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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (July 22 – 29, 2025)

IDF forces continued widespread aerial and ground attacks on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip and eliminated Hamas terrorist operatives. Three IDF soldiers were killed in the fighting. Hamas raised its level of alert, fearing of an Israeli operation to rescue hostages; Hamas claimed "surprise" after the American administration accused it of not being willing to reach a ceasefire agreement despite the mediators' efforts. The movement reiterated its claim that it had shown "flexibility" and its desire to end the war. Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, said there was no point in continuing the talks under the "attack, destruction and hunger" of the Palestinians in the Strip, and angered Egypt and Jordan after he accused them of not doing enough and called on their citizens to march toward "Palestine."; The IDF initiated a series of measures to improve the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip, including airdrops and opening humanitarian corridors. Nevertheless, Hamas continued to promote the false narrative of "deliberate hunger" and blamed "collaborators with Israel" for looting aid trucks; IDF forces took peaceful control of the ship Handhala, which tried to reach Gaza with about 20 foreign activists; Eight soldiers were injured in a vehicular ramming carried out by an Arab-Israeli terrorist near Kfar Yona. Stabbings were prevented in the communities of Migdal Oz and Shim'a. The terrorist who planted explosives on buses in the Dan region in February 2025 was detained; The UN conference for a two-state solution sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia began in New York. The Palestinian Authority prime minister said they aspired to establish an independent and democratic state which would live in peace alongside Israel. The Palestinians welcomed the French president's announcement that France would recognize a Palestinian state.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (July 15 – 22, 2025)

IDF forces continued extensive air and ground attacks on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip and launched a ground operation in Deir al-Balah for the first time since the beginning of the war. Hamas and other terrorist organization commanders involved in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre were eliminated. Two IDF soldiers were killed in the fighting; Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas continued without a resolution. Hamas said they were reviewing the new maps delivered from Israel and continued to claim they agreed to all proposals and that Israel was the party delaying progress; Hamas continued to promote the "hunger narrative" despite the ongoing entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Humanitarian Aid Fund accused Hamas of responsibility for the deaths of about 20 people in a riot that broke out after armed men were seen among civilians waiting near an aid distribution point; The ship Handala sailed from Italy en route to the Gaza Strip with 20 pro-Palestinian activists aboard, after claims of a "deliberate sabotage attempt."; A new civilian initiative in the Gaza Strip called for the establishment of a civilian-executive body led by Egypt to manage daily life until Palestinian unity was achieved and the transfer of negotiation management with Israel to the PLO and the Palestinian Authority; Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria and detained terrorists who were planning attacks; Senior Palestinian Authority officials, led by Mahmoud Abbas, escalated their rhetoric against Israel on the international stage, accusing it of "mass killings" in the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria. Mahmoud Abbas announced new elections for the Palestinian National Council by the end of 2025. Hamas accused the move of being unilateral and contrary to prior understandings.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (July 14–21, 2025)

IDF forces attacked Hezbollah facilities and eliminated operatives as part of continued activity against Hezbollah's presence in south Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire understandings and against the organization’s efforts to renew its arsenal and military capabilities. Radwan Force facilities in the Beqa'a Valley were attacked and Lebanon claimed that 12 people had been killed; Na'im Qassem, Hezbollah secretary general, accused the United States of trying to promote a new agreement which ignored the "thousands of violations" Israel had committed since the beginning of the ceasefire. Hezbollah demanded that Lebanese state institutions put an end to the "useless silence" following the "killing" in the Israeli attacks in the Beqa'a Valley; Thomas Barrack, the American special envoy to Lebanon, met with President Joseph Aoun and was given a new Lebanese response regarding Hezbollah’s disarmament. Barrack said that no progress on the issue would be disappointing, but the United States had no intention of taking punitive measures and only sought to assist and guide. Qassem claimed that relinquishing the weapons would place Lebanon and the "resistance" in existential danger and "allow ISIS to take over the country."; Iran reportedly successfully transfers weapons to Hezbollah through Iraq and Syria using small vehicles instead of large trucks, and the organization also manufactures its own unmanned aerial vehicles and medium-range missiles; A new directive from the Bank of Lebanon, Lebanon's central bank, bans any ties with the al-Qard al-Hassan Association, Hezbollah’s economic wing, due to American sanctions and the Association's financing of terrorism. Hezbollah condemned the decision, and al-Qard al-Hassan said it was continuing its operations and opening additional branches; The Palestinian national security forces reported that they had begun handing over the weapons at some of their headquarters in Lebanon in accordance with the directive of Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas. However, a senior operative in one of the armed "factions" in the refugee camps said that it was unrealistic to ask the Palestinians to disarm without guarantees for their security in light of the "complex" regional situation.
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Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (July 9—16, 2025)

The representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader in the IRGC declared that the Iranian people would not rest until the complete destruction of the “Zionist regime.” The Iranian chief of staff reiterated his warning that in the event of another Israeli attack, Iran would respond even more harshly and decisively than in the past; Iran’s ambassador to Beirut met with a delegation of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party and emphasized Iran’s support for the campaign against Israel. The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s attacks in the Bekaa Valley and the silence of the UN Security Council; The Iranian media reported extensively on the contacts between Israel and Syria, and the violent clashes between Druze, Bedouins, and Syrian security forces in the south of the country. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned the IDF’s activity in the region. The Iranian reactions to the developments in Syria can be seen as another expression of Iran’s efforts since the collapse of the Assad regime to highlight the instability in the country and the failures of the new regime to deal with the challenges it faces, both in the domestic arena and vis-à-vis Israel; The Houthis’ military spokesman claimed responsibility for three attacks against Israel using a ballistic missile and drones. The IDF Spokesperson confirmed the interception of a ballistic missile and a drone launched from Yemen; The Houthis claimed responsibility for sinking a cargo ship in the Red Sea, claiming that it violated the “sailing ban” to Israel, and confirmed that some of the crew members were being held by them. The Houthis threatened to continue their attacks against vessels trying to reach Israel until the “blockade” over the Gaza Strip is lifted. 
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (July 8-15 ,2025)

IDF forces continued extensive aerial and ground attacks on Hamas and other terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip. Terrorist operatives were eliminated, including the former Hamas justice minister, battalion commanders and a Hamas operative who had held an Israeli hostage. Five IDF soldiers were killed during the fighting. The Hamas military wing admitted that it was planning to abduct soldiers; Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas continued in an effort to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and secure the release of the hostages. The disagreements centered on the scope of the Israeli withdrawal and the distribution of humanitarian aid, while Hamas continued to blame Israel for the stalemate; The humanitarian aid fund announced the successful completion of a pilot program to distribute food directly to needy Gazans. Yasser Abu Shabab, head of a militia supported by Israel, announced the establishment of a body to coordinate aid efforts and ease civilian life; Senior Palestinian Authority officials said that only full PA governance in the Gaza Strip, disarmament of Hamas and general elections would end the internal Palestinian schism and restore legitimacy to the Palestinians. Hamas claimed it had never sought to rule the Strip and accused the PA of corruption and coordinating with Israel; A new "aid" ship departed from Italy in an attempt to "break the siege" on the Gaza Strip; An Israeli civilian was killed in a combined terrorist attack in Gush Etzion and a shooting was prevented in northern Samaria. Israeli security forces continued widespread counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria; a soldier was stabbed by a terrorist during an operation near Jenin; Two Palestinians were killed, one of them an American citizen, in a violent clash between Palestinians and Jewish settlers in Sinjil; The Palestinian foreign minister stated that the Palestinian Authority was ready to cooperate with the American president to achieve peace within a designated timeframe and added that the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia was not possible without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (July 7 – 14, 2025)

IDF forces attacked Hezbollah facilities from the air and on the ground and eliminated operatives as part of ongoing operations to counter Hezbollah's presence in south Lebanon, a violation of the ceasefire understandings, and against the organization's attempts to rebuild its arsenal and power. The IDF attacked a military headquarters, destroyed underground facilities, and eliminated Hezbollah operatives, an operative of the Iranian Qods Force and a senior Hamas figure in Lebanon; A senior Hezbollah figure claimed that Israel was targeting the "simple" operatives because it was no longer able to attack the organization's leaders. Meanwhile, Hezbollah was reportedly being on high alert and had evacuated some of its leaders and centers, fearing of a large-scale Israeli attack; The Lebanese security forces were instructed to arrest those involved in attacks on UNIFIL forces, which had been increasing due to friction between south Lebanese residents and UN soldiers; The Lebanese leadership said they were committed to ensuring the state's monopoly on weapons, even after submitting their response to the American special envoy Thomas Barack, while Hezbollah continued to defy the demands to disarm. Barack warned that Lebanon would face an existential threat if it did not resolve the issue of Hezbollah's weapons; Hezbollah secretary general Na'im Qassem gave an extensive interview in which he claimed that Hassan Nasrallah, the former secretary general, had received information about the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre only half an hour before it began, and that Hezbollah did not enter into a full-scale war against Israel, fearing destruction and American intervention; Hezbollah reportedly began reorganizing in order to merge several of its combat and operational units and redundant institutions. 
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