This past week no unusual incidents were reported along the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah-affiliated media outlets reported on works carried out by Israel in the Ghajar region. The exposure of Iran and Hezbollah’s secret airport in south Lebanon continued to make headlines. Preliminary details have been published about the plan of Amos Hochstein, the American president’s coordinator for energy security, to resolve the issue of the land border between Israel and Lebanon. Tensions continue in the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp. Several meetings were held in an effort to calm the situation. So far, there has been no solution to the presidential crisis in Lebanon nor is one on the horizon. Hezbollah and Amal continue to promote the candidacy of Suleiman Frangieh.

This past week Palestinians carried out seven terrorist attacks. The Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activities, focusing on Jeninn and Jericho; five Palestinians were killed. Meanwhile, the Palestinian security forces continued to detain wanted persons in Jenin. During the Jewish New Year tensions increased when Jewish worshipers entered the Temple Mount; the event was condemned by Palestinians and Arab countries.This past week riots were renewed along the Gaza border. One Palestinian was killed by IDF forces in the southern Gaza Strip and five others were killed by an explosive device in the eastern Gaza Strip before it could thrown at Israeli soldiers The Palestinian Authority (PA) continued its activities in preparation for Mahmoud Abbas’ speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 21, 2023. Mahmoud Abbas and PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh are exploiting the visit to New York to meet with world leaders to mobilize support for the Palestinian issue.

This week, there was a decline in ISIS’s activity around the world. The organization’s activity focused on Syria and Africa. In the Idlib area, fighting continued between the forces of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated HTS and the Syrian army. In the desert area, three pro-Iranian militia fighters were killed in an ISIS attack. In Nigeria ISIS attacked Nigerian army targets in the northeast of the country. In Somalia operatives of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab continued to attack targets of the Somali army and the forces supporting it. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have formed a new defense alliance to jointly fight jihadi terrorist organizations headed by Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Al-Qaeda’s branch in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) renewed the publication of the magazine Sada al-Malahim, apparently to enlist support and operatives. Unofficial media arms affiliated with Al-Qaeda published posters threatening the United States and its allies and Sweden and its “sisters.”

This past week no unusual incidents were reported along the Israel-Lebanon border. In south Lebanon there were reports of explosions and Israeli planes circling over the area. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant revealed the existence of an Iranian airport in south Lebanon. In Lebanon the reactions to the revelation were mixed. The United States Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Hezbollah operatives and economic institutions in south Lebanon and South America. An arms-smuggling network from Iran to Lebanon for Hamas was exposed, with the involvement of officers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Qods Force. Violent clashes were renewed in the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon. The presidential crisis in Lebanon continues despite the efforts of Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French envoy, who visited Lebanon, to help resolve it. In Syria, two attacks attributed to Israel were carried out in the area of Tartus and Hama.