Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, Iran - What you need to know

The U.S. Treasury Department and Canadian government sanctioned Samidoun, a nonprofit posing as a Palestinian rights charity, for financially supporting the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a designated terrorist group involved in Hamas' October 7 attacks. Cofounded in 2011 by American Charlotte Kates and her husband, PFLP member Khaled Barakat, Samidoun has also backed pro-Hamas protests on college campuses including at Columbia University; Kates was recently arrested in Canada for praising the October 7 massacre and traveled to Iran to accept a "human rights award" from the Iranian regime.

On October 1, Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, marking the largest-ever single ballistic missile attack. Israel, with the help of the U.S. and its allies, intercepted most of the missiles using its multi-layered air defense system, but some hit central Israel, resulting in casualties. The attack, which Iran claims was in retaliation for Israel's assassination of key Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, is part of Iran’s long-standing campaign against Israel, which it seeks to eliminate. In response, Israel is preparing for further action, with global allies condemning the attack and offering support.

Last week, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was directly responsible for the deaths of thousands and the orchestration of the October 7 terror attacks.

AJC Statement on the Death of Hamas Head Yahya Sinwar

Known as the mastermind behind the October 7 Hamas massacre that killed over 1,200 Israelis and took over 250 hostages, Yahya Sinwar was one of the most wanted terrorists. On October 17, 2024, Israeli officials announced the IDF killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar in the southern Gaza Strip.

There is a renewed interest in the 18-year-old United Nations Resolution 1701, which was intended to demilitarize the border between Israel and Lebanon, but faces one critical obstacle: Hezbollah and its state sponsor Iran.

In a dispatch recorded from the Israel-Lebanon border, AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (Res.) Avital Leibovich shares an update on Hezbollah’s deadly drone strike on a military base in northern Israel.

Who is the Bibas family? Meet the family viciously ripped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023 by terrorists.

Here is a collection of 11 resources that all advocates for Israel and the Jewish people need to know as we mark the anniversary of October 7.

On October 1, 2024 millions of Israelis rushed to bomb shelters as the Iranian regime launched the largest ballistic missiles ever at Israel. Here are the countries that have condemned the Iranian regime's ballistic missile attack on Israel.

Could Israel’s elimination of Hezbollah’s leaders reshape the landscape of power in the Middle East? Matthew Levitt, Director of the Washington Institute's Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, answers that pressing question, discusses the impact of Israel's recent offensive against Hezbollah, following the death of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and analyzes the ongoing military operations on the Israel-Lebanon border.

On September 27, the Israel Defense Forces launched a massive airstrike targeting Hezbollah’s headquarters in Lebanon. Senior Hezbollah officials, including Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, were killed in the attack. The death of Nasrallah marks a significant blow to Hezbollah, which has already lost almost all of its top leadership to counterterrorism operations conducted by Israeli forces in recent weeks. Since October 8, Hezbollah has escalated its attacks on Israel, launching barrages of rockets, drones, and mortar shells on a near-daily basis – more than 10,000 to date.

Bent on eradicating Israel and murdering Israelis, Hezbollah has launched 12,000 rockets and drones at the Jewish state since October 8, including the deadly strike in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in July that killed 12 kids and wounded several others.

Who are the Houthis in Yemen? The Houthis are an extremist Shia-Islamist movement and terrorist army.  acked by Iran, this organization controls approximately one-third of Yemen’s territory and more than two-thirds of the country’s population. It has emerged as a prominent player in the Israel-Hamas war, which began on October 7 with a mass murder attack by Hamas on Israelis.

In August, experts at The Washington Institute unveiled the Iranian External Operations Interactive Map and Timeline, a groundbreaking tool that tracks Iran's external activities since 1979. This searchable database provides crucial insights into Iran’s global operations, including historical and recent plots and ongoing surveillance and kidnapping operations.

The brutal execution of six hostages by Hamas in late August has heightened the urgency to free the 100+ hostages still held by the terror group nearly a year after the October 7. Hamas has a long history of murdering U.S. nationals dating back to its founding in the late 1980s. Here's what to know about the Americans killed by Hamas on and before October 7.

AJC CEO Ted Deutch joined Second Gentlemen Douglas Emhoff, Jewish community members and leaders at the National Vigil for the Hostages in Washington, D.C. to mourn the hostages ruthlessly murdered by Hamas.

Here is what is known about the people taken hostage on October 7, the history of Hamas’ hostage-taking, how Israel has responded in the past, and the latest on hostages negotiations.

AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich details Israel's recent strike on Hezbollah, which successfully thwarted a major rocket attack against northern and central Israel. Leibovich also discusses the next steps for Israel in response to the ongoing threats posed by Hezbollah.

For years, Palestinian-American supermodel Bella Hadid has been vocal about her anti-Israel views. While criticism of Israel is perfectly legitimate in public discourse, Hadid’s comments have often crossed the line, as she posts content that demonizes Israel and is antisemitic on her social media channels with millions of followers.