Author Archives: Seth Frantzman

Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).

IDF has destroyed 130 Hamas tunnels in Gaza while establishing a civilian corridor to safety

| November 8, 2023

The IDF continues to operate in sectors around Gaza City as it attempted to root out terrorist infrastructure on Wednesday, November 8. This included demolishing and blowing up tunnels used by Hamas. In addition the IDF opened a corridor along a main road for civilians to flee south. The twin challenges of dismantling tunnels and enabling civilians to flee is increasingly part of the ground operation as troops settle into their areas of operation.

Israel enters new phase of war with Gaza City now encircled

| November 6, 2023

Israel’s ground operations in Gaza entered their second week on Monday, October 6. With IDF units now astride the Gaza Strip, encircling Gaza City, the two divisions the IDF has in Gaza can settle into their operational areas and begin to uncover Hamas terrorist infrastructure.

IDF suffers increased casualties amid urban Gaza battles 

| November 1, 2023

Israel has suffered more than a dozen casualties in the last two days as infantry presses into urban areas near Gaza City. At the same time the Israel Air Force and navy work closely together to target Hamas terrorists. Israel’s Defense Minister warned Hezbollah and other groups in the region not to threaten Israel, while saying Israel is focused on victory in Gaza.

As battle in Gaza grows, Israel faces multi-front threats

| October 31, 2023

Israel’s infantry pushed deeper into Gaza on October 31, encountering resistance and also taking a key Hamas bastion. As Israel carried out airstrikes on Hamas commanders, the Iran-backed Houthis fired a ballistic missile towards Eilat. It was intercepted. In the north Hezbollah continued anti-tank fire.

Israel presses its offensive into Gaza

| October 30, 2023

Israeli forces pushed into Gaza over the weekend and have expanded operations on Monday, October 30. Close cooperation between ground forces and the air force has enabled 150 strikes on Hamas targets in the last several days. One Israeli hostage was freed by operations in Gaza while tensions continue between Hezbollah and Israel in the north.

Yemen, Syria and Iran’s capabilities: A look at Israel’s strategic view of key proxy conflicts in the MidEast

| April 7, 2021

Israel is concerned about Iran’s role in Syria and Yemen, as well as its continued support for groups that threaten Israel. A recent discussion with an Israeli senior defense official provided an insight into Israel’s concerns and how these conflict areas have developed. A previous post at the FDD’s Long War Journal looked an overview of the […]

Russian air defense systems outmatched by Turkish drones in Syria and Libya

| June 10, 2020

After many years of conflict in Syria and Libya, the involvement of Turkey, Russia and other powers is leading to increasingly sophisticated clashes between the latest UAV and air defense technology. The use of new technology has ramifications for future conflicts in the Middle East and provides an emerging model for how regional powers are fighting proxy wars to redraw the balance of power in the region.