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<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Israeli military said it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar during an operation in Gaza.</li></ul>The Israeli military said Thursday that it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar during an operation in Gaza, eliminating the architect of the massacre that Hamas executed on October 7, 2023.The Israeli military said in a statement that soldiers from its Southern Command killed Sinwar on Wednesday.Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli military said it was checking the possibility that it had killed Sinwar along with two other unnamed "terrorists" but could not confirm whether it had done so."In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. "The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution."Sinwar's death is a significant turning point for Israel and its yearlong war to eradicate Hamas. The Israeli government, with US support, had made it a key objective to kill him following its October 7 attacks, which left 1,200 people dead and triggered the war in Gaza and wider hostilities across the Middle East.But despite months of intense Israeli air and ground operations that have leveled much of Gaza, Sinwar <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-killed-top-hamas-commanders-gaza-not-those-wants-most-2024-4">managed to remain elusive</a>. Israel's military has used heavy weapons, including 2,000-pound bunker-buster bombs, to collapse Hamas' sprawling tunnel network under Gaza, where he was believed to be hiding."Our enemies cannot hide. We will pursue and eliminate them," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant wrote in a rather <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/yoavgallant/status/1846911544526807303">opaque post</a> on social media after the IDF first said that it was checking to see whether Sinwar was dead.The conflict has been at an impasse with Sinwar missing and Hamas, under his authority, rejecting cease-fire talks. In the meantime, Israel's military opened a northern front with a ground invasion into southern Lebanon in an effort to end the shelling by Hamas ally Hezbollah. Israel's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-no-win-situation-gaza-after-months-war-crush-hamas-2024-1">devastating Gaza war</a> has left over 40,000 Palestinians dead — most of them civilians, per local assessments. And there are dire warnings that amid the fighting, the humanitarian crisis is worsening.The 62-year-old Sinwar had been the leader of Hamas in Gaza since 2017 and the leader of its political wing following the July <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ismail-haniyeh-top-hamas-leader-killed-in-iran-2024-7">assassination of Ismail Haniyeh</a>.The killing of Sinwar comes after Israel took out most of Hezbollah's leadership in Lebanon, including its longtime leader <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-likely-used-bunker-buster-bombs-strike-kill-hezbollah-chief-2024-9">Hassan Nasrallah</a>, and amid heightened <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-attacks-israel-with-missiles-after-hezbollah-leader-killing-2024-10">tensions with Iran</a>, which supports both Hezbollah and Hamas.

Israel says it killed Hamas leader and Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hamas says its top leader in Lebanon, Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, was killed in an Israeli airstrike.</li><li>It said he was killed along with his wife and children in their home in the Al-Bas camp.</li></ul>Hamas said its leader in Lebanon, Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, and several of his family members were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon.The militant group made the statement on Monday on its Telegram channel, per <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hezbollah-live-updates-hamas-leader-lebanon-killed-strike-hits-rcna173218/rcrd57408?canonicalCard=true">NBC News</a>.It said el-Amin was killed alongside his wife and children "in their home in the (Al-Bas) camp."The reported killing comes after Israel said it killed longtime Hezbollah leader <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-was-hassan-nasrallah-the-hezbollah-leader-killed-by-israel-2024-9">Hassan Nasrallah</a> in an airstrike in Lebanon on Saturday. It also claimed to have taken out Nabil Qaouk, the commander of Hezbollah's Preventative Security Unit and a member of the group's Executive Council, in a separate airstrike.Israel has continued to strike targets in southern Lebanon and in Beirut.The latest developments are ones that could <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hezbollah-hassan-nasrallah-assassination-israel-iran-middle-east-escalation-2024-9">draw Iran more directly into the conflict, given its ties to the militant groups</a>.Iran is under pressure to respond to such attacks, but Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also wants to ease tensions with the US and have economic sanctions on his country lifted. That is looking less and less likely.In July, when Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran just hours after he attended Pezeshkian's inauguration, with the finger being pointed at Israel, Iran vowed to retaliate but has not yet done so.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Hamas says its leader in Lebanon was killed in an Israeli strike 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran, per Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps.</li><li>Haniyeh was in Tehran for Iran's new president's inauguration; Hamas blames Israel.</li></ul>Top Hamas leader <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-killed-top-hamas-commanders-gaza-not-those-wants-most-2024-4">Ismail Haniyeh</a> has been killed in Iran, according to a statement from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps early Wednesday.Tasnim News, an IRGC-linked media channel, posted <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/Tasnimnews_Fa/status/1818481556505182405">a statement announcing Haniyeh's death</a> in Tehran on Wednesday morning local time. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/07/30/world/israel-gaza-war-lebanon-hezbollah">New York Times</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-hamas-israel-30968a7acb31cd8b259de9650014b779">Associated Press</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/30/middleeast/hamas-political-leader-ismail-haniyeh-killed-intl-hnk/index.html">CNN</a> also reported on the killing. Haniyeh, 62, was the leader of Hamas' political wing. He joined the militant group in the late 1980s.In a statement published by the Hamas-affiliated Shehab news agency, the group accused Israel of killing Haniyeh in a "treacherous" attack on his residence in Tehran.Haniyeh was previously in exile in Qatar. He had traveled to Tehran to attend the inauguration of Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's new president, according to multiple reports.No party has claimed responsibility for the killing at press time.In October, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, vowed a "mighty vengeance" on Hamas and its leaders for its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which saw some 1,200 people killed and around 250 people taken hostage.When contacted for comment on Iranian state media reports, the Israeli military <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/lebanon-beirut-explosion-07-30-24#h_bac604dcad44e7f76393912aee9feed8">told CNN</a> they "don't respond to reports in the foreign media." A White House spokesperson told the outlet it was aware of the reports but declined to comment.Representatives for the Pentagon and the Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.Haniyeh's reported death comes hours after Israel struck the Lebanese capital of Beirut, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-tried-killing-top-hezbollah-commander-beirut-with-us-bounty-2024-7">killing a top Hezbollah commander</a> who it said was responsible for a deadly rocket attack in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights over the weekend.This story is developing. Please check back for more updates.

