UNIFIL reported that several of its soldiers were wounded and positions damaged in south Lebanon by IDF activities. The UN and various countries condemned the attacks. The IDF reported that Hezbollah fired rockets and launched missiles from areas close to UNIFIL forces. Syria has reported attacks attributed to Israel in the Damascus and al-Quneitra region.
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (October 1 – 9 , 2024)

On October 1, 2024, the IRGC fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and Hassan Nasrallah and a senior IRGC officer in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. Most of the missiles were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force and air defense forces, in collaboration with  other countries. After the attack, senior Iranian officials stressed that the attack was carried out as part of their legitimate rights and that Iran did not want further escalation. However, they threatened a powerful response to an Israeli attack against them. Iranian Supreme Leader  and other senior figures continued to express support for the Palestinian “resistance”. President Pezeshkian met with a senior Hamas delegation in Qatar and called for unity in the face of “Israel’s crimes.”  The IRGC denied that Qods Force commander Qaani had been hit in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. The pro-Iranian militias in Iraq claimed responsibility for 26 attacks against targets in Israel using drones and cruise missiles. Two IDF soldiers were killed by a drone in the Golan Heights.  The pro-Iranian Iraqi militias continued to express willingness to fight alongside Hezbollah in Lebanon and threatened retaliation against American interests if the United States helped Israel attack Iran. The Houthis announced airstrikes using ballistic missiles and drones against Israel. The Israeli Air Force intercepted a ballistic missile and a drone. There were no casualties. In addition, the Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks against two vessels in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
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Spotlight on Terrorism – September 2024

During September 2024 the fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria and south Lebanon, and the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Yemen continued attacking Israel; The Gaza Strip: Four rockets were fired at Israeli territory, the lowest monthly figure since Gaza Strip War began on October 7, 2023. Israel continued eliminating the most senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad military leaders; Judea, Samaria and Israel: Terrorists carried out six attacks in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem, killing seven Israelis, including four security personnel. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activities, focusing on northern Samaria. Sixteen terrorist operatives were killed in airstrikes, including terrorist organization commanders in Tubas, Tulkarm and Qabatya; Lebanon: The fighting between Israel and Lebanon escalated following the explosions of Hezbollah operatives' communications devices and the increase in Israeli attacks, during which senior Hezbollah officials, headed by secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, were eliminated. The IDF launched Operation Northern Arrows. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 298 attacks on military and civilian targets in Israel, including cities, towns, villages and IDF bases which had not been attacked since the beginning of the conflict on October 8, 2023. Following the escalation, Hezbollah extended its range of attacks, including the first attack on the Tel Aviv area, and introduced new weapons; The Shi'ite militias: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued 31 claims of responsibility for attacking 34 targets in Israeli territory, the highest figure since May 2024. There was no confirmation for most of the launches and some of them were intercepted. The Houthis claimed responsibility for four attacks on Israel, three of which involved surface-to-surface missiles. Israel responded with an airstrike on Yemeni territory.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (September 30 – October 7 ,2024)

On the night of September 30, 2024, the IDF began a limited ground maneuver in south Lebanon. The forces eliminated hundreds of terrorist operatives, and located and destroyed terrorist facilities hidden in civilian sites. Ten IDF soldiers were killed. The IDF continued airstrikes on Hezbollah terrorist targets in the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in Beirut and throughout the country, and carried out targeted attacks on senior Hezbollah terrorists; This past week Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 148 attacks on targets in Israel and on IDF forces in south Lebanon, twice the number of attacks of the previous week. Hezbollah announced the launch of Operation Khaybar in response to the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, secretary general of Hezbollah, and launched rocket barrages at the Tel Aviv and Haifa areas. Hezbollah also issued false information regarding the extent of the damage it had done to IDF forces in south Lebanon.; The IDF attacked Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in Beirut while Hashem Safi al-Din, head of the Central Council and Nasrallah's successor, was present. Hezbollah has not yet officially issued a report on his condition; Senior Hezbollah figures claimed the Israeli attacks and the elimination of senior officials did not affect the organization's activities, including combat against IDF forces in south Lebanon and attacks on Israeli territory. Hezbollah continued to link the cessation of fighting in south Lebanon to the cessation of the war in the Gaza Strip; Lebanese authorities said that more than 2,000 people had been killed in Lebanon since the fighting began on October 8, 2023. In addition, more than 1.2 million people have been displaced, most of them since the increase in Israeli attacks which began on September 23, 2024; The prime minister of the Lebanese interim government called for a ceasefire and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The American State Department denied the Lebanese foreign minister's claim that Nasrallah had agreed to a 21-day ceasefire before he was killed in the Israeli attack; Syria: Attacks attributed to Israel were reported in the Damascus and Homs regions.
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