1) The ITIC reports on ‘Palestinian Activity in Jenin in Reaction to the IDF Presence in Judea and Samaria’.
“The Jenin refugee camp, with its population of about 11,000, is controlled by military terrorist wings, led by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Jerusalem Brigades, and has become a center for terrorism in Judea and Samaria. Their activities include the recent attempts to shoot at Israeli communities near the border and attempts, so far unsuccessful, to manufacture rockets and launch them into Israeli territory. The refugee camp, with its various resident terrorist organizations, operates as one organism and is almost independent; the Palestinian Authority (PA) has virtually no presence or influence in the camp. Some of the refugee camp residents, even those who are not terrorist operatives, participate in the activities against the Israeli security forces by providing early intelligence of IDF force entry into the camp and helping to prevent their operations.”
2) At the Jerusalem Post, Khaled Abu Toameh reports on Iran’s activities in PA controlled areas.
“According to the source, the Palestinian Authority has noticed that there is increased cooperation between PIJ gunmen and members of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of the ruling Fatah faction headed by PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
The PA security forces fear that scores of Fatah gunmen belonging to the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades are currently on the payroll of Iran – through its Palestinian proxy PIJ, the source added.
“Iran is already here, in the West Bank,” a Palestinian official in Ramallah claimed. “The Iranians want their Palestinian agents to extend their control from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank.””
3) At the JISS, Alexander Grinberg discusses ‘Iran’s proxy war against Azerbaijan’.
“Whereas Iran’s destabilizing activities in the Middle East are well known, “peripheral” Tehran activities are coming under the radar. One such direction of Iranian subversion is the Caucasus, Iran’s conflict with the Republic of Azerbaijan. Numerous Iranian media outlets have recently evoked the possibility of a military escalation between Baku and Tehran. The Iranian regime accuses Azerbaijan of all possible manipulations and evil doings, including dispatching ISIS and al-Qaeda Sunni terrorists to fight Iran. The main accusation, however, is of Baku’s collision with Israel (“the Zionist regime,” to quote Iranian officialdom).”
4) At WINEP, Samara Azzi and Hanin Ghaddar explain ‘How Hezbollah Profits from Lebanon’s Financial Crisis’.
“In March 2020, Lebanon opted for a “hard default” on $32 billion in sovereign debt, allowing the government to avoid negotiating with its Eurobond holders and investors. Beirut thereafter showed little interest in addressing the consequences of default, and the country’s economic meltdown worsened. As usual, the Lebanese people were the casualties, suffering amid what the World Bank has called a “deliberate depression.” This official negligence has cleared the way for a proliferating cash economy—which in turn has spawned a currency exchange scheme involving the central bank, foreign exchange agents, and Lebanese politicians. Hezbollah specifically has profited in areas ranging from real estate to solar energy, pharmaceuticals, and the illicit Captagon trade.”
Wishing a very happy Eid al Adha to all our readers celebrating.
