Middle Orient

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) deployed a third division—the 91st Division—to southern Lebanon on October 7 for “focused and delimited” ground operations against Lebanese Hezbollah.[i] The 91st Division joins the 36th and 98th divisions in southern Lebanon shortly after Israel announced that it would expand ground operations against Hezbollah.[ii] The …

And How It Can Regain Its Strategic Edge The massacre of October 7, 2023, was one of the most horrific atrocities perpetrated since World War II. On that day, Hamas-led militants kidnapped Israeli children, raped Israeli women, beheaded Israeli men, and burned alive entire Israeli families in their homes. But …

How the Country’s Military Success Is Producing Political Failure Last October 7, Hamas surprised Israel’s famed military and intelligence agencies. Both had known, for years, about the Palestinian armed group’s preparations to invade Israel and kill and kidnap its soldiers and citizens. But they failed to believe that it would …

The Israeli war on the Gaza Strip is managed according to changing rules, depending on the military situation, the local reactions of Hamas and Israel, and foreign pressures. This means that the war will not proceed according to any prepared plans, decisive objectives, or rules. Therefore, this paper addresses the …

some of days of war have passed, yet the possible consequences remain enigmatic to observers, as this conflict presents multiple potential outcomes at the Israeli, Palestinian, regional, and international levels. This position assessment aims to explore the most likely scenarios for future developments. On October 7, 2023, Hamas initiated Operation …

The turbulent year since Hamas’s brutal attack on Israel draws to a close, marked by a sharp escalation in conflict between Israel and Iran and its proxies. Four CFR experts assess the changes since the attacks. One year after Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel, Elliott Abrams examines the extraordinary response …

Rockets from Gaza target border region and Tel Aviv in heaviest attack in months, as 1st anniversary of earthshaking assault is marked amid widening war and continuing hostage crisis One year after Hamas-led terrorists embarked on a brutal rampage that shook Israel to its core, a deeply scarred nation stopped …

And How It Can Regain Its Strategic Edge The massacre of October 7, 2023, was one of the most horrific atrocities perpetrated since World War II. On that day, Hamas-led militants kidnapped Israeli children, raped Israeli women, beheaded Israeli men, and burned alive entire Israeli families in their homes. But …

As Israel escalates attacks across Lebanon, experts say the full-scale war is no longer just a possibility. On Friday night, the bombs struck one after another. Thunderous booms and shockwaves erupted throughout the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Large pillars of smoke billowed from the southern suburbs, visible from well outside …

On October 4, the US military said it attacked Iran-backed Houthi military facilities in Yemen. “U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted strikes on 15 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen today at about 5 p.m. (Sanaa time). These targets included Houthi offensive military capabilities. These actions were taken …