Lebanon

Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (November 6—13, 2024)

Senior Iranian officials stressed Israel’s alleged ongoing failure in the ongoing campaign against Hezbollah and Hamas. The Supreme Leader of Iran declared that jihad in Lebanon, Gaza, and “Palestine” would lead to victory and that Israel is being defeated in the regional campaign; The Iranian vice president participated in the Arab-Islamic summit in Saudi Arabia. He stressed the need to establish an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and criticized the failure of international institutions to stop Israel’s actions in the two battle zones; Senior Iranian officials participated in a conference commemorating Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Tehran; Iraq’s national security advisor met in Tehran with senior Iranian government officials, including the IRGC commander and the Qods Force commander. The visit took place amid reports concerning Tehran’s intention to respond to the Israeli attack on Iran by launching a military attack on Israel from Iraqi territory; The Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued 25 claims of responsibility for attacks against targets in Israel. The Saraya Awliya al-Dam militia claimed responsibility for three more attacks. The IDF Spokesperson announced the interception of more than ten drones. Another drone fell in the Mitzpe Ramon area, with no casualties. Kata’ib Hezbollah claimed they had not been asked to assist in the Iranian response against Israel; The pro-Iranian militias continued their attacks against American bases in Syria. US forces responded with airstrikes against militia targets in eastern Syria; The Houthis claimed responsibility for two ballistic missile attacks against Israel. The IDF Spokesperson said the missiles were intercepted before penetrating Israeli territory; The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks against an aircraft carrier and two American destroyers. The US Department of Defense confirmed the attempted attack. There were no casualties, and no damage was caused. The Americans attacked Houthi military targets in the Sana’a area.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (November 4 – 11 ,2024)

The IDF forces continued their maneuver in south Lebanon. Preparations to expand it included evacuation notices issued to additional communities. The forces neutralized Hezbollah operatives, located and destroyed terrorist facilities hidden in civilian sites, and discovered large quantities of weapons. The IDF continued airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut and other locations in Lebanon. An IDF soldier who was injured in south Lebanon on October 26, 2024, died of his wounds; This past week Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 155 attacks on civilian, military and security targets in Israel, as well as against IDF forces in south Lebanon, using rockets, missiles (including, for the first time, an Iranian surface-to-surface Fateh-11 missile), and UAVs were launched at targets in northern and central Israel, causing significant damage to property; Na'im Qassem, Hezbollah secretary general, said the organization was determined to continue a war of attrition which would compel Israel to cease fighting, leading to indirect negotiations for an agreement in south Lebanon. Hezbollah accused the Lebanese army of concealing details about an IDF operation in which a Hezbollah operative was taken during a raid in northern Lebanon; Senior Lebanese officials continued to claim a desire to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 as part of a ceasefire and announced they were preparing to deploy 5,000 additional soldiers to the south Lebanon area; The IDF confirmed carrying out strikes on facilities belonging to Hezbollah intelligence headquarters in Damascus and Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in western Syria. According to claims, Israel attempted to target the head of Hezbollah’s Golan File in an attack on Damascus.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (October 28 – November 4 ,2024)

The IDF continued its maneuvers in south Lebanon. The forces intercepted Hezbollah terrorist operatives, located and destroyed facilities concealed in civilian sites, and found large quantities of weapons. Israeli Air Force airstrikes targeted Hezbollah positions in Beirut and throughout Lebanon, and targeted strikes eliminated terrorist senior figures and field operatives. An IDF soldier wounded in south Lebanon died his injuries; Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 186 attacks on civilian, military and security targets in Israel and on IDF forces in south Lebanon. Rockets, missiles and UAVs were launched at the north of Israel and further south, reaching as far as Tel Aviv and causing significant property damage; Hezbollah announced that Sheikh Na'im Qassem has been appointed the organization's new secretary general, replacing Hassan Nasrallah; The IDF eliminated several senior Hezbollah terrorist operatives who commanded sectors in south Lebanon and were responsible for firing rockets into Israeli territory. A Hezbollah naval operative was taken by the IDF in north Lebanon and removed to Israel for questioning; A senior Hezbollah-affiliated commentator claimed Israel would increase its attacks on Lebanon in the near future to completely destroy Lebanese villages near the Israeli border; Lebanese authorities reported that more than 2,968 people had been killed in Lebanon since the outbreak of hostilities on October 8, 2023; Senior Lebanese figures continued to call for a ceasefire and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701; The IDF conducted airstrikes on Hezbollah arms warehouses in the al-Qusayr area near the Syria-Lebanon border. The IDF also detained an operative in Syrian territory who was working for Iran to gather intelligence on IDF forces near the border area.
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Sheikh Na’im Qassem, Hezbollah’s Newly – Appointed Secretary General

On October 29, 2024, Hezbollah announced that the Shura Council had appointed Sheikh Na'im Qassem as the organization's new secretary general, replacing Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut on September 27, 2024. In his first speech Qassem pledged to continue in Nasrallah's path and said Hezbollah would end the current war against Israel only on its own terms; Qassem is one of Hezbollah's founders and has served as the deputy secretary general since 1991. However, he has no military training and is considered the organization's chief ideologue, focusing on Hezbollah's political and social aspects; One of Hezbollah's most important spokesmen, in his books and public statements he has justified the "resistance" against Israel and denied its right to exist. He has also admitted that Hezbollah operates according to directives from Iran; Qassem was not considered the leading candidate to replace Hassan Nasrallah, but he was appointed by default after the elimination of Hashem Safi al-Din, the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, who had been marked as Nasrallah's designated successor. In ITIC assessment, the objective of appointing Na'im Qassem was to represent continuity within the organization's leadership during ongoing combat with Israel, with Hezbollah likely to choose a permanent secretary general after a lasting ceasefire has been achieved. Despite Qassem’s long role in Hezbollah, his lack of military experience means Iran can be expected to oversee Hezbollah’s fighting by means of representatives from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps and its Qods Force, and to influence Hezbollah's combat against Israel and decisions regarding a potential ceasefire.
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (October 15-30, 2024)

Senior Iranian officials expressed condolences for the deaths of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and senior Hezbollah figure Hashem Safi al-Din, stressing that their deaths would not harm the “resistance,” Hamas, and Hezbollah and that Iran would continue its support for them. Senior regime officials congratulated Naim Qassem on his appointment as Hezbollah secretary-general; The level of threats from Iran following Israel’s attack on Iran has increased over the past week. Senior Iranian officials, led by Supreme Leader Khamenei, threatened retaliation against Israel, although they did not commit to the timing or characteristics of the response; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has paid extensive regional visits, during which he met with senior Arab officials and discussed the Israeli attack on Iran and efforts to establish a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon; IRGC experts are reportedly supervising Hezbollah’s battles against IDF forces in southern Lebanon; The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for 36 attacks against targets in Israel. The Saraya Awliya al-Dam militia claimed responsibility for 14 additional attacks. The IDF Spokesperson said several drones had been intercepted. There were no casualties. The militias threatened to start a new phase of fighting against Israel, using new weapons; The Houthis claimed responsibility for two attacks against Israel with ballistic missiles and drones, with no casualties. At least five Houthi fighters were reportedly killed in the fighting in southern Lebanon alongside Hezbollah forces. The Houthis claimed responsibility for additional attacks against vessels in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. No casualties or damage have been reported. US aircraft attacked Houthi underground weapons depots.
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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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