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The Israeli Palestinian Conflict

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 2-9, 2026)

The IDF continued operations within the Yellow Line and other areas in the Gaza Strip to locate and destroy underground infrastructure and eliminate terrorist operatives, including senior figures in Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ); The spokesman for the Hamas military wing said he was confident the al-Qassam Brigades would continue to function even after the elimination of commanders. Reportedly, "collaborators" who had assisted Israel in eliminating them were revealed; Delegations of senior Hamas figures and representatives of the other Palestinian terrorist organizations held talks in Egypt regarding the ceasefire agreement. They reportedly agreed to limit weapons to a "unified Palestinian authority" while rejecting the Israeli demand for complete disarmament; The Hamas leadership "abroad" was criticized following reports they had pocketed funds allegedly raised for the Gaza Strip. Activists in the Gaza Strip called for a Day of Rage against Hamas, to be held on June 26, 2026; Hamas and the other terrorist organizations welcomed the Iranian missile attacks on Israel and reiterated the concept of the "unity of the arenas." The Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya, spoke with the Iranian foreign minister; Greek police arrested a Palestinian suspected of membership in Hamas and of planning to attack Israeli targets; An Arab-Israeli terrorist shot at civilians in several communities along the Israeli-Palestinian Authority border. A reservist soldier was killed and five other people were wounded. An Arab-Israeli terrorist was detained in the Galilee when he tried to stab a Border Police fighter. An Arab-Israeli youth was detained on suspicion of planning an attack on a Jewish community, and another Arab-Israeli was accused of spreading Hamas propaganda.
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Spotlight on Terrorism – May 2026

During May 2026, the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah continued despite the ceasefire which began on April 17; The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip remained in effect despite the continuing eliminations of Hamas operatives and attempted attacks on IDF soldiers; The Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria; Planned attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets abroad were foiled.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (May 26-June 2, 2026)

IDF forces continued operating in the Yellow Line and other areas in the Strip to eliminate terrorists who posed a threat and destroy terrorist infrastructure. Hamas military wing commander Muhammad Odeh was killed in a targeted attack in Gaza two weeks after the elimination of his predecessor; A Hamas spokesman accused the Board of Peace and the American administration of helplessness vis-à-vis Israel and claimed that continuation of the strikes in the Gaza Strip and statements regarding the migration of the Strip's residents indicated an Israeli intention to abandon the ceasefire and promote the forced displacement of the Palestinians. Hamas leadership met with the head of Turkish intelligence ahead of another round of talks in Egypt; Hamas accused the EU of being biased in favor of Israel after sanctions were imposed on ten senior movement figures, headed by Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Mash'al; Three Israelis were wounded in a vehicular attack in Gush Etzion, and an Israeli Arab teenager was detained on suspicion of murdering an Israeli couple for nationalist reasons; The families of Palestinian shaheeds, wounded and prisoners continued holding protests in front of the Palestinian Authority government building because of non-payment of allowances.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (May 19-26, 2026)

IDF forces continued activity in the Yellow Line and other areas in the Gaza Strip, attacked weapons depots and eliminated terrorists who endangered the forces, including those involved in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre. Hamas condemned the Israeli attacks on police forces, claiming they "violated" the ceasefire and were an attempt to create chaos; The representative of the Board of Peace, Nikolay Mladenov, warned that continued Israeli control over 60% of the Strip and the Hamas refusal to disarm would prevent the reconstruction of the Strip and the creation of a political horizon, and presented a 15-point framework for implementing the American peace plan. Hamas accused Mladenov of distorting the facts and continued opposing the demand for disarmament; Hundreds of activists from the Global Resilience Flotilla to the Gaza Strip were deported from Israel. Hamas condemned Israeli minister Ben-Gvir's visit to the detainees; Voters in the elections for the Hamas leadership cast blank ballots for the first time, apparently to protest the candidates or the intention to appoint a temporary head of the political bureau; The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations withdrew his candidacy for the position of vice president of the General Assembly after pressure from the American administration.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (May 12-19, 2026)

