On February 25, 2026, as part of the Israel Insights webinar series hosted by the Jan Koum Israel Studies Program at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, former Mossad counterterrorism chief Oded Ailam — now a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs — discussed the evolving dynamics of the Israel–Hamas conflict and its broader regional and global implications.

Ailam argued that Hezbollah is currently weakened financially and constrained domestically in Lebanon but may increasingly rely on overseas attacks against Israeli, American, and Jewish targets to demonstrate loyalty to Iran. He also contended that Hamas is becoming less dependent on Iran as support from Turkey and Qatar grows, forming what he described as a new axis of political, financial, and military backing. According to Ailam, Hamas is unlikely to relinquish its weapons or influence in Gaza and will instead attempt to retain control behind the scenes even under a potential technocratic governing structure, casting doubt on the viability of proposed diplomatic frameworks.

The discussion also addressed concerns about global radicalization and dormant terrorist networks in Western countries, with Ailam emphasizing the role of state-backed ideological and financial influence in spreading extremism and calling for stronger Western responses and long-term deradicalization efforts.