Israel Braces for Hamas and Hezbollah Threats

Akunis: Abraham Accords Advancing

Israeli Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis, addressed municipal leaders at the JNF-USA conference, offering a dual outlook on regional developments. “Over the coming months, we expect positive announcements from both neighboring and more distant countries joining the Abraham Accords. This represents a massive economic opportunity for all of Israel,” Akunis said. At the same time, he warned of security challenges. “The other side of progress toward normalization is the significant armament of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the presence of armed Hamas operatives in the Gaza Strip. The second stage of the agreement involves the disarmament of Gaza and the surrender of weapons by Hamas’ militias, and we are committed to seeing this through,” he added. Akunis emphasized that Israel is preparing both to expand regional diplomatic ties and to counter threats posed by armed groups in Gaza and Lebanon.