One of Hamas' top leaders has been killed in Iran, according to reports

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ismail Haniyeh, one of the top members of Hamas, was killed on Wednesday.</li><li>Iranian officials accused Israel of conducting the attack. Israel has not commented.</li></ul>Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the political wing of Hamas, was killed on Wednesday.Details are still emerging about exactly how he died. But one thing is clear — he was supposed to be safe.Haniyeh was visiting an ally, Iran. He was in the capital for the swearing-in of its new president, a high-profile public occasion.In the hours before he died he had audiences with the president and Iran's supreme leader.That proximity to power did not keep him alive — to the outrage of his Iranian hosts.<div type="image" title="Ismail Haniyeh (left) meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran" height="3336" width="4416" msid="112174920" hostid="261" sizebytes="488796"></div><h2 id="c552214f-4fb9-41af-91f0-440f0bf9129a">'Humiliating' blow</h2><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ismail-haniyeh-top-hamas-leader-killed-in-iran-2024-7">Tasnim News</a>, an outlet with links to the authorities in Iran, said a guided projectile struck his dwelling in northern Tehran at around 2 a.m.Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Hamas and Iran blamed Israel. Israel didn't comment, but has carried out similar attacks before.According to Middle East and military experts, Haniyeh's death is a "humiliating" blow to Iran.Andrew Fox, a research <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://henryjacksonsociety.org/2024/07/10/major-ret-andrew-fox-joins-the-henry-jackson-society-as-new-research-fellow/">fellow</a> at the Henry Jackson Society, said the killing "sends a very clear message to Iran about Israel's ability to strike inside their borders."Fox said Haniyeh was of limited tactical significance as a target and could be easily replaced — but his loss still took a symbolic toll.<h2 id="a15ab7a0-d415-4e16-8c96-501278983e57">A history of attacks</h2>It wouldn't be the first time Israel has conducted military operations deep inside Iran.Israeli operatives gunned down Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, a high-ranking Egyptian member of Al-Qaeda, on the streets of Tehran in August 2020, four officials <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/13/world/middleeast/al-masri-abdullah-qaeda-dead.html#:~:text=Abdullah%20Ahmed%20Abdullah%2C%20who%20went,Laden's%20son%20Hamza%20bin%20Laden.">told The New York Times</a> at the time.In November 2020, a Mossad team killed Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an Iranian nuclear physicist said to be the leader of Iran's nuclear program.Ameneh Mehvar, a Middle East Regional Specialist with the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), said the latest attack reflected poorly on Iran.She called the killing "humiliating" and "damaging" to its image in the region.It "shows how deep Israel has likely infiltrated Iranian intelligence circles," she said.Farzan Sabet, a senior research associate at the Global Governance Centre and the Sanctions and Sustainable Peace Hub at the Geneva Graduate Institute, went further.He told BI that an "embarrassing security failure" like this would damage Iran's credibility among its allies and perhaps push it into a counterattack to save face."Tehran will likely feel pressure to retaliate in some form despite wanting to remain untouched by the Israel-Hamas war," he said.<h2 id="76feb6af-8a0f-44d5-92b7-d3f8d8a1cd6d">A new phase of brinkmanship</h2>Tensions between Israel and Iran were high even before Haniyeh's killing.Iran and Israel have for decades fought a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-israel-dragged-shadow-war-from-darkness-now-more-dangerous-2024-4">shadow war</a> of espionage and assassination.<div type="image" title="Palestinians carried a placard bearing the image of the leader of the militant Hamas group during a protest in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron" height="1333" width="2000" msid="112174914" hostid="261" sizebytes="251552"></div>Since Hamas launched terror attacks on Israel on October 7, groups allied with Iran — the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah — have targeted Israel, with attacks sometimes spilling over into neighboring countries and directly involving Iran.An exchange of attacks in April on an Iranian embassy in Syria and then a return attack on Israeli soil <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-iran-strike-isfahan-sends-strong-message-nuclear-experts-say-2024-4">marked an earlier escalation</a> that stopped short of further conflict.According to Burcu Ozcelik, a senior research fellow for Middle East Security at the Royal United Services Institute, the attack on Haniyeh represents a "new phase of brinkmanship" in the region."While it is not the first targeted assassination against a high-level figure within the so-called 'Axis of Resistance' at this juncture of intense tit-for-tat and a high-stakes geopolitical conflict, it will have ripple effects across the region," she told BI.Haniyeh's assassination and the recent killing of Hezbollah commander <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-tried-killing-top-hezbollah-commander-beirut-with-us-bounty-2024-7">Fuad Shukr</a> in Beirut will "galvanize" other Iran-backed armed proxy groups in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, he said.This, he said, "creates a dangerous conflagration of threats to Israel and Western interests in the region, notably in the Red Sea, where the Houthis will likely escalate their attacks."Mehvar from ACLED, meanwhile, predicted an Iranian counterattack that was "harsher" but "proportionate," likely carried out with allies.Fox, of the Henry Jackson Society, foresaw "some kind of minor" escalation in rocket attacks from Iranian proxies in Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon, followed by a return to the earlier precarious status quo."They will not want to escalate to the point where the West steps in, as they did during the rocket attacks in April, which were also an embarrassing failure," he said.

