Kerem Shalom crossing Israel

Israel moves forward with hostage deal

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is preparing for a hostage deal to be implemented with Hamas on January 19. It has set aside three sites where hostages may arrive when they leave Gaza, from which they will be transported to hospitals. The IDF is also preparing to redeploy units in Gaza to border areas and defensive positions. The 162nd Division in northern Gaza will withdraw from urban areas and secure the north, while the 99th Division is expected to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor, according to Israeli media reports. Read more →

IDF Nahal Brigade in Gaza

Israel prepares for hostage deal with Hamas

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Israel is preparing for a deal that will see the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and a cessation of fighting in Gaza. Assuming the agreement goes into effect, it will occur in phases, with the first phase taking place over 42 days, in which 33 hostages will be released. In exchange, Israel will release more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. In subsequent phases, all the hostages held in Gaza, of which there are almost 100, some of whom are deceased, will be freed, and the Israel Defense Forces will withdraw from Gaza in stages. Read more →

Ahmad al Mansour

Former HTS fighter Ahmad Hammad al Mansour reportedly detained in Syria after threatening Egyptian president

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Ahmad al Mansour, an Egyptian national and former member of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) in Syria, has reportedly been detained in Syria after threatening Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el Sisi. The Islamist militant is an Egyptian Naval Academy graduate with ties to the 2011 Egyptian revolution. Mansour left Egypt for Syria in 2013, where he joined Islamist rebel factions before aligning with HTS. Read more →

IDF troops

Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon as ceasefire continues

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Israel faces continued threats in Lebanon despite the recent ceasefire, which approaches the important milestone of its first 60 days. On January 13, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out strikes on several Hezbollah targets, “including a rocket launcher site, a military site, and routes along the Syria-Lebanon border used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah.” Israeli troops also continued searching for weapons and dismantling terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Read more →

Iraqi militias with Soleimani

Analysis: The role of Iraqi Shia militias as proxies in Iran’s Axis of Resistance

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Iraq’s Shia militias play a unique part in Iran's Axis of Resistance and present distinct challenges for the US, Israel, and the Iraqi state. Notably, a more direct conflict between the militias and the US and Israel would imperil the Iraqi government’s ability to balance its relationships with Iran and the US, along with the country’s essential stability. Read more →

IDF Nahal Brigade in Gaza

IDF faces growing threat from IEDs in northern Gaza

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Seven Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were killed by improvised explosive devices in two recent incidents in northern Gaza. Israeli troops from the 401st Armored Brigade and Nahal Brigade are operating in Beit Hanoun to clear the area of threats. The Givati Brigade continues to fight in Jabaliya, while the IDF withdrew the Kfir Brigade from operations in northern Gaza. Read more →

Mahan Air Flight

Analysis: Lebanon’s Mahan Air theater was meant to cover ceasefire deal non-performance

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Lebanon did not thoroughly inspect a Mahan Air Flight suspected of carrying funds for Hezbollah. It engaged in an act of theater to deny Israel justification to resume fighting the group in light of Beirut’s failure to implement its obligations under the November 27, 2024, ceasefire agreement. Read more →

Mohammed al Waisi

Syria’s new Minister of Justice: A profile of Shadi Mohammed al Waisi

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Shadi Mohammed al Waisi, Syria’s newly appointed Minister of Justice in the transitional government, has come under scrutiny after videos from 2015 surfaced showing him ordering executions while serving as a Jabhat al Nusrah judge. Born in Aleppo in 1985, he rose through the ranks of various sharia courts in rebel-held areas before the fall of Bashar al Assad in December 2024, issuing verdicts that included executions and amputations. Read more →

Iranian air defense system and missile

Analysis: Tehran’s triad: propaganda, proxies, and preparedness

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The Tehran regime faces significant challenges, including the diminished influence of its regional proxies and the potential for an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities. In response, the Islamic Republic has devised a three-pronged strategy: bolstering morale through propaganda, conducting extensive military drills as a deterrent, and amplifying support for its remaining proxies. Read more →

Syrian Ministry of Defense logo

Profiles of the new Syrian military leadership, part 2

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Beginning on Friday, January 3, the newly appointed minister of defense of the Syrian Interim Government, Murhef Abu Qasra, initiated a series of meetings with leaders of armed factions to discuss integrating these forces into a unified Syrian army. FDD’s Long War Journal has identified and profiled the majority of those in attendance. Read more →

Halevi visits hospital

Israel takes stock of military casualties over a year of war

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published data on the number of soldiers killed and wounded in 2024 and since the war began on October 7, 2023. A total of 363 IDF soldiers were killed in 2024, most of them during combat operations and in terrorist attacks. Overall, 891 servicemembers have died, most of them in combat, and 5,569 have been wounded since the conflict started last year. Read more →

Shamsud-Din Jabar

An Afghanistan war veteran and an active duty servicemember conduct separate domestic attacks on New Year’s Day

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Two US citizens conducted separate attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas. Fifteen people were killed and dozens injured after a terrorist who declared membership in the Islamic State (IS) rammed a vehicle into a crowd on Bourbon Street. In a second incident being investigated as a possible terrorist attack, the driver was killed when he intentionally detonated a vehicle in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, injuring seven. Law enforcement officials are investigating if the attacks are connected but have found no links, thus far. Read more →

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