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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (March 4-11, 2026)

The IDF continued its strikes in Iran and Lebanon against operatives and infrastructure of the IRGC Qods Force that supported the financing and military buildup of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations operating against Israel. Iran claimed that four Qods Force operatives killed in Beirut were diplomats; Due to IDF threats, it was reported that dozens of IRGC operatives had left Lebanon. However, according to Iran’s ambassador in Beirut, the diplomatic mission is operating normally, and only the families of diplomats and “a group of Iranians residing in Lebanon” left the city; The Houthis have not yet intervened in the confrontation involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, but the movement’s leader said they are ready to act depending on developments in the region; Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq claimed responsibility for about one hundred attacks using missiles, rockets, and drones against American bases and facilities in Iraq, Jordan, and Gulf countries. A spokesman for one militia claimed that there is full coordination among all components of the Axis of Resistance in the Middle East regarding the operation of forces against Israel and the United States; It was reported that some militias fear continued attacks could lead to a broad American response against them.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (March 3-10, 2026)

According to reports, the talks on implementing the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, including the issue of disarming Hamas, were frozen because of the war in Iran. A member of the technocrat committee for managing the Gaza Strip admitted they could not make progress under the existing circumstances; IDF forces continued activity within the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip and destroyed five underground tunnels and rocket launchers aimed at the State of Israel; The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories accused Hamas of seizing goods and raising prices despite the renewed entry of aid trucks into the Gaza Strip; Hamas exploited the delay in the activity of the technocrat committee and the new security forces to continue consolidating civilian governance and "security" in the Gaza Strip; The Palestinian Authority condemned the deaths of local residents during settler riots, while Hamas called for confrontations with the "settler gangs." 
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah Lebanon (March 2-9, 2026)

On March 2, 2026, Hezbollah renewed its attacks on Israel in response to the Iran-Israel War which began on February 28, 2026. IDF forces attacked Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon and eliminated terrorist commanders and operatives, senior officials in Iran's Qods Force and commanders in Palestinian terrorist organizations operating in Lebanon. In addition, IDF forces seized additional terrain in south Lebanon and located and destroyed terrorist facilities and assets. Evacuation notices were issued for all residents of south Lebanon and for neighborhoods in Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in Beirut. Two IDF soldiers were killed in the fighting; Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 124 attacks on civilian, military and security targets in Israel and on IDF forces in south Lebanon, firing rockets and launching missiles and UAVs, including the first rockets fired at central Israel since the ceasefire of November 2024. The organization attacked the northern cities of Nahariya and Kiryat Shmona after issuing "evacuation notices" to residents. Hezbollah did not report the number of casualties in its ranks, however according to unofficial estimates more than 100 operatives were killed; Hezbollah secretary general Na'im Qassem claimed the new attacks were in response to Israel and American "aggression" to "violations" of the ceasefire agreement. He accused the Lebanese government of weakening the state, diminishing its standing and surrendering to external demands; The Lebanese leadership announced it would implement the ban on Hezbollah's military and security activity and said the organization was responsible for the new escalation. The government also ordered the expulsion of all Qods Force operatives from Lebanon and said Iranian citizens would require a visa to enter the country; The Lebanese army withdrew from positions in south Lebanon and erected checkpoints to prevent the passage of Hezbollah operatives and weapons south of the Litani River. It was reported that the military court released detained Hezbollah operatives following heavy pressure from the organization; Lebanese authorities reported that nearly 400 people had been killed since the beginning of the Israeli attacks and that more than half a million people had been displaced. The Lebanese prime minister said the state was committed to providing shelter for all the displaced.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (February 24-March 3, 2026)

