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This is the Monday morning edition of The Intel Brief. Let’s go!

Reporting Period: November 6-10, 2025

Bottom-Line Up Front:

Developing: Senate Moving To End Gov’t Shutdown

Summary
The U.S. Senate is reportedly moving to end the 40-day government shutdown (NBC News, CNN). Democrat Senators Hassan and Shaheen, alongside Independent Senator King, reportedly agreed to side with Republicans and reach the 60 votes necessary to open the government (NBC News, CNN). The initial agreement reportedly funds essential parts of the government for one year, with guarantees to keep other departments open through January 30, 2026 (NBC News, CNN).
If passed in the Senate, the bill would go to the House (NBC News, CNN). There is no certainty that House Democrats will support the bill.

Kushner In Israel As Netanyahu Continues Operations In Gaza, Conducts Strikes In Lebanon

Summary
Today, Jared Kushner is in Israel to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The pair will reportedly discuss the implementation of Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza. Meanwhile, the IDF has reportedly continued operations in Gaza as Israel waits for its final hostages to be returned by Hamas, a violation of the agreed ceasefire. Similarly, Israel conducted strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

Findings

• Background: On October 13, President Trump and Middle Eastern leaders signed “The Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity” (The Intel Brief). The declaration outlined steps and phases for restoring peace to Gaza, and identified ceasefire terms for the involved parties, including prisoner exchanges, troop withdrawals, and the governance of Gaza (The Intel Brief).
  Original assessment by The Intel Brief indicated a likelihood of continued violence due to Israel’s desire to continue military operations in the West Bank, extrajudicial killings and factional violence in Gaza, and Netanyahu’s absence from the “Peace in the Middle East” Summit in Egypt (The Intel Brief).

  •  Resumed Military Action: On October 28, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that he had ordered the Israeli military to conduct “powerful strikes” in the Gaza Strip, citing ceasefire violations (CBS News, BBC).

• Gaza: Al Jazeera claims that “the Israeli army has continued to launch attacks on Palestinians in Gaza” despite efforts to finalize hostage exchanges and advance the ceasefire (Al Jazeera). The same report, which is sparse on details, claims Israeli forces are “demolishing homes and structures in the south” which aligns with Israeli resettlement and nation-building strategies (Al Jazeera).
  Jared Kushner in Israel: Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and orchestrator behind the adoption of Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan, is reportedly in Israel (The Times of Israel). Reporting suggests he will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu today (Monday, November 10, 2025) to discuss implementing the American plan for ending the war in Gaza (The Times of Israel).

• Lebanon: On November 6, Israel reportedly conducted strikes on Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon (CNN, DW). The IDF reportedly targeted an armory belonging to Hezbollah’s Radwan Force (CNN, DW). The IDF claims to have credible intelligence suggesting the Radwan Force was working to “reestablish terrorist infrastructure” in Lebanon (CNN).
  Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the strikes and called them a “crime.” Aoun, a Lebanese Christian, is devoted to dismantling Hezbollah in southern Syria, but thinks Israeli action is an equally destabilizing factor for his nation (CNN, DW). The Lebanese Prime Minister and his government recently convened in Beirut to advance a drafted plan to disarm and dismantle Hezbollah (DW).

Why This Matters
While Israel’s continued operations may be in response to ceasefire violations and a violation of hostage exchange terms, they do indicate Netanyahu’s intention to prosecute wars in the region in support of Israel’s transnational ambitions (i.e. regional nationbuilding).

A continuation and expansion of these strikes also consistently risks undoing the progress made towards a lasting peace and mutually beneficial governance in Gaza. Additionally, the continued operations risk a resumption of the proxy conflict shared between Israel and Iran.

SECWAR Hegseth Announces Defense Procurement Transformation

Summary
On November 7, Secretary of War Hegseth announced plans to restructure how the Pentagon procures weapons systems and defense technologies. Hegseth addressed industry leaders and military officials during his announcement. The proposed reforms mirror some legislation currently sitting in Congress.

Findings

• Defense Procurement Transformation: Hegseth’s plan to make the Pentagon more agile and effective at getting necessary capabilities for the military involves major restructuring. The Defense Acquisition System is being renamed to the Warfighting Acquisitions System, and will include a change to its command structure (The Hill).
  The existing program executive offices of the Department of Defense will now be replaced by “portfolio acquisition executives,” which will be granted looser decisionmaking authority (Federal News Network, The Hill).

• Purpose: Hegseth’s changes are intended to cut Pentagon bureaucracy, reduce procurement times, increase competition, and eliminate redundant regulations (Federal News Network, The Hill). The Federal News Network reports that Hegseth’s changes reflect proposals currently sitting in Congress, as well as some of President Trump’s executive orders (Federal News Network).

  • E.g. SPEED Act (U.S. House of Representatives)

  • E.g. FoRGED Act (U.S. Senate)

• Wartime Production Unit: Hegseth also confirmed that the Department of War is launching the “Wartime Production Unit,” designed to approach industry leaders and vendors to make agreements (Federal News Network).

Why This Matters
Hegseth said, very concisely, what the significance of this change is based on: “We need acquisition and industry to be as strong and fast as our warfighters.”

While speed and cost to defense acquisitions will mean the military gets the gear they need to fight and win wars, it also suggests there will be incentives for innovation and competition. Additionally, by expanding the range of authority within the acquisition teams, the Pentagon is becoming better equipped to procure systems that better fit the mission sets of the joint force, not just one service branch or, in extreme cases, specific units.

This means if the program is effective, it will have better oversight in procuring systems that are advanced, usable, intuitive, durable, and provide longevity.

Continued Strikes On Vessels Indicate No Immediate Escalation Against Venezuela

Summary
On November 6, Secretary Hegseth confirmed that the U.S. military conducted another strike on a vessel associated with a Designated Terrorist Organization. The continued flow of assets to the region, strikes on cartel vessels, and instability of the Maduro regime indicate that conventional action of Venezuela is not imminent, and that the U.S. will maintain its current operational tempo.

Findings

• Background: On September 2, following the deployment of U.S. military assets to the Caribbean, the Trump administration authorized strikes on vessels associated with South American cartels, particularly those affiliated with Venezuela and the Maduro government (The Intel Brief).
  At the beginning of November, reporting suggested that President Trump and his staff are contemplating ground strikes in Venezuela, alongside conventional military action to remove Maduro from power (The Intel Brief).

• November 6: Secretary Hegseth confirmed that U.S. assets had conducted the 17th lethal strike on a vessel in the Caribbean (The Warzone, X). Hegseth confirmed that three men were killed in the strike, and that they were linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization (X).
  The continued strikes, limited to vessels traveling in international waters and verified through intelligence, indicate the administration will continue to strike such targets, and that officials are delaying a decision to expand to ground strikes and conventional military action.

• Maduro’s Regime Stability: According to The Atlantic, President Nicolas Maduro offered to resign from power if the United States provided amnesty and exile (The Atlantic). One of Maduro’s conditions is that the Trump administration lift the $50 million bounty on him (The Atlantic).
  If this reporting is accurate, it also suggests the Trump administration will restrain itself from conventional military action in favor of organized regime change in Venezuela.

Why This Matters
Sustained strikes on small vessels in the Caribbean (alongside asset buildup and regional exercises) suggest that Washington is pursuing a pressure campaign designed to push Maduro from power.

Additionally, by restraining the use of conventional forces against Venezuela or on land targets, the U.S. is also maximizing its legitimacy under international law while simultaneously meeting counter-narcotics and counterterrorism objectives.

Conventional action would, and should, require Congressional approval.

End Brief

That concludes this brief.

Thank you for reading!
— Nick