The Palestinian Authority (PA)

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (August 19– 26, 2025)

IDF forces continued extensive aerial and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip, focusing on the outskirts of Gaza City in preparation for taking control of it. IDF fighters prevented Hamas terrorist operatives from attacking a military post in the southern Gaza Strip and kidnapping an IDF soldier. An IDF officer was killed in Khan Yunis; Ahead of evacuating Gaza City in preparation for taking control, the IDF began talks with medical officials and international organizations in the northern Gaza Strip. Hamas called on Gazans to disobey the evacuation orders, and hospital directors claimed staff and patients would not leave for the south of the Strip; Hamas accused Israel of stalling over the updated 60-day ceasefire proposal and claimed that "under certain conditions" they were prepared to negotiate for a comprehensive deal; Hamas continued to promote its "hunger" propaganda, based on a UN report claiming there was "famine" in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Israel and the international community continued to increase the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip by land and air; An Israeli civilian was superficially wounded in a shooting attack north of Jerusalem, and an attack was prevented at a checkpoint in Hebron. Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria; The Palestinian Authority added the names of 11 Israeli settlers and four organizations to its "terrorist list."
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (August 18 – 25, 2025)

IDF forces attacked Hezbollah facilities and eliminated terrorist operatives as part of the continued activity against Hezbollah's presence south Lebanon, which is in violation of the ceasefire understandings, and against the organization's efforts to rebuild its military capabilities and restore its arsenal. The forces attacked weapons depots and rocket and missile launchers in south Lebanon and eliminated three Hezbollah terrorist operatives; Hezbollah condemned the return of an Israeli citizen who had been held in Lebanon for a year and accused the government of irresponsibility and negligence; The American special envoy to Lebanon, Thomas Barrack, visited Israel in an effort to reduce IDF attacks in Lebanon. The Israeli prime minister's office stated that Israel was prepared to reduce its presence in south Lebanon if Lebanese security forces disarmed Hezbollah; An IDF-Lebanese army coordination mechanism has reportedly transferred hundreds of coordinates of Hezbollah targets since the ceasefire in November 2024, some based on reports from residents in south Lebanon; In preparation for the UN Security Council discussion on extending the UNIFIL mandate, Lebanese leaders emphasized the need for the UN force to remain. Parliament Speaker Berri wondered why the United States, as a guarantor of the ceasefire agreement, was trying to disrupt UNIFIL's activity; It was reported that the Lebanese army was about to finalize the plan to disarm Hezbollah and would present it to the Lebanese government on September 2, 2025. In an attempt to calm tensions following the government's decisions regarding its weapons monopoly, contacts were renewed between the office of the Lebanese president and Hezbollah representatives, who continued to insist the organization did not recognize the government's decisions and demanded they be rescinded. The Shi'ite mufti of Lebanon called Hezbollah's weapons "the weapons of God" and said no one could take them; Syrian security forces continue to prevent weapons from being smuggled from Syria into Lebanon for Hezbollah; The Palestinian Authority and Fatah in Lebanon announced that the transfer to the Lebanese army of a truck full of weapons in the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in Beirut symbolized the beginning of disarming the Palestinians in Lebanon, adding that transfers would continue in additional camps in the coming weeks. Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations said they would not give up their weapons until the "end of the Zionist occupation."
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (August 13 – 19, 2025)

IDF forces continued extensive air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip, eliminated terrorist operatives and destroyed weapons and terrorist facilities, including a seven-kilometer-long tunnel system in the northern Gaza Strip. The forces focused on the al-Zeitoun, al-Sabra, al-Shuja’iya and al-Tuffah neighborhoods in Gaza in preparation for an operation to take control of the city; Hamas and the Palestinian "factions" accepted the updated proposal of Egypt and Qatar, based on the Witkoff outline, for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of ten live hostages and the bodies of 18 dead hostages. The factions were reportedly dissatisfied with Hamas' handling of the negotiations and demanded that it act to end the war; Israel and the international community continued increasing the amount of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip by land and air, including food and tents. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund began a pilot program which would allow families to pre-order aid packages. Nevertheless, Hamas continued to spread its "hunger" propaganda and again warned of the collapse of the health system; The Egyptian foreign minister announced that 5,000 Palestinian policemen were being trained and would be stationed in the Gaza Strip. Egypt also announced its intention to appoint a committee of 15 technocrats to manage the Strip for half a year, while in France efforts were being made to establish an international force to operate under a UN Security Council mandate. Hamas condemned the statements of the Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister who called for dismantling the weapons of the "resistance."; The UN secretary general’s report included Hamas in the list of organizations committing sexual violence; The Palestinians condemned Israeli minister Ben-Gvir’s visit to the prison cell of Marwan al-Barghouti and minister Smotrich’s decision to advance the E1 plan to create territorial contiguity between Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (August 11 – 18, 2025)

