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An Israeli air strike on Beirut on September 20 eliminated Hezbollah’s top military commander, Ibrahim Aqil, and 10 other senior commanders belonging to the Iran-backed terrorist organization. Aqil’s death was confirmed by both the Israel Defense Forces and two “security sources in Lebanon” who spoke to the Reuters news agency. The strike came at the close of a week that plunged Hezbollah into disarray after thousands of pagers and hand-held devices carried by the group’s operatives detonated without warning on September 17 and 18.

La situation en Israël devient extrêmement tendue. Non seulement aux frontières, qui sont désormais quasiment sur pied de guerre, compte tenu des choix du gouvernement Netanyahou. À l’intérieur même d’Israël, et peut-être surtout à l’intérieur d’Israël, la tension atteint des sommets. Avec, d’un côté, les oppositions, dont les travaillistes, qui sont désormais à la tête d’une contestation populaire grandissante. D’autre part, le gouvernement de Bibi, de moins en moins populaire, fort de son Likoud et de quelques petits partis influents s’inscrivant dans l’orbite ultra-orthodoxe. Une coalition qui vise directement le conflit non seulement avec le Hamas, mais aussi avec tout le monde arabe qui n’a pas accepté les accords avec Israël. Et qui considère Téhéran comme une référence clé.

The Case for an Israeli-Palestinian Confederation

In July, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the war in Gaza and the future of the Middle East. Afterward, Harris stressed her commitment to a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians—in her words, “the only path that ensures Israel remains a secure Jewish and democratic state, and one that ensures Palestinians can finally realize the freedom, security, and prosperity that they rightly deserve.” She is hardly alone in this sentiment. Across the world, leaders continue to pledge support for a two-state solution, arguing that it provides direction and momentum to efforts to end the war and eventually rebuild Gaza. In a long-awaited cease-fire resolution, passed in June, the UN Security Council again committed itself to “the vision of the two-State solution where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders.”

Walkie-talkies exploded in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon on Wednesday in a second wave of attacks targeting devices a day after pagers used by Hezbollah blew up, state media and officials for the militant group said. At least 20 people were killed and more than 450 wounded in the second wave, the Health Ministry said.

Latest Developments

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah admitted in a televised speech on September 19 that the Iran-backed terrorist organization has suffered a “major and unprecedented blow” during a week in which thousands of communications devices carried by its operatives detonated without warning. Speaking from an undisclosed location, Nasrallah said that an investigation committee had been established to probe the blasts, insisting that the “Israeli effort has largely been thwarted” and that Hezbollah was ready “to face even worse attacks.” Israel has not commented on whether it was responsible for the attacks on September 17 and September 18.

ISIS carried out at least 19 confirmed attacks in August in the Homs, Raqqa, and Deir Ez Zor governorates. These attacks killed at least 12 pro-Assad regime soldiers and seven civilians and wounded at least 25 others. There were also six high quality* attacks carried out during the month. The level of ISIS violence therefore increased throughout August, back to a more standard level following a much quieter period in July, but still remained below the high level of violence experienced during the earlier months of 2024. Additionally, civilians were heavily targeted in August, with five documented attacks against shepherds in Homs, Deir Ez Zor, and Raqqa.

Israeli jets and artillery hit multiple targets in southern Lebanon overnight, Israel’s military said on Thursday, amid spiralling tensions following the mass attack on Hezbollah communications devices this week.

The latest series of blasts – targeting pagers and other electronic devices – killed 37 people and wounded 2,931 wounded, Lebanon’s health ministry said on Thursday.