The Biden administration removed the Houthis from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in 2021 and didn’t re-list the group despite over 15 months of missile and drone attacks on US naval forces, international shipping, and Israel. The Trump administration ordered re-listing the Houthis after two days in office.
Bill is joined by show regular Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss Edmund’s latest analysis for FDD’s Long War Journal: The role of Iraqi Shia militias as proxies in Iran’s Axis of Resistance.
West Bank terrorist groups are a persistent and evolving security challenge for Israel and the Palestinian Authority. These groups’ numbers, arsenals, and capabilities have expanded dramatically since an initial surge of terrorist activity in June 2021.
Bill is joined by his FDD colleagues David Daoud and Jon Schanzer — who literally wrote the book on conflict in Gaza — to discuss the ceasefire and hostage deal that has just been reached between Israel and Hamas.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue to search for and uncover Hezbollah munitions and terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon. IDF forces found weapons, explosives, and a tunnel in the fourth week of December. Israel is aiming to fulfill its mission against these threats before troops withdraw from southern Lebanon over the next three weeks in compliance with the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. Hezbollah has warned that it will respond to Israel if the ceasefire’s terms are violated.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) eliminated dozens of terrorists in ambushes in Jabaliya overnight between December 29 and December 30. It was a rare large clash in northern Gaza, as the IDF has continued to fight in this area since early October. An Israeli soldier was also killed and several others wounded in northern Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) detained more than 240 suspected terrorists during a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza on December 28. It is at least the third time in a year that the IDF has found numerous terrorists near this hospital. The IDF also launched a new operation in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, and terrorists fired several long-range rockets at Israel from the neighborhood as Israeli troops began the operation.
A recent declaration by the League of Arab States chastising Iran for “inciting strife among the Syrian people” and the weakened positions of or hedging by Tehran’s regional proxies signal Iran’s diminishing influence.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out airstrikes on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on December 26. The daytime strikes targeted the port of Hudaydah and Sanaa International Airport, among other targets. The IDF said it was targeting military infrastructure linked to the Houthis and Iranian smuggling of weapons to the group. The Houthis conducted a ballistic missile attack on Israel in the early hours of December 27.
Three Israeli soldiers were killed in northern Gaza, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said on December 23. The soldiers were taking part in a raid against terrorists in Beit Hanoun when they were killed by an improvised explosive device. The IDF also carried out an airstrike on December 22, targeting a Hamas commander who was at a command-and-control center in a former school.
Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz went to southern Lebanon on December 22 and vowed that Hezbollah would not be permitted to return to the border area. He met with the commanders of the IDF’s 91st Division and 188th Armored Brigade. The 188th has continued to uncover terrorist infrastructure and weapons in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli Air Force carried out retaliatory strikes on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on December 19, following a Houthi missile attack targeting the Tel Aviv area on December 19 and also another attack on December 16. The IDF intercepted both threats, though debris on December 19 fell on a school near Tel Aviv. Israel’s strikes in Yemen targeted ports and energy infrastructure.
In his first speech after Assad’s downfall, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem completely reversed the organization’s position on the Syrian dictator’s removal. Qassem extended an olive branch to groups that, the week prior, he described as takfiri agents of Israel. He also insisted Hezbollah’s position in Lebanon would remain unchanged.
The IDF’s 98th Division completed its mission in Lebanon after operating against Hezbollah for two months in October and November. The IDF said the division is preparing for its next mission in the Gaza Strip. Other Israeli units in southern Lebanon continue to uncover Hezbollah tunnels and munitions as the ceasefire continues between Israel and Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz visited the peak of Mount Hermon on December 17. The IDF seized the peak in the wake of the fall of the Syrian regime of Bashar al Assad on December 8. “The IDF is here to protect the communities of the Golan Heights and the citizens of the State of Israel from any threat, from the most important place where it is possible to do so,” Katz said. The IDF is preparing to remain in areas that were previously a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces along the border.
After the collapse of the Assad regime, Israel embarked on a widescale operation in Syria to neutralize potential emerging threats. Dubbed “Operation Bashan Arrow,” the massive undertaking resulted in Israel decimating 70–80% of the former regime’s military and the destruction of its chemical weapons facilities and caches.
Terrorists fired two projectiles at Israel from central Gaza on December 11, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted the threats. Hamas continues to control central Gaza and use the area to threaten Israel. In northern Gaza, the IDF eliminated 10 terrorists who were part of a group that killed three Israeli soldiers on December 9. The IDF also targeted two Hamas members who took part in the October 7 attack.
Between December 8 and 10, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck more than 300 targets in Syria aimed at eliminating military assets that might fall into the wrong hands and threaten Israel. The strikes targeted air defense systems, missile sites, and Syrian Air Force bases where abandoned warplanes were present. The IDF also eliminated the Syrian Navy fleet. “We have no intention of interfering in Syria’s internal affairs; however, we do intend to do what is necessary for our security,” stated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) cannot be counted upon to restrain Hezbollah. Beirut continues to demonstrate a lack of will to act against the group—and the more time that passes, the more difficult Hezbollah will become to rein in or disarm.
On December 8, Syria’s Assad regime fell from power, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu journeyed to the Golan Heights. “This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunity but also is fraught with significant dangers,” Netanyahu said. Israel sent additional troops to the Golan on December 7 and conducted training to confront the developments in Syria. The IDF also seized part of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, part of a buffer zone between Israel and Syria.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem gave two speeches after the November 27 ceasefire that discussed Hezbollah’s next steps. In his first, he didn’t mention Hezbollah’s withdrawal from south of the Litani River. However, he made an about-face in his second speech, perhaps under Israeli military pressure and due to the situation in Syria. Qassem also discussed cooperating with the Lebanese government to reconstruct areas damaged during the war.
Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz met with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi on December 5 as the situation in Syria shifts rapidly. “The IDF monitors developments and is prepared for all scenarios, offensive and defensive alike. The IDF will not tolerate threats near the Lebanon-Syria border and will thwart any threat against the State of Israel,” the IDF said in a statement. It is the second high-level meeting Israel has had in the wake of the Syrian regime losing ground to opposition forces. At the same time, the IDF continues to operate in southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uncovered explosives and munitions in northern Gaza this week. The 401st Armored Brigade operating in Jabaliya found an explosives lab, while Israeli infantry also found a building rigged with explosives in another sector. An IDF commander estimated that the fight against Hamas in Jabaliya could take up to another month. In central Gaza, the IDF eliminated seven terrorists it said had participated in the October 7 attack. The IDF declared that hostage Omer Neutra was killed on October 7, 2023, and Hamas holds his body in Gaza.