Author: M Barbu

For the past several years, Hamas has often been overlooked in discussions regarding the top global terrorist threats. The Islamic State and its worldwide network of affiliates occupy much of the counterterrorism bandwidth, along with al-Qaeda affiliates such as al-Shabaab in Somalia. Even Lebanese Hezbollah has ranked higher on the agenda of terrorist organizations that the United States and Israel are chiefly concerned with.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raged against Israel in a speech given before a pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday in Istanbul. He said he is preparing to introduce Israel as a “war criminal” on a world stage, at a moment the debate over Gaza continues heating up at the United Nations.

Removing even just one oil refinery might also “send a message” and persuade Iran’s ruling mullahs to rethink their plans.

The Biden administration, it appears, has been funding both sides of two wars: Hamas’s invasion of Israel, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Le seul pays qui pourrait détourner l’Occident de l’Ukraine est Israël. Mais les États-Unis et leurs alliés tombent dans un piège existentiel s’ils pensent qu’une victoire au Proche-Orient sera plus facile à remporter qu’une victoire en Europe.

The atrocities witnessed today in Palestine are the consequence of decades of violent events, tragedies, unfulfilled promises, mushrooming illegal settlements and victimhood. Some acts that were committed contradict our Arab culture, as well as Islamic beliefs and values, and resulted in an escalation of violence and misery that brings no gain to anyone – only losses.

Gaza-based Qassam Brigades has been waging an armed resistance against Israeli occupation since its founding in 1992.

Hamas has been in the spotlight since October 7, when its military wing, the Qassam Brigades, launched an attack on Israeli territory, killing about 1,400 people and taking more than 200 people captives.

The current ominous lull might be an indication of a standoff between Israel’s civilian leadership and the military.

Nearly three weeks after the Hamas attacks in southern Israel, Israel has not yet responded with its promised ground invasion.

Interviews with faction leaders reveal anger with Hamas over starting a unilateral conflict, but also a determination to get involved if Hezbollah greenlights such a move and Israel invades Gaza.

Iranian-backed Iraqi armed factions are unlikely to participate directly in the Israel-Hamas war as long as it is solely led by the Palestinian militant group, amid a split in the decision to target US military bases in Iraq and Syria among these same factions, commanders of Iranian-backed armed groups told Al-Monitor.