The IDF attacked Hezbollah facilities above and below ground and eliminated operatives as part of its ongoing activity against Hezbollah's presence in south Lebanon which violates the ceasefire, and against the organization's efforts to rebuild its military capabilities and restore its arsenal; There were differences of opinion between the American administration and the European countries ahead of the discussion in the Security Council on extending the UNIFIL mandate in south Lebanon; American special envoy Thomas Barrack arrived in Beirut for talks, the first time since the government's decision to disarm Hezbollah. He said it was now Israel's turn to implement its own measure. Hezbollah's opponents reacted angrily to secretary general Na'im Qassem's statement that Hezbollah would not give up its weapons as long as "Israeli aggression" continued, adding that the "resistance" would battle the decision and would not agree to surrender; The secretary of Iran's supreme national security council, Ali Larijani, visited Lebanon and met with the heads of state and with Hezbollah's leadership. The president of Lebanon and the prime minister said they did not agree to Iranian intervention in the state's internal affairs; Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Palestinian Authority, instructed the new Palestinian ambassador in Lebanon to carry out the decisions regarding transferring Palestinian weapons and refugee camps to the authority of the Lebanese state.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (August 4 – 13, 2025)

IDF forces continued extensive aerial and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip, eliminated terrorist operatives, including those involved in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre, and destroyed weapons and terrorist facilities. The Palestinians condemned the Israeli cabinet's decision to take control of Gaza City; A Hamas delegation arrived in Egypt for talks to renew negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Reportedly, the mediators were working to formulate a proposal for a comprehensive deal to release all the hostages and freeze the activity of the Hamas military wing; Israel and the international community continued to increase humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by land and air, and private merchants in the Gaza Strip received permits to import essential food and consumer goods. A journalistic investigation and an IDF review refuted the Hamas claims of a "policy of deliberate hunger."; Hamas continues to pay tens of thousands of workers in the Gaza Strip through a secret cash payment system; Pro-Palestinian organizations announced they were planning to launch an international flotilla to the Gaza Strip at the end of August, with dozens of vessels and the participation of thousands of activists; Fatah repeated its call for Hamas to transfer control of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority (PA), while Hamas warned that it would consider any Arab force in the Gaza Strip as an "occupation force." The PA denied the report that Samir Hulileh, a former PA official, would be appointed governor of the Gaza Strip after the war. The Egyptian foreign minister said the Strip would be managed by 15 Palestinian technocrats for six months; The Palestinian Authority is reportedly considering a unilateral declaration of the establishment of a Palestinian state during the next session of the UN General Assembly.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (July 29 – August 4,2025)

IDF forces continued extensive aerial and ground strikes in the Gaza Strip, eliminated terrorist operatives, and destroyed weapons and terrorist facilities; Hamas announced it was suspending its participation in indirect ceasefire negotiations, citing the continuation of the "policy of hunger and killing." Videos were published of Israeli hostages suffering from malnutrition, for which Hamas blamed Israel; Hamas continued promoting its "hunger" narrative despite the increase in the number of humanitarian aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip and the expansion of aid airdrops; Hamas said it would not give up the weapons of the "resistance," and condemned the statement by the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, who said that only those who accepted the international commitments of the PLO would be allowed to participate in the Palestinian National Council elections; The Egyptian foreign minister reported that his country was training hundreds of Palestinians to take on roles in security in the Gaza Strip after the war ended; Hamas leadership figures met with the Turkish foreign minister, who condemned Israel and accused it of "deliberate killing."; IDF forces continued extensive counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria and eliminated an operative in a terrorist cell in the Jenin area; Violent clashes continued between Jewish settlers and Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. The deaths of two Palestinians were reported, including an American citizen; The Palestinian Authority welcomed announcements of several countries, including the UK and Canada, of their intention to recognize a Palestinian state, while Hamas called it "one of the fruits of October 7." The UN conference on the two-state solution concluded with a call for Hamas to relinquish control of the Gaza Strip and disarm; The American administration imposed sanctions on the PLO and the Palestinian Authority because of their appeals to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and their continued incitement and support for terrorism.
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