Publications

The Israeli government has authorized the IDF to finalize preparations for “Gideon’s Chariots”—a plan to conquer the Gaza Strip and defeat Hamas, concentrate the population of the Strip in its southern region, and encourage emigration from it. The execution of this plan would come at a heavy cost: the killing of hostages and the loss of information regarding their whereabouts; additional casualties within the IDF; a decreasing likelihood of achieving normalization with Saudi Arabia; a deepening of internal divisions in Israel due to...

Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Institute for National Security Studies has been regularly conducting public opinion surveys to assess attitudes toward key national security issues, national resilience, and public trust.[1] Click here to download the complete survey data | Click here to view the trends among the Jewish public  | Click here to view the trends among the Arab public Trust in Individuals and Institutions Key Findings: Trust in the IDF and the incoming chief of staff continue to rise....



User Guide: INSS Interactive Maps To the maps page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to8vyAsA73U To the maps page

After approximately a year and a half of war in the Gaza Strip, Israel stands at a crossroads and must formulate a relevant strategy regarding the future of the Strip. It faces a rather grim range of alternatives, all problematic in their implications and feasibility: encouraging “voluntary emigration”—an option whose strategic consequences have not been thoroughly examined in Israel and whose feasibility is low; occupying the Strip and imposing prolonged military rule—while this may severely weaken Hamas, it does not guarantee its...

Israel faces three possible strategic paths to achieving the objectives of the war: the occupation of the Gaza Strip and the imposition of a military administration; a siege on the Strip, in which Hamas is weakened and deterred; or an agreement to discuss the Arab proposal for the reconstruction and stabilization of the Strip and the establishment of an alternative governing authority. Of these three, the diplomatic path—discussing the Arab proposal—is the only option that could advance the war’s objectives at a relatively low cost....

Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Institute for National Security Studies has been regularly conducting public opinion surveys to assess attitudes toward key national security issues, national resilience, and public trust.[1] Click here to download the complete survey data | Click here to view the trends among the Jewish public  | Click here to view the trends among the Arab public Trust in Individuals and Institutions Key Findings: Significant increase in trust in the IDF and the incoming Chief...

On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to a large-scale surprise attack launched by Hamas and additional terrorist organizations from the Gaza Strip. During the assault, approximately 6,000 terrorists infiltrated Israeli communities near the border and IDF bases in the area, while 4,300 rockets were simultaneously launched into Israel’s civilian hinterland. The attack resulted in the murder of 1,163 Israelis and the abduction of 251 others. Since then, The IDF has dismantled Hamas’ military capabilities—striking over 44,000...

While mainstream Israeli media has presented Hamas’s propaganda—which highlights the triumph of jihadist ideology, Israel’s humiliation, the release of Palestinian prisoners, the disruption of normalization with Saudi Arabia, and the group’s military and civilian resilience in Gaza—Palestinian social media in Gaza and the West Bank tells a different, more complex story. This discourse includes harsh criticism of Hamas, fears that Gaza’s devastation could extend to the West Bank, and even calls for the Palestinian Authority (PA) to...

Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Institute for National Security Studies has been regularly conducting public opinion surveys to assess attitudes toward key national security issues, national resilience, and public trust.[1] Click here to download the complete survey data | Click here to view the trends among the Jewish public  | Click here to view the trends among the Arab public Trust in Individuals and Institutions Key Findings: Trust in the IDF: Approximately 66% of the public express high or...