A terror attack in Jerusalem left three dead and a dozen wounded on November 30. A second attack in the West Bank wounded Israeli soldiers. A UAV was intercepted from Lebanon. Israel awaited another group of hostages and bodies returned from Gaza as the ceasefire was extended for a day. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel and met with officials.
The USS Carney shot down an Iranian-supplied KAS-04 UAV as it was “was heading toward the warship.” The UAV was likley launched by the Iranian-backed Houthis.
In a slight detour from our Israel coverage, Bill and Caleb are joined by counterterrorism expert Sara Harmouch to discuss her recent article that sounds like it was written for Long War Journal but was actually written for War on the Rocks, called “Al-Qaeda: A Defeated Threat? Think Again.”
They debunk the latest example of President Biden’s insistence that al Qaeda no longer has a presence in Afghanistan and discuss how U.S. rejection of intelligence is neither new nor at odds with its dangerous habit of disconnecting dots pertaining not least of all to al Qaeda.
Israel carried out a raid in Jenin in the northern West Bank, eliminating a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander. In Gaza two hostages holding Russian citizenship were released and another ten Israeli hostages were expected to be released as the pause in fighting continues.
Israel and Hamas extended a pause in fighting in Gaza for several more days as Hamas continues to obfuscate about the groups holding hostages in Gaza. Israel’s Chief of Staff travelled to the northern border with Lebanon to meet with IDF troops. The IDF demolished the home of a terrorist in the West Bank.
Bill and Joe are back with an update on the latest from Israel and Gaza, starting with the release by Hamas of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel amidst the backdrop of a still-holding ceasefire.
They’re also joined again by FDD Senior Fellow and Iran expert Behnam Ben Taleblu to unpack the latest regional aggression covered with Tehran’s fingerprints, including more missiles fired at U.S. and Israeli assets in the region (and why one incident last week was actually a “game-changer”) as well as the latest string of maritime hijackings off the coast of Yemen.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day pause in fighting in which 50 hostages would be released by Hamas and 150 prisoners freed by Israel. The first three days of the deal went mostly as planned, and Israel and Hamas may agree to extend the deal for several more days. Israeli commanders and the Defense Minister vowed to continue the fight against Hamas when
The anti-ship ballistic missiles, which were fired by the Houthis after a U.S. warship foiled a hijacking in the Gulf of Aden, missed their mark. The U.S. military has not responded to the attack.
Bill and Joe discuss the ceasefire agreement and expected hostage exchange.
The Houthis boarded and seized the Israeli-linked Galaxy Leader cargo ship on November 19, taking 25 crewmembers captive. This piracy, which follows recent Houthi attacks against Israel, is part of a larger strategy by Iran to undermine maritime security and American interests while attempting to encircle, attack, and exhaust Israel.
Dark smoke could be seen billowing from northern Gaza as clashes continued in various parts of the city on the November 22 eve of a ceasefire with Hamas. The IDF revealed on Wednesday more tunnels under Shifa hospital. Hezbollah threats continued in the north with a drone infiltration, and Eilat in southern Israel was threatened by a cruise missile which the Israel Air Force shot down with warplanes.
The the U.S. military accused Iran of directly carrying out attacks on U.S. forces. “close-range ballistic missiles” were used in a recent attack against U.S. forces.
The agreement calls for 50 Israeli hostages, mostly women and children, to be returned in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel weighed a ceasefire and hostage deal on November 21. Hezbollah attacks increased in northern Israel. In Gaza, the IDF continued to operate in areas next to the center of Gaza City. Israel’s Minister of Defense and Chief of Staff visited troops in the South.
Unlike three previous strikes by the U.S. military which were intended to deter the militias from attacking U.S. forces, today’s strike targeted a Hezbollah Brigades team that had targeted a U.S. base in western Iraq.
As the IDF continues to eliminate Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, Hebzollah continues to keep the Lebanon-Israel border active.
Bill and Joe are back for an update on the latest headlines stemming from Israel’s war in Gaza. They check in on where things stand with Shifa, do a multi-front around the horn to catch up on Gaza, the West Bank, and the northern front with Lebanon and Syria. They also discuss the insanity that is media coverage of Gaza.
Al-Qaeda’s General Command, or its central leadership, called on Muslims to attack American, European, and Israeli institutions, interests, and embassies around the world. Additionally, it called on Muslims in the West to strike from within.
Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada is led by Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani, who is directly responsible for the formation of the Shia terror groups in Iraq and the killing of American soldiers. An IRGC agent was also listed in the designation of Hezbollah Brigades leaders.
Israeli infantry and armored units continued to isolate Gaza City on November 17-19, pushing into Jabalya and Zaytun neighborhoods. Israel also faced a winter storm that lashed the Golan with its first snow and will require troops to be kitted out with gear for the cold months ahead. The IDF released new footage obtained from Shifa hospital showing hostages transported to the hospital by Hamas on October 7.
Bill is back with, plot twist, his long-lost cohost Caleb. They tell you how they really feel about Gen Zs lionizing Osama bin Laden on TikTok and then do an around the horn update on how jihadi groups around the world have (or have not) responded to the war in Gaza.
The IMSC did not identify any of the “malign actors” that caused it to issue the warning, but it is clear the warning is in response to threats by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia.
Israel took control of the harbor of Gaza on Thursday, November 16. This important achievement represents another phase in dismantling the Hamas terrorist infrastructure and brings Israeli forces along the coast closer together to complete the encirclement of Gaza. Operations in Shifa hospital also continued and the body of an Israeli hostage was found in Gaza.
Israel’s IDF began its first operation inside the Shifa hospital compound in Gaza. The hospital is a suspected command and control post for Hamas. Weapons were found and there was a brief battle with terrorists outside the hospital grounds. In addition other Israeli ground forces continued operations in neighborhoods near Gaza city.
Bill Roggio testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability, on the order to withdraw from Afghanistan and the impact on the Afghan government and security forces.
Israeli forces took over several Hamas-run government buildings in Gaza on November 14. An Israeli hostage was confirmed killed in Gaza. She was one of several soldiers taken hostage by Hamas at an observation post during the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack. Attacks targeted Israel’s southern city of Eilat and Hezbollah attacked Israel from Lebanon.
Bill and Joe are back for an update on Israel’s ground incursion into Gaza, and they’re again joined by their FDD colleague and Iran expert Behnam Ben Taleblu to provide a deeper, more nuanced analysis on Tehran’s role as puppet master to the various terrorist groups in play.
Hezbollah attacks on Israel increased on Monday, November 13. Israeli leaders stressed that they want to continue concentrating on defeating Hamas in Gaza. Israel carried out naval operations, and tanks battled terrorists in Gaza as IDF forces press slowly forward into urban areas around Gaza City. One Israeli was killed, and several wounded in the north by Hezbollah attacks.
The U.S. attack is thought to have killed a handful of Iranian proxy militiamen. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin did not mention deterrence or a desire to deescalate this time around.
Israel’s air force has struck more than 5,000 targets in two weeks of ground operations, the IDF said on November 12. Hezbollah continues to threaten Israel in the north, carrying out attacks deeper into Israel and wounding soldiers and civilians.