The killing of a top Hamas leader in its backyard is 'humiliating' for Iran, experts say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia could offer support to the Iran-backed Houthis as they menace key shipping lanes.</li><li>A senior US State Department official said Moscow is engaging with the rebels at a "serious level."</li></ul>Russia could decide to help the Houthis with their Red Sea attacks and is engaging with the Iran-backed rebels at a "serious level," a senior US State Department official said.The Houthis have long received <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-battles-best-iranian-tech-red-sea-admiral-2024-10">extensive support from Iran</a>, including weapons and training, which the rebels have relied on over the past year to carry out attacks on military and civilian vessels transiting key Middle Eastern shipping lanes.But the State Department has grown increasingly concerned in recent months that the Houthis could be receiving assistance from another country: Russia, US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking told Business Insider in a recent interview."It does seem as though there is a fairly serious level of engagement happening," Lenderking said of the Houthis and Russia. "We are particularly concerned about the kind of equipment that would really enable the Houthis to be more accurate in their targeting of US and other ships in the region — that would enhance the Houthi capability to strike those targets."<div type="image" title="Russian President Vladimir Putin exits his limousine as he arrives at Red Square in Moscow earlier this month." height="3456" width="5184" msid="115428314" hostid="261" sizebytes="326430"></div>Lenderking said the US has discussed the situation at "high levels" with Saudi Arabia, a partner nation that fought the Houthis for years, and with Russia as well. The relationship between Washington and Moscow has been fraught with tension since the latter invaded Ukraine in February 2022.The US has also made efforts to convey messages to the Houthis. Lenderking said that the Yemeni rebels appear to be determined to strike the American and European warships that have spent the past year <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photo-nato-warship-destroys-drone-boat-red-sea-rescue-mission-2024-8">defending merchant shipping</a> from their relentless attacks."The fact that the Russians might assist in this effort is diabolical," Lenderking said. "It's a very strong concern."The full scope of Russian support for the Houthis is unclear. Some Western media reports suggest that Moscow has already provided the rebels with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/russia-provided-targeting-data-for-houthi-assault-on-global-shipping-eabc2c2b">targeting data</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/25/us/politics/russia-houthis-weapons.html">small arms</a> and was considering supplying them with missiles — a development that could significantly escalate the conflict.The Houthis are known to have received help from outside of Yemen. A <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthis-got-help-from-iran-others-for-dangerous-weapons-un-2024-11">recent United Nations report</a> found that the rebels have been getting weapons, training, technical assistance, and financial support from Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and armed Iraqi groups.<div type="image" title="Newly affiliated Houthi fighters shout slogans while attending a demonstration against Israel and in solidarity with Palestinians in Yemen in October." height="3651" width="5476" msid="115428315" hostid="261" sizebytes="1188336"></div>Russia and Iran have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/satellite-images-show-russian-cargo-ship-transported-iranian-ballistic-missiles-2024-9">increased their military ties</a> since the start of the Ukraine war. Tehran has provided Moscow with lethal aid, including missiles and drones similar to what it has given the Houthis in previous years. Both