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Periodical Studies

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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Spotlight on Iran (July 31—August 7 , 2024)

During the past week, senior Iranian officials continued to threaten a harsh response to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, in Tehran. At the same time, Iran held intensive diplomatic contacts, in which it stressed its right to attack Israel in response to Haniyeh’s killing. The acting Iranian foreign minister met in Hamas’ office in Tehran with the Hamas representative in Iran and stressed that Iran intended to respond decisively to the attack on Haniyeh; Amid Iranian threats of retaliation against Israel, the secretary of Russia’s National Security Council visited Iran and met with the president, the secretary of the National Security Council, and the chief of staff of the armed forces. Russia has reportedly begun transferring air defense systems to Iran; The Islamic Resistance in Iraq and the Houthis continued talks with Iran and other members of the “axis of resistance” to coordinate the joint response against Israel following the killing of Fuad Shukr and Ismail Haniyeh; “Security sources” confirmed that a Houthi officer responsible for coordination with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq had been killed along with four Iraqi militia members in the US attack on a Popular Mobilization headquarters; Rockets were fired at an American base in western Iraq, wounding five American soldiers and two defense contractors. A pro-Iranian militia claimed responsibility for the attack; The Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a vessel in the Gulf of Aden. The claim has not been verified. The Houthis shot down a US drone, the seventh since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023.
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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (July 31 – August 6 , 2024)

Isma'il Haniyeh, head of Hamas' political bureau, was killed in an attack in Tehran; he was buried in Qatar. Senior Hamas figures said killing him would not alter the movement's path. The Hamas leadership held consultations to choose his successor. "Sources" stated the movement would resume negotiations for a ceasefire after a new leader had been elected; This past week IDF forces focused their activity on the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip and the Netzarim Corridor in the central Gaza Strip. They attacked Hamas terrorist facilities operating in civilian compounds and exposed tunnels and weapons. There was an increase in rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, an Israeli civilian was injured; The IDF confirmed that Muhammed Deif, the commander of Hamas' military wing, was killed in an airstrike in Khan Yunis; Hamas did not issue a confirmation. the IDF continued to target terrorist operatives in the Gaza Strip, including those involved in smuggling and operatives who participated in the Hamas terrorist attack and massacre on October 7 2023; A UN investigation determined that there was evidence indicating the possible involvement of nine UNRWA employees in the October 7, 2023 attack, and announced their dismissal. Israel, Judea and Samaria: This past week Palestinian terrorist operatives carried out three attacks, murdering two Israelis and injuring four others. A Palestinian terrorist stabbed two civilians to death and wounded two others in Holon, and a female Border Police fighter was stabbed at the Tunnel roadblock. An Israeli civilian was injured in a combined shooting and stabbing attack near Kiryat Arba. The Israeli security forces continued their counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria, killing nine terrorist operatives in two airstrikes in Tulkarm, and at least five in two airstrikes in Jenin.
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