Middle Orient

The Israeli military claimed it killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike, who was responsible for holding approximately 1,000 people and patients as hostages in a Gaza hospital. In a tweet posted on X, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that Ahmed Siam was also responsible for preventing the …

Hezbollah joined the fighting against Israel on October 8, 2023, the day after Operation Iron Swords began,[2] and opened a front on Israel’s northern border, attacking IDF posts and military crews along the border. The IDF has responded by firing artillery at the sources of the rocket attacks and by …

The combat arena: IDF forces continued their integrated maneuvers in the northern and southern Gaza Strip, and during the past day, ground, air and sea forces attacked over 250 terrorist targets. Most of the activity now focuses on scanning shafts, uncovering weapons and revealing terrorists’ hiding places while engaging in …

Houthi and Yemeni government forces have violated the rights of Taizz residents to water since the Houthis laid siege on Taizz city in 2015, creating a desperate situation, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The 45-page report, “‘Death is More Merciful Than This Life’: Houthi and Yemeni …

Latest Developments The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck several Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon on December 20. “Among the targets attacked were several terrorist infrastructures and military sites where the organization’s militants operated,” the IDF said in a statement. The IDF released footage of the airstrikes, showing numerous targets attacked …

Sudanese businessman Abdelbasit Hamza — whose company holdings feature in Cyprus Confidential documents — has been accused of being “a central figure in Hamas’ investment portfolio.” An accused financier of Hamas has extensive business ties in Europe and owns a stake in a lucrative Cyprus firm that mines Egyptian gold, …

Latest Developments Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen vowed on December 19 to continue threatening international shipping in the Red Sea. “No matter how many alliances America mobilizes, our military operations will not stop,” said Mohammed Albukhaiti, a member of the organization’s ruling council. The statement came in response to the …

On December 7, 2023, Saraya Al-Quds, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), eulogized two of its fighters who allegedly were killed in south Lebanon in a combat against Israel. Citing a Quranic verse that promises heavens for “martyrs,” the statement, which was posted on the group’s Telegram …

Introduction Yemen’s Ansar Allah Houthi Movement – a delisted foreign terrorist organization (FTO) – has, since October 7, launched six rounds of aerial projectiles at Israel,[1] downed a U.S. drone in Yemen,[2] captured a shipping vessel in the Red Sea,[3] and, most recently, fired ballistic missiles and drones in the …

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Monday Operation Prosperity Guardian, which he said was in response to “reckless Houthi attacks” from Yemen in the Red Sea. Countries joining the naval task force include the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain. “The recent escalation in reckless …