With Israel and Hamas having reached a ceasefire agreement, the rhetoric coming from Tehran is far from de-escalatory. Military and civilian officials within the Islamic Republic continue to underscore their commitment to rebuilding Hezbollah’s capabilities and have reiterated threats of launching a third phase of the “True Promise” operation against Israel.
Hezbollah launched numerous attacks on Israel on November 24 from the morning until the evening. The attacks included the use of long-range rockets targeting central Israel, and drones and shorter-range rockets targeting northern Israel. Rockets struck buildings in the Galilee, Haifa, and Petah Tikva northeast of Tel Aviv.
Ali Mousa Daqduq was one of the founders of Iraq’s Iran-backed militias that are responsible for killing over 600 American soldiers in Iraq. Daqduq was in US custody in 2007 before being handed over to the Iraqi government, which subsequently freed him in 2011. He returned to Hezbollah and served as deputy commander of the Radwan Force when he was killed.
On November 21, the Israeli military said it conducted three rounds of strikes that were “directed toward Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure and are part of the IDF’s efforts to dismantle Hezbollah’s weapons production and storage capabilities.” IDF Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi visited the 98th Division in Lebanon and discussed the importance Israel places on returning evacuated civilians to border communities. A clash near an archaeological site led to the death of a 71-year-old Israeli researcher who was also a major in the reserves.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) expanded operations in Lebanon, committing several new units to the battle against Hezbollah and moving artillery into the country for the first time. In southern Lebanon, the IDF found rocket launchers with rockets ready to launch. Israel also increased precision airstrikes in Beirut, targeting terrorist infrastructure and eliminating Hezbollah spokesperson Mohammad Afif.
Israel’s recent kidnapping of a Lebanese naval officer, allegedly a senior official in Hezbollah’s small, elite naval unit, may have as much to do with disrupting Iranian attempts to resupply Hezbollah’s degraded arsenal by sea as it does with learning more about the secretive unit’s fighting capabilities.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released the names of six soldiers from the 51st Battalion of the Golani Infantry Brigade who were killed in southern Lebanon on November 13. The same battalion suffered heavy losses during Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023. Hezbollah carried out attacks targeting central Israel on November 13, and Israel intercepted drones aimed at southern Israel on November 12 and 13. In addition, the Israeli Navy targeted a Hezbollah naval site.
On November 12, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the Israeli Air Force has “dismantled a majority of Hezbollah’s weapons storage and missile manufacturing facilities located under the Dahieh district” of Beirut. In southern Lebanon, the IDF found an underground compound and dismantled it by pouring concrete into its bunkers and tunnels. Hezbollah launched around 200 projectiles and numerous drone attacks on Israel on November 11.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uncovered a Hezbollah training site near a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) base, the IDF said on November 8. The IDF also carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah terrorists in Baalbek in eastern Lebanon. Hezbollah fired around 400 rockets at Israel between November 5 and November 8, including long-range rockets that reached central Israel.
Naim Qassem delivered his second speech as Hezbollah’s secretary-general on the 40th day since Hassan Nasrallah’s passing. Qassem repeated many of the themes and claims from his previous speeches and stressed that Hezbollah will continue fighting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu removed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant from office on November 5 after months of tension between the two men. The move comes as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continues to operate in Lebanon against Hezbollah, and Israel faces threats on multiple fronts. In Gaza, the IDF has eliminated approximately 1,000 terrorists and cleared a large area of northern Gaza of Hamas members.
Israel has focused on degrading Hezbollah’s Unit 4400, which is tasked with supplying the group with weapons and funds. Israel’s spate of attacks has impacted the unit’s ability to function and Hezbollah’s battle-readiness during the current campaign. However, it remains too soon to determine the long-term impact on Hezbollah’s organizational integrity.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted airstrikes targeting sites belonging to Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in Syria.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) downed seven drones between October 31 and November 1, including five launched from Iraq. On November 4, the IDF intercepted four drones launched from Lebanon and Iraq. Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets and drones per day at Israel on November 2 and November 3, and the IDF struck several key Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon.
On October 30, Naim Qassem delivered his first speech as Hezbollah’s new secretary-general. Qassem stressed his intention to continue in Nasrallah’s footsteps and that Hezbollah would continue its war with Israel until a ceasefire was reached on the group’s terms.