countries have been isolated on the world stage over their malign actions and involvement in Ukraine.The Houthis have used their arsenal of missiles and drones over the past year to tirelessly carry out attacks on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/satellite-images-show-difficult-mission-save-stricken-red-sea-tanker-2024-9">military and civilian vessels</a> in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, a campaign that the rebels claim is connected to the Israel-Hamas war.American forces <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-weapons-expenditure-cost-middle-east-conflicts-2024-10">operating in the region</a> in defense of the merchant shipping lanes are frequently tasked with intercepting Houthi threats. Just last week, for instance, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-destroyers-unscathed-after-missile-exploding-drone-houthi-attack-2024-11">two US Navy destroyers</a> had to fend off a complex missile and drone attack.The US also routinely <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/f-35-variants-seen-combat-after-fighter-struck-houthis-2024-11">carries out airstrikes in Yemen</a>, targeting rebel missile systems, weapons storage facilities, and other sensitive sites in an effort to curb their ability to carry out the attacks.Lenderking said that the Houthis still "maintain the ability to launch pretty aggressively at passing ships," but the US is committed to keeping shipping lanes open in the Red Sea.

Russia's engagement with the Houthis as they lob missiles at ships is getting 'serious,' US official says

Tensions are high on the anniversary of Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Gold reached reached a new-all time high on Friday, topping $2,700 for the first time.</li><li>The safe-haven asset is attracting interest after the death of a top Hamas leader.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/gold-price?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Gold</a> hit another record high amid simmering geopolitical unease in the Middle East.Futures climbed as much as 1% to $2,720 an ounce on Friday as the death of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-says-killed-hamas-chief-yahya-sinwar-oct-7-mastermind-2024-10">Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar</a> late Thursday spurred renewed concerns of further geopolitical tension.According to <a target="_blank" href="https://think.ing.com/articles/the-commodities-feed-gold-hits-another-record-high/">analysts at ING</a>, gold investors were responding to Israel's pledge to continue fighting, rather than de-escalate, per President Joe Biden's recommendation. They've treated the precious metal as a geopolitical safe haven all year, ING said."Traders are seeking safety in gold this morning after Israel said it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would keep fighting until all the hostages seized by Hamas last year are free, even though US President Joe Biden said it was time for the war to end," the analysts wrote.Meanwhile, Hezbollah committed to continue fighting after Sinwar's killing, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hezbollah-says-it-will-escalate-war-with-israel-after-hamas-leader-killed-2024-10-18/">Reuters</a> said. Iran, which backs several proxies in the region, issued a UN mission statement citing a strengthened "spirit of resistance."FXPro senior market analyst Alex Kutsikevich noted that the metal's 2% increase this week is abnormal because it's risen alongside the dollar, even though the two assets are normally inversely correlated.He said gold and the dollar only rise together when there's a sudden spike in demand for defensive assets — something that generally occurs geopolitical stress.Macroeconomic conditions are also at play as investors watch to see how far interest rates may fall. Gold, which does not yield interest, benefits when borrowing costs are lower. Other factors include strong central bank buying, as well as robust demand in Asia, ING added.