IDF forces continued operations within the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to locate and destroy weapons and terrorist infrastructure. The forces eliminated terrorist operatives who attempted to approach the forces and attacked in response to violations of the ceasefire agreement; Hamas reportedly smuggled essential materials by sea, enabling it to manufacture dozens of rockets; Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) condemned the Israeli-American war against Iran and the elimination of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, but said they would not intervene due to the consequences of the Gaza Strip War. According to reports, the Iranian-backed Palestinian terrorist organizations fear complete collapse because of the economic pressure on Tehran; Israel closed the crossings to the Gaza Strip because of the state of emergency inside the country, but stressed that there was sufficient humanitarian aid in the Strip. Sharp price increases of basic commodities were reported in the markets of Gaza; The Turkish IHH said a flotilla of more than 100 vessels carrying thousands of activists was expected to depart in April 2026 for the Gaza Strip to "break the siege," along with the dispatch of land convoys; A member of the American mediation team said the administration was preparing a proposal for the "gradual disarmament" of Hamas, adding that employees in the Hamas administration would be integrated into the new governing mechanisms under the Palestinian technocrat committee for the management of the Gaza Strip; The secretary of the PLO Executive Committee said he opposed disarming Hamas or designating it as a terrorist organization, calling the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack and massacre a "strategic mistake" [sic].
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (February 23 – March 2, 2026)

On the night of March 1, 2026, Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel, announcing that it was a response to the elimination of Iran's leader Khamenei and to the Israeli strikes in Lebanon. The IDF responded by attacking Hezbollah targets and the elimination of senior figures in the organization in south Lebanon and the Dahiyeh al-Janoubia in Beirut; In response to the rocket fire, the Lebanese government banned Hezbollah's military and security activities and limited it to politics. Prime Minister Salam instructed the army to accelerate the disarmament of Hezbollah north of the Litani River "by all means." Reportedly, Speaker of Parliament Berri is preparing to remove political cover from Hezbollah because of the rocket fire; Before Hezbollah entered the war, it condemned the Israeli and American strikes in Iran and the elimination of Khamenei but did not explicitly say it would attack Israel. The Lebanese leadership tried to persuade Hezbollah not to intervene in the Israel-America war on Iran out of concern of a broad Israeli response against Lebanon; Before the war broke out on February 28, 2026, the IDF continued attacks in south Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah's military assets as part of the effort to enforce the November 2024 ceasefire agreement and prevent the organization's renewed military buildup and possible preparations to attack Israel. The IDF attacked Radwan Force camps, launch positions and tunnels; Due to the regional developments, the conference in support of the Lebanese army scheduled to convene in Paris on March 5, 2026 will be postponed to April 2026; Reportedly, the former head of Hezbollah's coordination and liaison unit, Wafiq Safa, was appointed assistant to the head of the political council. 
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The Resistance Axis Reacts to the Israel-US War against Iran and the Elimination of Ali Khamenei

On February 28, 2026, Israel and the United States launched a combined preemptive strike against Iran, attacking dozens of military, security and government targets across the country. Iran’s leader, Ali Khamenei, commanders of the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Khamenei's senior advisors and dozens of other officials were killed in the strikes; Iran confirmed the deaths of Khamenei and the others and announced the establishment of a temporary leadership council. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched Operation True Promise 4, launching missiles and UAVs at Israel and American bases and vessels across the Middle East; The resistance axis organizations in Lebanon, the Palestinian arena, Yemen, Iraq and Syria condemned the attack and claimed its objective was to support the vision of a "Greater Israel." They issued mourning notices for Khamenei’s death, stating his decades-long support for the "resistance" and said they would continue their activity against the "Zionist enemy"; On the night of March 1, 2026, Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel and claimed it was in response to the elimination of Khamenei, after the organization had previously threatened it would retaliate if Iran’s leader were attacked. Hezbollah intervened despite the fact that the Lebanese leadership had exerted pressure on it in an attempt to prevent the country from being dragged into external conflicts; Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) said they would not open a support front for Iran because of the damage done in the Gaza Strip War and the Houthis have not yet announced a renewal of attacks against Israel and against vessels in the Red Sea. Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq claimed responsibility for launching UAVs at American bases in the Kurdish region in the north of the country and Baghdad following strikes on militia bases which killed at least six operatives; In ITIC assessment, Hezbollah’s response was the result of Iranian pressure, despite the calls in Lebanon that it not respond. However, its commitment to Iran outweighed its loyalty to Lebanon and led to an extensive, forceful Israeli response. So far the Houthis have not responded but may join the fighting, although their considerations differ from those of Hezbollah.
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