News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 8 – 14, 2016)

Riots, Clashes and Popular Terrorism

• In the meantime, demonstrations, protest marches, riots, and the throwing of stones, Molotov cocktails and pipe bombs continue in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem.
• The more prominent events were the following:

• June 13, 2016– Palestinians threw stones at an Israeli vehicle near Beit Einun (north of Kiryat Arba). A woman was injured and treated at the scene (Facebook page of Red Alert, June 13, 2016).
• June 13, 2016– Palestinians threw stones at Israeli vehicles near Ofra. An IDF force arriving at the location was also attacked with stones (Facebook page of Red Alert, June 13, 2016).
• June 12, 2016– Palestinians threw stones at an Israeli bus en route to the Western Wall near the Rockefeller Museum in east Jerusalem. Three people were injured; the bus was damaged.

• June 12, 2016– The vehicles of about 20 residents of Silwan (east Jerusalem) were vandalized. An investigation to find the vandals is being carried out (Facebook page of Red Alert, June 12, 2016).
• June 10, 2016 – Israeli security force actions in Eizaria and Abu Dis east of Jerusalem uncovered two lathes used in the manufacture of weapons, ammunition and IED components (IDF spokesman, June 10, 2016).

• June 9, 2016– A Palestinian woman armed with a knife went to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron; she was detained. Interrogation revealed that she had fled her home after fighting with her husband and took a knife so that she would be detained by Israel (Facebook page of Red Alert, June 10, 2016).

Terrorist Attacks, May 2016

• According to the Israel Security Agency, the decline in the number of terrorist attacks continued. A total of 84 terrorist attacks were carried out in May 2016, 67 in Judea and Samaria and 17 in Jerusalem:

• Types of attacks – Most of the attacks (65) involved Molotov cocktails. Eleven involved IEDs, four involved gunshots, there were four stabbing attacks and one vehicular attack (the report did not include the several hundred instances of stone-throwing).
• Location of the attacks – Sixty-seven were carried out in Judea and Samaria, 17 in Jerusalem and one in Tel Aviv (a stabbing attack).
• Casualties – During May 12 Israelis were wounded, four civilians and eight members of the security forces.

House of Terrorist Demolished

• In accordance with instructions from the political leadership, the Israeli security forces razed the house in Yatta of Murad Bader Abdallah Adais, the Palestinian terrorist who murdered Dafna Meir on her doorstep on the village of Otniel on January 17, 2016. Hamas condemned the demolition, calling it a "war crime" (Al-Aqsa, June 11, 2016). The Yatta municipality and Fatah began collecting donations to rebuild the house (Ma'an, June 11, 2016). Musa Makhamra, the mayor of Yatta, said the municipality had provided the family with alternative housing until a new house could be built. He also said the municipality had appointed a committee to deal with the renovation and construction of houses demolished by IDF forces (Facebook page of the Yatta municipality, June 12, 2016).

Rocket Fire Attacking Israel

• On June 11, 2016, a rocket was fired from the northern Gaza Strip at Israeli territory. It fell inside the Gaza Strip.

Statements from the Head of the Free Sons of Palestine Movement

• Khaled Abu Hilal, head of the Free Sons of Palestine Movement (which broke away from Fatah and collaborates with Hamas), said in an interview that the month of Ramadan had to be exploited for jihad attacks. He claimed it was a good opportunity to put an end to the lull in the fighting with Israel and return the intifada to Jerusalem (Al-Aqsa TV, June 9, 2016).

Hamas Elections

• Sources close to Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas' political bureau, reported he had announced he would not be a candidate for head of the bureau in the elections which are supposed to be held at the end of the year (Al-Ra'i al-Yawm, June 13, 2016).