Gold climbs to record high as Hamas-leader death stokes geopolitical tensions

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The IDF knew about Hamas' plans to attack just weeks before October 7, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported.</li><li>The IDF's Gaza Division had intel on Hamas' training and hostage-taking strategies, Kan reported.</li></ul>The Israeli military knew about Hamas' plans to attack southern Israel weeks before October 7 — even how many hostages the militant group planned to capture, according to a report from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kan.org.il/content/kan-news/defense/762284/">Israeli public broadcaster Kan</a>.The Israel Defense Force's Gaza Division reportedly distributed an internal intelligence document on September 19, 2023, outlining the details of Hamas' planned raid, according to Kan.The document, which Kan reportedly saw, states that the IDF had observed Hamas conducting a series of trainings where militant fighters practiced attacking both Israeli military stations and civilian kibbutzim communities.The IDF also knew, according to the document viewed by Kan, that Hamas trained its units on how to capture hostages and how to guard them once they were taken back to the Gaza Strip.The IDF's Southern Command and Gaza Division also wrote in the document, according to Kan, that they expected Hamas to take between 200 and 250 hostages. The officials even had intel on how Hamas intended to treat the hostages in certain extreme circumstances and what rules Hamas set for executing hostages, Kan reported.Israel mistakenly believed, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/years-of-subterfuge-high-tech-barrier-paralyzed-how-hamas-busted-israels-defenses/">the Times of Israel reported</a>, that Hamas would never be able to get past its high-tech border security — an "Iron Wall" composed of concrete, tunnels, and razor wire, complete with remote-controlled machine guns, that was installed two years before the attack.That oversight prevented top Israeli intelligence leaders from doing anything about the internal report detailing Hamas' plans, Kan News reported.And it wasn't just a few weeks before October 7 that Israel reportedly knew about Hamas' plans.More than a year before the attack, Israel had a 40-page document detailing, play-by-play, exactly how Hamas would attack the southern border, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-attack-intelligence.html">The New York Times reported last year</a>. But, Israel never took Hamas' plans seriously, assuming the militant group would never get past Israel's defenses, the Times reported.Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage, many of whom are still being held in captivity.The exact number of hostages Hamas took is unclear, but Israel has estimated it was around 240, with about 116 still in Gaza, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-hostages-israel-gaza-41432124">the Wall Street Journal reported</a>.Israel's subsequent airstrikes and war against Hamas in Gaza have killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, many of whom are women and children, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Israeli military knew how Hamas planned to take hostages weeks before October 7: report 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US has sent Ukraine and Israel billions of dollars worth of ammunition in recent years.</li><li>The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East show the US how much ammo it will need for its next big war.</li></ul>From Ukraine to Israel, the US has sent billions of dollars worth of ammunition to its key partners as they fight two grinding — and vastly different — conflicts that appear to show no signs of slowing down.These two wars, and the US Navy's demanding counter-Houthi mission in the Red Sea, offer the American military a taste of what would be needed in a high-end fight: a lot of firepower."The volume of weaponry — the number of missiles and other systems that are going to be required to deal with a high-end conflict — are just much more than we had planned," Bradley Martin, a retired Navy surface warfare captain, told Business Insider."We also lack the industrial base to rapidly expand," he added. "So it's really important that we start addressing those sets of issues quickly."<h2 id="29d6004e-34b5-4e94-aaf1-4e939cf91eaf">Billions of dollars in ammo fired overseas</h2>The Biden administration has outfitted Ukraine with over $60 billion in security assistance since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.<div type="image" title="A Ukrainian soldier installs a fuse for a 155 mm artillery shell, which has been a key munition during the war." height="5760" width="8640" msid="115116354" hostid="261" sizebytes="3631720"></div>According to<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://media.defense.gov/2024/Nov/01/2003576673/-1/-1/1/UKRAINE-FACT-SHEET-1-NOVEMBER.PDF"> publicly available information</a> provided by the Pentagon, this lethal aid includes tens of thousands of rockets and missiles, hundreds of thousands of mortar rounds, and millions of artillery shells and bullets. 155mm shells have been in particularly high demand, and stockpiles have been strained.Beyond the ammunition, the US has also sent Ukraine a significant amount of armored vehicles, air-defense systems, drones, anti-tank weapons, small arms, and more.The Biden administration has been far less transparent about the security assistance it has sent to Israel, but the Costs of War Project, a research initiative at Brown University, found last month that the US had approved <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-spent-over-22-billion-arming-israel-battling-houthis-2024-10">at least $18 billion</a> in security assistance to Israel since war broke out after Hamas' October 7, 2023 massacre.Weapons deliveries since then have consisted of heaping amounts of ammunition, including thousands of anti-tank missiles, tens of thousands of artillery shells and cannon ammunition, as well as tens of thousands of air-dropped bombs.Meanwhile, the US military has spent the past year <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-aircraft-carrier-eisenhower-planes-in-air-constantly-houthis-2024-2">actively engaged in combat operations</a> against the Houthis, the Iran-backed rebels in Yemen that have been using missiles and drones to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-us-navy-aircraft-carrier-tactics-shift-houthi-missiles-drones-2024-2">attack merchant shipping lanes</a> in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.