IDF forces continued operating within the Yellow Line and in other areas in the Gaza Strip, eliminating terrorists who posed a threat, including those involved in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre. Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who headed the Hamas military wing and was one of the planners of the October 7 attack, was eliminated in a strike in Gaza City, and reportedly, military intelligence chief Muhammad Oudeh was appointed to replace him; The Board of Peace announced the ceasefire continued despite the "violations," and called Hamas' refusal to disarm the main obstacle to advancing the process and beginning reconstruction of the Strip. Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist organizations refused to disarm on the grounds that Israel had not met its commitments to the first stage of the agreement and called for the resignation of Mladenov, representative of the Board of Peace; Despite the demand that Hamas transfer governance of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian technocrat committee, Hamas government ministries continue routine activity to ensure the movement's hold on the territories over which it has control; The Israeli Navy prevented the Global Resilience Flotilla from reaching the Gaza Strip and halted dozens of vessels which had departed from Turkey; Hamas announced that no candidate had won the first round of elections for the movement's leadership, and therefore another round would take place; UNRWA reportedly smuggled its archives from the Gaza Strip headquarters and east Jerusalem to Jordan; The eighth Fatah conference called for continuing "non-violent popular resistance" for the establishment of a Palestinian state which would include Judea and Samaria, the Gaza Strip and have east Jerusalem as its capital. Marwan al-Barghouti, who is serving life sentences in Israel for terrorist crimes, won the vote for the movement's central committee, and the son of the chairman of the Palestinian Authority was also elected. Palestinian elements called for closing ranks and formulating a unified Palestinian strategy to advance a broad political and popular struggle.
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Elimination of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, Head of Hamas’ Military Wing: Reactions and Significance

On May 15, 2026, the Israeli security forces eliminated Izz al-Din al-Haddad in a strike on an apartment in Gaza City. He was head of Hamas' military wing and one of the planners of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack and massacre, and led Hamas' reconstruction after the ceasefire; Hamas confirmed al-Haddad's death, called him a "great commander" who had been involved in jihad for decades, culminating in the invasion of Israeli territory and the ensuing atrocities. Statements by the movement and its senior figures accused Israel of an assassination and a violation of the ceasefire agreement, claiming that the objective was to exert pressure on Hamas; Al-Haddad, who joined Hamas at the age of 17 with the establishment of the movement, rose through the ranks of the military wing and held a series of command positions. He was appointed commander of the Gaza Brigade in 2021 and commander of the military wing in May 2025; He played a significant role in preparing for the October 7 attack and massacre. In an order given before the beginning of the attack, discovered by IDF forces in the Gaza Strip, he said the primary objective was to take a large number of soldiers captive in the first moments and send them into the Gaza Strip. During the war, he kept Israeli hostages around himself as human shields; In Amit Institute assessment, the elimination of al-Haddad is a blow to Hamas' reconstruction efforts, its continued military buildup and the tightening of its governance in areas under its control in the Gaza Strip after the ceasefire, despite demands that it relinquishes power and disarm. Al-Haddad was one of the last military commanders of Hamas' first generation, and his elimination will require the military wing to adapt itself to younger commanders who will have to make critical decisions regarding the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades' future.
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The Israeli Palestinian Conflict

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a nationalist conflict between two peoples living in the Land of Israel: the Jewish people and the Palestinian people. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is more than 100 years old and has been given worldwide prominence. The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict go back to the 19th century, when nationalist movements gained momentum around the world, among them the Zionist movement and the call to emigrate to the Land of Israel to build a national home for the Jewish People. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict took a nationalist turn and grew after the First World War. 

The issues at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict include the permanent borders, security arrangements, Israel’s demand for Palestinian recognition of the existence of the Jewish People, the status of the Palestinian refugees, the control of Jerusalem, the Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, the distribution of water resources and the distribution of additional resources in Judea and Samaria.

A prominent feature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the severe manifestations of violence and terrorism in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria that have accompanied it throughout the years of its existence. The fighting is carried out by terror squads and individuals. These manifestations of violence have led to many losses and property damage on both sides.

Over the years, many attempts have been made to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Most of the proposals attempted to promote a permanent solution that would involve the creation of Palestinian autonomy or an independent Palestinian state to be established alongside the State of Israel. This is known as the “two-state solution.” Another proposed solution for resolving the conflict is a “one-state solution” whereby all of the western Land of Israel, including the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria, would become a binational state. The attempts were unsuccessful due to disagreements over the nature of the solution and due to a basic lack of trust between the sides.