Hamas Chief Sinwar Pens Letter of Gratitude to Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah

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Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar personally thanked Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah for his solidarity in the war against Israel in a rare letter that the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group published on its Telegram channel on September 13. In the letter, dated September 9, Sinwar expressed gratitude for Hezbollah’s “blessed acts” and described the war that Hamas launched with its mass assault on Israel on October 7 —  joined by Hezbollah on October 8 — as “one of the most honorable battles for the Palestinian people.”

Sinwar broke his nearly year-long silence earlier this week to congratulate Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on his reelection. Hamas issued a statement on September 9 attributed to Sinwar in which the terror chief “renewed his appreciation for the Algerian role in standing by the Palestinian people and defending their rights in international forums,” alluding to Algeria’s recent efforts to condemn and isolate Israel at the United Nations.

Expert Analysis

“Sinwar’s letter to Nasrallah is a testament to the continued coordination between Hezbollah and Hamas with the latter’s integration into the broader Resistance Axis and its ‘unification of the fronts’ against Israel. This process has been decades in the making but accelerated with the rise of the Iran loyalist Sinwar to a senior leadership position in Hamas in 2017. It is likely to continue now that he has assumed the chairmanship of Hamas’s political bureau.” — David Daoud, FDD Senior Fellow

“Since assuming leadership of Hamas following Haniyeh’s death, Yahya Sinwar has shouldered the daily responsibilities of managing the organization. However, the challenges of evading the Israeli military while orchestrating military operations from an underground tunnel in Gaza complicate the effective management of a terrorist group like Hamas. It’s not surprising, then, that the Islamist organization and its allies might seek to project an image of normalcy by making it public that Sinwar is penning letters to Nasrallah and the president of Algeria.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Hezbollah Launches Early Morning Rocket Barrage

Before dawn on September 13, Hezbollah fired approximately 20 rockets toward the city of Safed in northern Israel, some eight miles deep into Israeli territory. The barrage set a forest north of the city ablaze and caused minor damage to a building in a nearby community. Israeli firefighters were dispatched to the scene and controlled the fire within hours. Hezbollah launched two drones toward northern Israel later in the day, both of which fell in open areas.

Hezbollah Escalates Attacks Against Israel

Hezbollah has increased its attacks in the first week and a half of September, launching dozens of rockets at Israel. On September 9, the Iran-backed terrorist group launched more than 20 rockets and two drones at northern Israel. No injuries were reported, but one of the drones struck a residential building in the coastal city of Nahariya, badly damaging two apartments. The barrage followed overnight strikes by the Israeli Air Force on Hezbollah military structures and a rocket launcher in the areas of Kfarkela, Taybeh, Hanine, and Yarine in southern Lebanon.

After Israel eliminated Hezbollah commander Muhammad Qassem al-Shaer — a member of the group’s elite Radwan Force — on September 10, Hezbollah launched 30 rockets at Israel overnight between September 10 and September 11. On September 11, the terrorist group launched an anti-tank missile at the northern Israeli community of Metula.

Overall, Hezbollah has fired more than 7,500 rockets toward Israel over 11 months. Hundreds of Israeli homes have been damaged by Hezbollah’s attacks, with more than 60,000 Israelis displaced.

Related Analysis

“IDF Eliminates Hezbollah Commander as Rockets Target Communities in Northern Israel,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hezbollah Drone Strikes Israeli Apartment Building in Nahariya,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hezbollah Launches Fifty Rockets at Israel, Striking Town in Golan,” FDD Flash Brief