<div type="image" title="An F/A-18 Super Hornet lands on the flight deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in April." height="3712" width="5568" msid="115116360" hostid="261" sizebytes="397940"></div>US warships and aircraft have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-carrier-strike-group-fired-nearly-800-munitions-houthi-fight-2024-7">fired hundreds of munitions</a> to shoot down Houthi threats and strike the rebels in Yemen, including a wide range of land-attack missiles, surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles, and air-to-surface weapons.The Navy also fired interceptor missiles to defend Israel from Iranian attacks in April and October. These two instances, along with the counter-Houthi operations, have seen the US <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-weapons-expenditure-cost-middle-east-conflicts-2024-10">expend nearly $2 billion</a> worth of munitions.On the low end, the US has contributed some $80 billion in weaponry — including the transfer or expenditure of a significant amount of munitions — to support the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, which aren't showing any sign of winding down.<h2 id="f33dbabf-f05c-4841-b64b-46c880e766cf">Production woes — and improvements</h2>Former US military officers who have taken part in war-gaming exercises for various research institutions say the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East underscore the high munitions expenditure needed in a major fight."We have seen the munitions demands of a major war, which are not a surprise — everybody knows that protracted great-power wars use a lot of munitions," Mark Cancian, a defense expert and retired US Marine Corps colonel, told BI.<div type="image" title="The destroyer USS Bulkeley fires an interceptor to defend Israel from an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Tuesday." height="1566" width="2880" msid="115116356" hostid="261" sizebytes="54094"></div>"We never really thought we would be in such a position, and these events have shown us what the demands could be, combined with a strategy that now recognizes we could end up in a great-power conflict that might go on for a long time," said Cancian, now a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.Martin, the former Navy captain, said that backfilling the US stockpiles of ammunition that have been transferred to partners or fired overseas is important, but it's crucial that the defense-industrial base actually has the capacity to manufacture new munitions when the demand spikes."What we are seeing from the real-world examples is that munitions expenditure will be very high," said Martin, now a senior policy researcher at RAND. "If there was ever a wake-up call, it would be the campaigns in Ukraine and in the Middle East."Indeed, a US Army official previously told BI that "the Army is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-rethinking-how-much-ammunition-it-needs-ukraine-war-2023-11">looking very closely at the war in Ukraine</a>" and "investing to better prepare for potential conflict." But that preparation is a substantial undertaking.One kind of weapon that would be needed in great numbers for a potential conflict with an adversary like China, the Pentagon's "pacing challenge," is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-missile-new-combat-got-another-workout-against-iran-2024-10">air-defense interceptors</a>, particularly those from the Standard Missile family.<div type="image" title="The US has sent three Patriot batteries to Ukraine, along with associated interceptor missiles." height="3278" width="4579" msid="115116362" hostid="261" sizebytes="617300"></div>A US-China war could largely be fought in the maritime domain. Given <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/irans-missile-strike-israel-just-fraction-what-china-could-do-2024-10">Beijing's formidable arsenal</a> of anti-ship missiles, Navy vessels would need to be well-armed with interceptors to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-warships-used-weapon-combat-first-destroy-iranian-missiles-2024-4">take down these threats</a> and defend American assets in the Pacific.Officials and analysts have expressed concern over stockpiles of these interceptors, especially <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-burns-through-key-missiles-needed-for-china-fight-2024-10">given their use</a> during high-tempo Middle East operations. They argue that the US <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-more-missiles-recently-got-first-kill-pacific-threats-2024-5">needs more key interceptors</a> for future conflicts. However, these munitions come with a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-top-interceptor-missile-heavy-price-tag-low-procurement-2024-10">hefty price tag,</a> and production has dropped.Land-based air defenses have also proven their worth in major conflicts in recent few years. The US has transferred <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-instructors-say-ukrainians-amazing-mastering-patriot-missile-system-2024-3">Patriot batteries</a> and their associated interceptor missiles to Ukraine, where they have gotten a workout against Russian missiles. This advanced system was also used to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-forces-destroyed-iran-missiles-drones-massive-air-defense-battle-2024-4">defend Israel from Iranian missiles</a> in April. Lockheed Martin is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.defensenews.com/land/2024/04/09/how-companies-plan-to-ramp-up-production-of-patriot-missiles/">boosting</a> PAC-3 interceptor production, but there are questions as to whether it is sufficient.Beyond air defense, air-launched <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-air-force-weapon-sinks-warships-cant-fight-china-navy-2024-8">standoff weapons</a> like the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) and AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) would also be critical for US forces in a major conflict, especially against China.The Tomahawk Land-Attack Cruise Misisle, a premier Navy long-range strike asset that the military has been relying on heavily would also be needed in significant quantities for a high-end conflict, which, given <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americas-rivals-pressure-same-time-russia-china-iran-north-korea-2024-9">stronger ties between US foes</a>, may not be a fair fight.

