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spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (September 9-16, 2025)

On September 16, 2025, IDF forces launched a ground maneuver in Gaza City as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, following airstrikes on hundreds of terrorist targets across the city. Despite threats and obstruction attempts by Hamas, at least 350,000 residents responded to the IDF’s calls and relocated to humanitarian areas in the southern Gaza Strip; Negotiations for the release of the hostages and a ceasefire have been frozen following an Israeli attempt to eliminate the Hamas leadership in Doha, Qatar. Hamas has made it clear that it will not give up its demands for an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip; Pro-Palestinian activists continued their flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea in an attempt to “break the siege” on the Gaza Strip; The PA’s security forces reportedly detained businessman Samir Halile, who claimed he is a candidate for the position of interim governor of the Gaza Strip; A Palestinian terrorist holding a blue ID card wounded two Israelis in a stabbing attack at a hotel in kibbutz Tzuba. Israeli security forces sealed the homes of the two perpetrators of the recent shooting attack in Jerusalem’s Ramot neighborhood, even before obtaining a demolition permit; The Palestinian Authority welcomed the UN General Assembly’s decision to adopt the New York Declaration, which calls for the implementation of the two-state solution.
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Israel Attacks the Hamas Leadership in Doha

September 9, 2025, Israel attacked a building in Doha, Qatar, where the Hamas negotiating team was thought to be holding a meeting, led by Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip. The results of the attack were inconclusive and it is still unclear who was harmed. Hamas reported that five of al-Hayya's close associates were killed, including his son and his chief of staff, but claimed there were no movement leadership casualties. However, so far no pictures have been released of some of the senior figures, including al-Hayya, and their condition is unknown; Hamas called the attack a "crime" and proof that Israel did not want to end the war or reach an agreement for the release of the hostages; Qatar called the attack "state terrorism" and threatened a harsh response, warning that it would reconsider its continued involvement as mediator in the negotiations for the release of the hostages and ending the war in the Gaza Strip. An Arab-Islamic emergency summit convened in Doha and condemned the attack, and called for a reexamination of relations with Israel without citing practical measures; The American president publicly criticized the attack, although he stressed the need to eliminate Hamas. Other Western countries also condemned Israel for violating Qatar's sovereignty; In ITIC assessment, in the short term, the attack shook the Qatari-Egyptian mediation channel and could delay the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. On the other hand, the added pressure on the Hamas leadership and its increased security might make them compromise on their demands. On the deterrent level, Israel demonstrated its ability and determination to act against senior Hamas figures even in places they considered "safe," thereby limiting their freedom of maneuver and forcing them to invest resources in securing their safety.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (September 8 – 15, 2025)

IDF forces attacked Hezbollah infrastructure and eliminated operatives of the organization as part of ongoing operations against Hezbollah's presence in south Lebanon, which violates the ceasefire agreement understandings, and against Hezbollah's efforts to increase its military-terrorist capabilities and restore its arsenal. They attacked elite Radwan Unit training camps in the Beqa'a Valley in northeastern Lebanon and eliminated at least eight Hezbollah terrorist operatives, including one who also belonged to the Imam Hussein Division of the Iranian Qods Force; Lebanese President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun met with the French envoy and called for international pressure to be exerted on Israel to stop its attacks in Lebanon; Na'im Qassem, Hezbollah secretary general, opposed the Lebanese government's plan for a state monopoly on weapons and called on the government to realize its sovereignty, fight corruption and reorganize the state. Other Hezbollah figures said the organization was not prepared to give up its weapons and claimed the government discussions on disarmament were contrary to the National Pact. The United States approved an aid package of $14.2 million to assist the Lebanese army in implementing the monopoly on weapons; The authorities in Syria foiled more than ten attempts to smuggle weapons from Syria to Lebanon within the past two months; The Lebanese army continued to disarm the PLO and Fatah, and for the first time removed weapons from the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon, one of the most complex in the country, and from the al-Badawi camp in northern Lebanon. According to reports, the Lebanese authorities were continuing talks with Hamas representatives to persuade them to hand over their weapons.
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (September 3-10 2025)

Iran, the Houthis, and other pro-Iranian militias within the Shiite axis strongly condemned the Israeli attack on the Hamas leadership in Qatar. Iran’s Supreme Leader urged Muslim countries to sever their trade and political ties with Israel. The Iranian foreign minister discussed developments in the Palestinian arena in his meetings with the Emir of Qatar and the Egyptian foreign minister. Iran had reportedly asked a senior Iraqi official to grant it exceptional concessions at the border crossing between Iraq and Syria to transfer cash shipments for Hezbollah. An Iranian news agency strongly criticized the efforts to disarm Hezbollah, claiming that the organization’s weapons not only provide a guarantee for Lebanon’s security but are part of the regional deterrence equation. Elizabeth Tsurkov, holding Israeli and Russian citizenship, who was kidnapped in Iraq by the Kata’ib Hezbollah militia, was released from captivity and handed over to the United States.
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The Global Sumud (“Perseverance”) Flotilla in the Service of Hamas

The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Barcelona with the objective of “breaking the blockade on the Gaza Strip,” expected to be the largest since Israel imposed the naval blockade on the Gaza Strip in 2007. Among the participants are Hamas supporters who expressed support for the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack and massacre.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (August 25– September 1, 2025)

IDF forces continued extensive aerial and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip, focusing on the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza City in preparation for the expected takeover of the city, and eliminated the spokesperson of the Hamas military wing and the head of ISIS's "Palestine" district. The bodies of two Israeli civilians kidnapped in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre were recovered. An IDF soldier was killed in Khan Yunis; Hamas rejected the statement of American mediator Steve Witkoff that the movement was responsible for placing obstacles in the path of the negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, and claimed that Israel was ignoring the proposal and carrying out a "massacre" [sic] in Gaza; The IDF announced the creation of two new centers to facilitate the distribution of food to Gazans in the southern part of the Strip; Dozens of vessels with hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists set sail from Barcelona as part of an international flotilla intended to "lift the blockade" on the Gaza Strip; A senior Hamas figure rejected the American plan to evacuate Gazans and turn the Strip into an economic and tourist zone under American administration for ten years. Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas said he would agree to an Arab or international partnership for administering the Strip alongside the PA; The American administration announced that it would not issue entry visas to Mahmoud Abbas and senior PA and PLO figures ahead of the UN General Assembly session in September 2025.
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