Seven Israelis were killed by Hezbollah rocket fire on October 31: five people in an agricultural area near Metula in northern Israel and two others while harvesting olives near Haifa. The IDF carried out airstrikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah’s command and control and weapons storage facilities.
Four Israel Defense Forces (IDF) divisions continued operations in southern Lebanon between October 27 and 29. The IDF found one Hezbollah facility that was 24 feet underground, while another stretched for more than a mile underground and “included food supplies, beds, storage cabinets, electrical power, and an arsenal of weapons.” The IDF also captured several Hezbollah members, including the commander of a local village.
Hezbollah rocket fire struck a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) compound in Naqoura, Lebanon, wounding eight Austrian peacekeepers.
Naim Qassem became Hezbollah’s new secretary-general on October 29. His last speech as the group’s deputy secretary-general, given two weeks earlier, indicates that Nasrallah’s successor intends to continue in his predecessor’s confrontational path.
As Iran attempts to save face following Israel’s recent military strike, conflicting narratives about the imperative to respond are coming to the fore.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) suffered losses in Lebanon and Gaza over two days of fighting. On October 24, the IDF announced the names of five fallen soldiers killed in Lebanon, and the Israeli military announced the names of eight more killed in Lebanon and Gaza on October 25. IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi visited troops in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, where he praised their determination in recent weeks of fighting Hamas.
Hezbollah launched a barrage of 50 rockets at northern Israel on October 24, targeting Israeli communities during the Simchat Torah holiday, after launching an estimated 135 projectiles into Israel the day before. On October 22, a total of 140 projectiles were launched. Israelis were injured in rocket attacks on October 23 and October 24. The IDF carried out airstrikes in Tyre and Beirut, and Israeli troops in southern Lebanon uncovered large amounts of Hezbollah weapons, including rifles, RPGs, mortars, and anti-tank missiles.
A specious argument fueled by DC-based Lebanese activists is gaining traction. It alleges that UN Security Council Resolution 1559 (2004) takes a stronger stance against Hezbollah than its successor, Resolution 1701, adopted after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War. This entire argument, however, rests on misinterpretations of Resolution 1701’s meaning and intent and demonstrates ignorance of international law.
Israel faces a rising drone threat from Iranian-backed proxies. On October 22, Israel confirmed that a drone attack on October 19 had struck a residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Hezbollah took responsibility for the attack. Hezbollah also killed four IDF soldiers and wounded 60 in an attack on an IDF training base on October 13. Israel’s Minister of Defense held a trial for defense companies to showcase technology to counter drone threats on October 14.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began waves of strikes on a financial organization it states has branches across Lebanon and is used to fund Hezbollah’s terror activities. An Israeli military assessment reports the IDF has hit 3,200 Hezbollah targets and killed seven of the group’s brigade commanders and 21 of its battalion commanders since the operation in Lebanon began almost a month ago.
Israeli ground forces and aircraft struck hundreds of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in three days of operations from October 14 to October 17. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimates that 45 Hezbollah members were eliminated on October 17. Israeli ground forces also uncovered tunnels and numerous weapons and captured Hezbollah personnel in recent operations.
The appointment of Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh as Hezbollah’s “supervisor” underscores the growing challenges faced by Iran and its proxies amid Israel’s military and intelligence operations. The inability to establish stable leadership within Hezbollah not only reflects Israel’s tactical successes but also reveals deep fractures within the Axis of Resistance. The heightened paranoia among Iranian leaders suggests a precarious future for the Islamic Republic’s efforts to maintain control over its oldest proxy.
A Hezbollah kamikaze drone struck an IDF training base, killing four soldiers and wounding 60 others. Hezbollah has used more than 200 drones in attacks over the past year. IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi visited the site of the attack, and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “We must investigate it, study the details, and implement lessons in a swift and professional manner.” Gallant also spoke with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and visited northern Israel to oversee operations against Hezbollah.
IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi visited Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon on October 10. He reviewed how the IDF is operating against Hezbollah in Lebanese villages near the border from where Hezbollah has threatened Israel with rockets over the past year. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on October 11 that two of its peacekeepers were wounded in Lebanon. Hezbollah fired 190 projectiles into Israel on October 10.
Israel announced that it killed Hashem Safieddine, the likely successor to Hezbollah’s longtime Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. Safieddine was a veteran Hezbollah leader, and the group has suffered significant losses to its leadership cadre.