The US needs ammunition for its next big war — a lot of it

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An Egyptian spy ruined a potential cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.</li><li>The intelligence official added more of Hamas' demands after Israel had already agreed to the deal, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/21/politics/sources-say-they-were-duped-by-egypt-changing-ceasefire-terms-for-hamas/index.html">CNN reports</a>.</li></ul>An Egyptian spy torpedoed a potential cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas earlier this month by secretly changing its terms before handing it between the warring sides, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/21/politics/sources-say-they-were-duped-by-egypt-changing-ceasefire-terms-for-hamas/index.html">CNN reports</a>.The intelligence official, Ahmed Abdel Khalek, changed the deal after Israel had already agreed to it by adding in more of Hamas' demands to the framework to clinch their approval, according to the report.Abdel Khalek works for Abbas Kamel, according to CNN, who is the head of Egypt's general intelligence service.One of the biggest points of contention in the deal was a call for "sustainable calm" to be reached in its second phase, according to CNN. Israel is opposed to discussing an end to the war until Hamas is defeated and all of its hostages are freed, the outlet reports.If it had been passed, the deal could have seen the release of some Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and temporarily paused combat. US officials have pushed for a temporary cease-fire in the hopes that a stop to the fighting could open the possibility to a more lasting peace.Officials involved in the talks from Qatar, the US, and Israel were blindsided and angered by the spy's secret changes, according to CNN.Neither the CIA nor the State Department immediately responded to Business Insider's requests for comment.Hamas <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hamas-agrees-cease-fire-deal-israel-rafah-reports-2024-5">announced it had agreed to the deal on May 6</a>, which Qatar and Egypt helped negotiate. At the time, an anonymous Israeli official told Reuters the announcement was a "ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal."Mediators had hoped the deal would stave off <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-rafah-attack-troubling-limits-biden-us-influence-gaza-ceasefire-2024-5">Israel's incursion into Rafah</a>, which is now expanding.The scuttled cease-fire also dashes a priority for US President Joe Biden. Biden is locked in a tight race with rival Donald Trump, but the Democrat is facing a revolt from left-wing voters who accuse him of supporting the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza by sending Israel weaponry.

