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Spotlight on Terrorism : Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (July 28-August 3, 2023)

This past week masked Lebanese cut the security fence near the village of Ghajar, waved the Hezbollah flag and chanted slogans at Israel, increasing the tension between Israel and Lebanon. Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah secretary general, claimed Israel still held territories belonging Lebanon and penetrated Lebanese airspace. On July 29, 2023, violent clashes broke out and shots were fired in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon, following the attempted assassination of a Salafist operative. Wassim Mansouri was appointed to serve as governor of the Lebanese Central Bank of Lebanon.Preparations continue to begin drilling in Lebanon's offshore gas field.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (July 27 – August 2, 2023)

This week, ISIS operatives carried out three noteworthy attacks: two attacks were carried out at the Al-Sayyida Zaynab Shrine, south of Damascus, a Shiite pilgrimage site. Another attack was carried out in Pakistan during a political gathering ahead of the elections. In Iraq Security forces continued their counterterrorism activities against ISIS’s infrastructure in the various provinces. One of ISIS’s senior commanders, described as “dangerous,” was detained. In Nigeria ISIS’s activity against the military forces continued, although this week it was relatively moderate. The Somali army reported that it had acted, in collaboration with the US army, against the Al-Shabaab infrastructure. According to Al-Shabaab, there was no military activity against it, and it was rather Al-Shabaab that acted against the Somali military forces. An ISIS suicide bomber carried out an attack during a political conference in Bajaur Province, east of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. At least 54 people were killed and about 200 were wounded.
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Spotlight on Iran (July 20-31, 2023)

Iran condemned the IDF operation in Nablus, in which three armed Palestinians were killed. Additionally, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount. Reuters reported on a recent meeting between senior officials from the IRGC’s Qods Force and Hamas, during which they discussed the internal crisis in Israel. Newsweek published an investigative report on the Imam Hossein Division, the pro-Iranian militia considered the strongest in Syria and linked to the IRGC’s Qods Force. Iran condemned the attack carried out by ISIS on July 27, 2023, in the Shiite quarter on the outskirts of Damascus, in which six people were killed. There were no casualties among Iranian pilgrims.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (July 21-27, 2023)

Tension along the Israel-Lebanon border This past week Hezbollah and its affiliates continued provocations near the border; the most blatant was a patrol of armed Hezbollah operatives very close to Dovev, an Israeli moshav. Road construction works continued in Kafr Shuba. Lebanese politicians back Hezbollah's demands for Israel's complete withdrawal from the area of the Shebaa Farms and Kafr Ghajar Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's secretary general, delivered a speech in which he referred to the passing of Israel's Standard of Reasonableness Law and its influence on Israel's internal affairs UNIFIL said in a statement that every day its forces carried out more than 450 [sic] operational activities in south Lebanon, stressing that the force acted independently.The presidential crisis in Lebanon continues, with Hezbollah officials continuing to support the candidacy of Suleiman Frangieh. The international attempts to resolve the crisis have led to increasing tensions between Hezbollah and Saudi Arabia. Iran might also join the countries assisting the process of electing a president.
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Spotlight on Global Jihad (July 20-26, 2023)

This week, there was a moderate increase in the scope of ISIS’s activity in Syria. Noteworthy was the counterterrorism activity of the security forces against ISIS in Syria and Iraq and against Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab in Africa.Five Syrian army soldiers and/or operatives supporting the army were killed and ten were wounded in the explosion of an ISIS IED in the eastern Homs Province. Two ISIS operatives were killed and another was wounded in counterterrorism activity south of Al-Hasakah. In Somali army activity against Al-Shabaab northwest of Mogadishu, around 40 operatives were killed, including foreign commanders.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria (July 14-20, 2023)

This past week the tension along the Israeli-Lebanese border continued. Hezbollah and its affiliates continued provocative actions along the border, including on the Israeli side. In an exceptional incident, IDF surveillance cameras installed along the border fence were ripped out. Hezbollah issued a video of its operatives simulating an attack on an Israeli post. Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah secretary general, gave a speech about Hezbollah's ideology, rife with anti-Semitic motifs and propaganda.The Lebanese government demanded Israel withdraw to the 1923 borders (agreed upon by the British and French mandates). The Lebanese government withdrew its conditions for renewing UNIFIL's mandate, after seeking to reduce the agency's powers in a way that would serve Hezbollah. The about-face was most likely the result of international pressure.
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