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Periodical Studies

Spotlight on Iran (August 14-21, 2024)

Senior Iranian officials continued to warn of Iran’s intention to retaliate for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, stressing that there was no direct connection between the negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the right of Iran to retaliate against Israel. However, it is evident that the Iranian threats of direct military attack against Israel have decreased and that Iran is also examining other response options.; A senior officer in the IRGC’s aerospace arm, who served as an Iranian military advisor in Syria, died of his wounds after apparently being wounded in an airstrike by US-led coalition forces in Syria at the end of July 2024; The Iranian embassy in Lebanon referred to a video released by Hezbollah documenting an underground facility for storing precision missiles and heavy rockets and threatened that Iran also had the ability to attack its enemies from any point in its territory.; Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued seizure orders for 18 oil tankers linked to Iran, used to finance the Qods Force and Hezbollah; The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced two drone attacks against targets in the Golan Heights and Eilat for the first time since July 24, 2024. The claims have not been verified; Gunmen attacked an oil tanker in the Red Sea. There were reportedly no casualties, but fire broke out and the crew lost control of the tanker; The Houthi leader threatened that the “axis of resistance” would inevitably retaliate against Israel, despite the delays.
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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (August 13 – 20 , 2024)

IDF forces continued their activity in the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip and the Netzarim Corridor in the central Gaza Strip, expanding their activities in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah. The Palestinian organizations continued firing rockets into Israeli territory, including targeting the center of the country. Three IDF soldiers were killed in combat; Israeli security forces rescued the bodies of six Israeli hostages from a tunnel in Khan Yunis. Efforts to promote a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages continued, while senior Hamas figures continued to accuse Israel of making new demands; The UN called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to allow children to be vaccinated against polio. The Hamas-controlled ministry of health in Gaza claimed to have identified the first active case of the virus; Israel, Judea and Samaria: This past week Palestinian terrorists carried out two attacks, murdering one Israeli civilian and wounding another. An Israeli citizen was injured when an IED exploded in Tel Aviv. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the "suicide attack." In an attack in an industrial area in Samaria, an Israeli citizen was killed by a hammer-wielding Palestine. The Israeli security forces continued their counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria; A Palestinian was killed when dozens of Jewish settlers rioted in the village of Jit in Samaria; PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas visited Turkey and met with President Erdogan. He gave a speech to the Turkish Parliament, announcing his intention to visit the Gaza Strip with senior Palestinian figures.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (August 12-19 , 2024)

During the past week Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 54 attacks on military and civilian targets in northern Israel. An IDF soldier was killed and an officer was seriously injured by a drone strike in the Western Galilee. Two IDF soldiers were injured, one seriously, by an UAV hit in the Upper Galilee; Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked Hezbollah targets and operatives in south Lebanon. Hezbollah announced that eight operatives had been killed, including a Radwan Force commander. An operative of Hezbollah's Lebanese Resistance Companies was killed; Senior Hezbollah figures continued to warn that there would be a strong "response" to the killing of Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah's military commander; Hezbollah published a video of an underground facility for storing precision missiles and heavy rockets, and threatened to use them to attack all of Israel in the event of a war; Amos Hochstein, the American envoy, visited Lebanon and met with senior government and military officials in an attempt to prevent escalation amid efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip; Three UNIFIL observers were injured in an explosion near their vehicle in south Lebanon. The UNIFIL spokesman avoided assigning responsibility and called on all parties to act responsibly.
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Spotlight on Iran (August 7 – 14 , 2024)

Senior Iranian officials continued to threaten a harsh response to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. They stressed Iran’s right to attack Israel despite political messages to Tehran to refrain from a direct attack on Israel. At the same time, it seems that the Iranian leadership continues to hesitate about the desired response, especially due to concerns of deterioration into a direct, unwanted military confrontation with Israel, and possibly even with the United States; Senior Iranian officials sent congratulatory letters to Yahya Sinwar following his appointment as head of Hamas’ political bureau, calling on him to continue the path of “resistance” against Israel; Pro-Iranian militias attacked two American bases in Syria last week. The US Department of Defense confirmed that eight US soldiers had been wounded.; The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks against a cargo ship and two American destroyers in the Gulf of Aden. The claims have not been verified. The Houthi leader continued to threaten retaliation for the Israeli attack on the port of al-Hudaydah, noting that the response of the “axis of resistance” against Israel was delayed for tactical reasons; The US military has destroyed a “significant amount” of Houthi capabilities since the start of operations against the Houthis in November 2023.
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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (August 6 – 13 , 2024)

The operatives of Hamas' military wing swore allegiance to Yahya al-Sinwar after his appointment as the new head of the Hamas movement's political bureau. Discussions continue on the selection of a deputy. According to reports, al-Sinwar is still involved in the negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages from his hideout in the Gaza Strip; This past week IDF forces focused their activity on the Rafah and Khan Yunis regions, attacking terrorist facilities operated by Hamas in civilian compounds and exposing tunnels and weapons. Palestinian terrorists continued firing rockets at Israeli territory; The leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar issued a joint statement calling for finalizing the negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. Hamas claims it has shown flexibility in the negotiations, while efforts are being made to convince the movement to participate in the talks expected to take place on August 15, 2024; An UNRWA spokeswoman said that the agency continued to provide humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip and operated more than a hundred medical sites; Israel, Judea and Samaria: This past week Palestinian terrorists carried out two attacks, murdering an Israeli civilian and wounding two others. The Israeli security forces continued their counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria; The PA chairman met in Russia with Vladimir Putin. The PA petitioned the International Criminal Court for arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and defense minister. Turkey announced it was joining the lawsuit against Israel in the International Court of Justice.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (August 5-12 , 2024)

During the past week Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 59 attacks on military and civilian targets in northern Israel. A civilian was killed and 14 were injured by the interception of a Hezbollah UAV launched at the Western Galilee; Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked Hezbollah targets and operatives in south Lebanon. Hezbollah announced 14 operatives had been killed. A senior commander in Hamas' military wing was eliminated in Sidon; The Hezbollah secretary general threatened harsh retaliation for the killing of Fuad Shukr, the organization's military commander. He stated that Hezbollah would act alone or in conjunction with the "resistance axis"; A Lebanese government position paper called for an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 by means of deploying the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL in the south of the country; Syria: A Hezbollah missile warehouse near the al-Shayrat military airport was hit in an attack attributed to Israel; Classified documents revealed direct ties between the head of the recently closed Hamburg Islamic Center and Iran and Hezbollah; A Lebanese-Colombian citizen who was on the United States sanctions list for aiding Hezbollah was arrested in Colombia.
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