An Egyptian spy single-handedly ruined the Israel-Hamas cease-fire: CNN 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Houthis possess a sizable arsenal of weapons, including missiles and drones.</li><li>The Yemeni rebels couldn't have done that without foreign help, according to a new UN report.</li></ul>The Houthi rebels couldn't have amassed their dangerous arsenal of weapons without extensive help from Iran and its proxy forces in the Middle East, according to a new report for the United Nations.In the lengthy report, which was delivered to the UN Security Council last month, a panel of experts concluded that the Yemen-based Houthis have been receiving training, weapons, technical assistance, and financial support from Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and armed Iraqi groups.The Houthis are behind a yearlong campaign <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthis-getting-smarter-red-sea-attacks-ships-paying-the-price-2024-6">targeting key merchant shipping lanes</a> in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They have launched more than 130 attacks — mainly using missiles and drones — against commercial and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-aircraft-carrier-rearmed-back-red-sea-battle-houthis-2024-5">Western naval vessels</a>.The rebels have struck a number of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthis-fatal-anti-ship-ballistic-missile-attack-2024-3">commercial vessels</a> during their campaign, sinking two of them and hijacking one (nearly a year later, its crew remains detained in Yemen). Four sailors have been killed so far as a result of the attacks.<div type="image" title="The Palestine 2 missile launches from Yemen." height="1602" width="2880" msid="114992487" hostid="261" sizebytes="105334"></div>The panel of experts said in their report that the Houthis have exploited the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and, through their attacks, have tried to boost their status within Iran's so-called "axis of resistance," a band of proxy forces around the Middle East.The Houthis held a military parade in September 2023, during which the group <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthis-painted-hypersonic-on-new-missile-israel-attack-2024-9">boasted a formidable arsenal</a> of anti-ship missiles, ballistic and cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles, aerial drones, naval drones, speedboats, surveillance systems, and mines.However, the experts said that the Houthis do not have the ability to produce and develop complex weaponry like that without foreign assistance. They also said the rebels likely received external assistance in identifying, locating, and targeting commercial vessels since many of them turned off their automatic identification systems before they entered the area.<div type="image" title="The aftermath of a Houthi attack on a commercial tanker." height="1467" width="2200" msid="114992488" hostid="261" sizebytes="159726"></div>"The scale, nature and extent of transfers of diverse military materiel and technology provided to the Houthis from external sources, including financial support and training of its combatants, is unprecedented," the experts wrote in their report.US naval forces have repeatedly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-seals-drowned-mission-to-intercept-smuggled-iranian-weapons-investigation-2024-10">intercepted vessels</a> attempting to smuggle weapons from Iran to the Houthis illegally. One such mission in January resulted in the seizure of parts for ballistic and cruise missiles.The Pentagon has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-weapons-expenditure-cost-middle-east-conflicts-2024-10">kept a naval presence</a> in and around the Red Sea throughout the Houthi campaign, during which American warships have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-strike-group-scored-over-100-kills-battling-houthis-2024-10">routinely intercepted their missiles</a> and drones. Additionally, US forces have carried out <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/b-2-stealth-bombers-join-red-sea-fight-bomb-houthis-2024-10">significant airstrikes</a> against the rebels in Yemen.The UN panel of experts said US and UK forces together have destroyed more than 800 Houthi missiles and drones and have taken out command posts, radars, and weapons storage facilities.

The Houthis couldn't have built their most dangerous weapons without help from Iran and others, UN experts find

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The United Nations will add Israel to its global list for violating children's rights.</li><li>The decision precedes the UN's annual report submission to the Security Council this week.</li></ul>The United Nations is set to include Israel and Hamas on its global list of entities accused of violating children's rights and protections.A UN spokesperson confirmed to <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-gaza-israel-palestinians-children-14e5d26b3f2ccf56747b879798c0f3af">AP News</a> that Israeli authorities have been notified of this decision.The announcement comes ahead of the UN's annual report submission to the Security Council next week when the UN Secretary-General António Guterres will add Israel and Hamas the annual global list of countries and groups violating <a target="_blank" href="https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/">children's rights in armed conflicts. </a>Other countries on the list include Russia, Syria, Yemen, Myanmar and Iraq.Thousands of Palestinian children have been killed during Israel's invasion of Gaza that began after the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas and other militants on Israel, <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.cfr.org/blog/un-halves-its-estimate-women-and-children-killed-gaza#:~:text=On%20May%206%2C%20the%20UN,women%20and%20over%2014%2C500%20children.">though estimates of the precise number vary</a>.The decision has further strained relations between the UN and Israel, which have been deteriorating since Israel's military campaign in Gaza commenced after the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-declares-state-of-war-hamas-launches-massive-surprise-attack-2023-10">Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7</a>.Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the UN, took to X to express his fury at the secretary-general's decision to add Israel to the "blacklist."Erdan condemned the decision on X, saying, "The only one who is blacklisted today is the secretary-general whose decisions since the war started and even before are rewarding terrorists and incentivizing them to use children for terror acts."In May, Erdan stoked controversy during a <a target="_blank" href="https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1z/k1z4l92746">General Assembly emergency special session</a> when he pulled out a portable shredder and symbolically destroyed the UN Charter.

You Searched For "Hamas" and got 12 results

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