Regional Overview
Middle East
November 2023

Iraq: US conducts first retaliatory strikes against Iran-backed groups in Iraq since Israel-Gaza conflict began

On 21 and 22 November, US airstrikes targeted Iran-backed Kataib Hizbullah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Harakat al-Nujaba fighters in western Anbar province and Jurf al-Nasr district in Babil province, leading to nine reported fatalities. These strikes were in response to a 20 November Islamic Resistance ballistic missile strike that injured up to 10 US soldiers at the Ain al-Asad Airbase. An American AC-130 gunship targeted the attack’s point of origin in Abu Ghraib district, while American fighter jets targeted Iran-backed militia command and control nodes in Anbar province and Jurf Al Nasr.¹Tara Copp and Kareem Chayeb, Major Iranian-backed militant group vows to expand conflict if U.S. airstrikes continue, Associated Press, 22 November 2023 However, these strikes do not represent a US policy shift toward Iran-backed groups in Iraq, with the deputy Pentagon press secretary stating that the US conducts retaliatory strikes in the region when it is able to identify an attack’s point of origin.²Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Ms. Sabrina Singh Holds a Press Briefing, U.S. Department of Defense, 21 November 2023. The strikes targeting command and control nodes are likely intended to deter additional short-range ballistic missile strikes. The Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq umbrella group has conducted near-daily suicide drone and rocket attacks targeting American and Global Coalition forces stationed in Iraq and Syria since 17 October. However, the group paused attacks during the temporary Gaza ceasefire that went into effect on 24 November.

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Lebanon: Cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israel continues

Daily skirmishes between Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) along the Lebanon-Israel border continued in November, though hostilities were halted during the last week of the month following the announcement of a temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. The IDF conducted over 660 shelling and airstrike attacks targeting southern Lebanon in November, killing at least 20 civilians, including two journalists, and more than two dozen Hezbollah fighters. A day after the killing of five senior Hezbollah militants, including the son of the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, on 22 November, the armed group responded by firing approximately 50 rockets toward Israel, in the heaviest barrage of rockets from Lebanon since the start of hostilities. In total, Hezbollah attacked northern Israel in over 100 incidents in November, resulting in two reported civilian fatalities. The geographical scope of the fighting has, however, continued to remain within five miles of each side of the border, and large-scale targeting of civilians has been avoided, suggesting that the two parties are still trying to prevent the escalation of hostilities into a full-scale war.

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Palestine: Fighting in Gaza is paused and tensions in the West Bank persist

On 24 November, Israel and Hamas reached a Qatar-mediated truce that lasted until the early morning of 1 December. Prior to this, the IDF continued its aerial campaign in the Gaza Strip, though at a reduced rate; from 1 to 23 November, ACLED records a 16% decrease in IDF airstrike events across Gaza compared to the period between 7 and 31 October. With the IDF intensifying its ground operation in northern Gaza and moving deeper into Hamas’ stronghold Gaza City, the number of armed clashes significantly increased during November. Israeli soldiers clashed with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) forces on more than 150 occasions in November, compared to 40 in October. Despite this, IDF forces still had not established full control over key areas in northern Gaza, such as al-Zaytoun, al-Shujaiya, and the Jabaliya refugee camp, up to the start of the temporary ceasefire.³Jacob Magid, ‘Truce fell apart after Hamas refused to release more female Israeli hostages,’ Times of Israel, 2 December 2023 During the truce, 105 Israeli and foreign hostages were released from Gaza, while Israel released 210 Palestinian prisoners. Israel also allowed increased aid to enter the Gaza Strip during the pause in fighting. 

In the West Bank, violence continued at heightened levels throughout November. Israeli security forces killed at least 30 Palestinian rioters, mainly during arrest raids. Over 60 Palestinian militants were reportedly killed across nearly 200 armed clashes with Israeli security forces during IDF raids and militant attacks on Israeli military posts and checkpoints in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Hamas-affiliated militants killed an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint on a road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem on 16 November. Hamas also claimed responsibility for a 30 November attack at a bus stop in Jerusalem that killed three Israeli civilians. The uptick in violence in the West Bank since 7 October follows more than a year of escalating tensions amid stepped-up IDF raids, the re-emergence of Palestinian armed groups, and a steady increase in settler violence. Before 7 October, 2023 was already the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in over two decades.⁴Tia Goldenberg and Majdi Mohamed, ‘Israeli forces kill at least 8 Palestinians in surging West Bank violence, health officials say,’ AP, 26 November 2023

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Syria: Israel and pro-Iran militias continue to trade fire in Syria in response to Israel-Gaza conflict

In Syria, Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah, regime, and pro-Iran militia positions in Damascus, Dara, Homs, and al-Suwayda provinces, though at lower levels than during the month prior. A reported 17 strikes were recorded in November, compared to 29 in October. Through these actions, Israel has targeted military positions, airports, and other infrastructure reportedly used to smuggle weapons to pro-Iran militias. On 26 November, an Israeli airstrike put Damascus International Airport out of service less than two days after it reopened following a month of closure due to earlier Israeli strikes.⁵Staff, Damascus Airport Goes Out of Service Again after Israeli Strikes, Al Jazeera News, 26 November 2023 In addition, a drone launched from Syria by unknown actors that hit a school in Eilat on 9 November prompted several airstrikes by Israeli warplanes, including a strike on regime and Hezbollah positions in Homs that killed seven Hezbollah fighters, a day later. Throughout November, suspected Hezbollah and pro-Iran militias launched four rocket attacks on the occupied Golan Heights, but rockets were either intercepted by the Iron Dome or fell into uninhabited areas. 

Elsewhere, regime and pro-Iran militias, particularly the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, intensified their attacks on Global Coalition and US bases in Syria in support of Hamas, with 30 shelling and drone strike events recorded in November, compared to 17 events in October. While Global Coalition and US forces foiled some of the attacks, others hit their targets, and several resulted in injuries to US forces.

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Yemen: Houthi forces hijack Israel-linked commercial vessel in the Red Sea

On 19 November, Houthi forces hijacked the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader vehicle carrier in international waters in the southern Red Sea, around 50 nautical miles west of al-Hudayda. Houthi forces landed a helicopter on the ship and brought the ship and its 25 crew members to al-Hudayda. The incident took place after Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi had threatened Israeli ships in the Red Sea on 14 November and hours after the Houthi military gave details on the types of ships that would be targeted.⁶‘Leader of the Revolution: we will not hesitate to target Zionist ships in the Red Sea,’ 26 September News, 14 November 2023; Twitter @army21ye, 19 November 2023 Although the Galaxy Leader is Bahamas-flagged and Japanese-operated, it is registered under British company Ray Car Carriers, based in Tel Aviv and partially owned by Israeli shipping magnate Abraham ‘Rami’ Ungar. In February and April 2021, two other vessels owned by Ray Car Carriers were targeted by suspected Iranian attacks in the Gulf of Oman region. Throughout November, US warships also intercepted suspected Houthi drones on three separate occasions in the southern Red Sea, while Houthi forces shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone. Meanwhile, Houthi drone and missile attacks toward Israel continued, bringing the total number of Houthi-claimed attacks on Israel to nine since 19 October.

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