Three years after the outbreak of the "Swords of Iron" War, the updated public opinion survey findings from the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) reflect a complex public perception: alongside skepticism regarding the overall strategic outcome, there is a profound trust gap between the operational and political echelons, accompanied by a cross-partisan demand for truth and accountability. Limited Perception of Victory and Division on the Security Balance
The perception of victory among the Israeli public remains...
This survey examines the attitudes and perceptions of the Palestinian public in the West Bank regarding the core issues of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the war in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian leadership, and the challenges characterizing daily life in the West Bank. The study was conducted as part of a series of surveys assessing public sentiment in Palestinian society, following the previous survey conducted in September 2025. Data collection took place between June 27 and July 2, 2026, via telephone interviews with 400...
Jewish terrorism has evolved from a local enforcement problem into a distinct strategic threat to the State of Israel and its democratic character. The destructive combination of inadequate enforcement, a lack of political backing for the security agencies, and the weakness of the judicial and law enforcement systems is creating a reality marked by lawlessness, non-recognition of state institutions, and the loss of the state’s monopoly on the use of force. The lack of a decisive Israeli response to this phenomenon constitutes...
The publication of a tender for the construction of 1,234 housing units in E1 crosses a threshold that Israeli governments have avoided for years. Previous governments advanced plans for the area, but stopped short of the tender phase due to American and European opposition and the associated diplomatic costs. The current government has chosen to move toward implementing construction as part of its declared policy of establishing facts on the ground, aimed at eliminating the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state. The choice...
The new Gaza roadmap, formulated within the framework of President Trump’s Board of Peace, seeks to translate the 20-Point Plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803, having approved it from a conceptual framework to a detailed implementation plan. On the one hand, it modifies some of the security assumptions on which these documents were based; on the other hand, it may represent the only practical framework for transferring power from Hamas and establishing an alternative governing authority in the Gaza Strip. As the framework...
In recent weeks, talks have been underway in Cairo on the formation of an expanded national list ahead of the Palestinian Legislative Council elections scheduled for November. This list would include Fatah figures opposed to Abu Mazen alongside Hamas members, and possibly Palestinian Islamic Jihad as well. The composition of such a list would effectively allow Hamas to integrate into the Palestinian political system without being required to recognize the agreements signed between the PLO and Israel or place its weapons under the...
This situation report presents data regarding security incidents in the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the “Swords of Iron” War. The data includes the scope of launches and alerts carried out by Hamas, Israeli and foreign fatalities, data regarding the hostages, data following the IDF’s ground maneuver, humanitarian aid, the economic situation in Gaza, and more. The data is based on official sources and open-source intelligence (OSINT) collection and is updated on an ongoing basis.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the Board of Peace had reached what he described as a “historic agreement” on the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip. The U.S. administration is now working to implement the agreement in order to offset the sense of failure vis-à-vis Iran and revive the 20-point plan. For its part, Hamas is displaying tactical flexibility in response to Israeli military pressure (the IDF has expanded its control westward from the “Yellow Line” to the “Orange Line”) and has...
Since the outbreak of the “Swords of Iron” war, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has faced a severe fiscal and institutional crisis that has led to numerous assessments regarding its imminent collapse. Yet, as of July 2026, it continues to function and provide basic services. The PA’s survival, despite the dramatic blow to its clearance revenues and the suspension of Palestinian employment in Israel, has been enabled by a significant increase in foreign aid and alternative funding mechanisms. These developments...
This situation report presents data regarding security incidents in Judea and Samaria since the outbreak of the “Swords of Iron” War. The data includes the scope of Palestinian terror attacks, friction incidents, casualties, thwarted attacks, and arrests in the sector. The data is based on official sources and open-source intelligence (OSINT) collection and is updated on an ongoing basis.
In light of an accelerated process of internationalization of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israel can no longer rely on a strategy of containment and preservation of the status quo. Instead, it must shift to an approach of “managed internationalization,” under which it takes diplomatic initiative to shape international and regional involvement, while maintaining coordination with the United States, in order to influence the security and institutional conditions of any future arrangement. Such an approach would enable Israel to...