Salafist-Jihadi Activity in the Gaza Strip

• An organization calling itself the "Environs of Jerusalem" (a Palestinian Salafist-jihadi network in the Gaza Strip) posted a DIY video documenting "courses in the engineering of explosives." In the video organization operatives explain how to prepare explosive vests and IEDs. They claimed to have purchased the materials with donations and that the video's objective was to train "a generation of experts." The video calls on young Palestinians to participate in the courses and to share the information they learn with others (Inewsarabia.com, June 12, 2016). The organization has recently initiated an Internet campaign for donations with the slogan slogan, "Equip us."

The video with instructions on how to make explosives (Dawaalhaq.com, June 10, 2016).

Two Gazans Killed in Aerial Attacks in Syria

• Reports were recently received of the deaths of two Palestinians from the Gaza Strip fighting in the ranks of ISIS:

• The Palestinian news sites reported the death of Khaled Salman Ahmed al-Tarabian (aka Jaafar al-Tiyar), in an aerial attack carried out in Syria by the anti-ISIS coalition. He came from the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. He left the Gaza Strip and went to Syria to fight in the ranks of ISIS (Facebook page of News of the al-Maghazi refugee camp and Ma'an, June 11 and 13, 2016).
• The Ibn Taymiyyah Center, which is affiliated with Salafi-jihadists in the Gaza Strip, issued a death notice for Muhammad Sabar al-Masri (aka Abu Abdallah al-Masri), from Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip. He was killed on June 13, 2016, in an aerial attack in al-Raqqa province in Syria while fighting in the ranks of ISIS (Twitter account of the Ibn Taymiyyah Center, June 13, 2016).

Left: The death notice issued by the Ibn Taymiyyah Center for Muhammad Sabar al-Masri (Twitter account of the Ibn Taymiyyah Center, June 13, 2016). Right: Khaled Salman Ahmed al-Tarabian (Facebook page of News of the al-Maghazi refugee camp and Ma'an, June 11, 2016).

Registration for Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades Summer Camps Begins

• Hamas' military-terrorist wing announced registration had begun for the summer camps it runs for children and adolescents in the Gaza Strip, part of the Al-Futuwwa program.^[4] The camps are expected to begin the middle of July, after the end of Ramadan. According to the announcement, the children will undergo military training, learn military theory and practice shooting. They will also hear sermons. The objective of the camps, according to the announcement, is to "ignite jihad" to prepare the "army of victory desirable for the liberation of Palestine" (Alresala.net, June 7, 2016).

Upper left: Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades operatives announce the opening of registration at one of the mosques in Gaza City. Lower left: Registering for summer camp. Right: Announcement for the opening of registration for Hamas' summer camps (Facebook page of al-Futuwwa, 2016).

Palestinian Public Poll

• Between June 2 and 4, 2016, the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research conducted a public opinion poll of 1,270 Palestinians from Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. The findings were the following:^[5]

• The current Palestinian terrorist campaign – 48% of those polled said they believed the campaign had ended; 48% said they believed it had not (the poll was taken before the terrorist attack at the Sarona Market in Tel Aviv).
• The French initiative – 50% of the respondents supported and 41% opposed the initiative. Support reached 46% in Judea and Samaria compared to 56% in the Gaza Strip. Regarding expectations for the success or failure of the French Initiative, 29% expected success and 59% expected failure. There was a significant difference between residents of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip: 39% in Gaza and 22% in Judea and Samaria expected success.

Palestinian Media Activity for Ramadan

• For Ramadan, Palestinian media activity, especially the social networks, has increased the glorification and praise of the terrorists who carried out terrorist attacks, and continue to call for more. The Facebook page of QudsN, considered the dominant Palestinian medium, posted a video called "This is how Palestinians break the [Ramadan] fast." It was inspired by the shooting attack in the Sarona Market in Tel Aviv, and shows a Palestinian eating a fast-breaking meal. Once he has finished he disguises himself as an ultra-Orthodox Jew with side-locks and a hat, takes a gun and goes to carry out a shooting attack in Tel Aviv (Facebook page of QudsN, June 9, 2016).

Scenes from the QudsN Ramadan video (Facebook page of QudsN, June 9, 2016).

PA Commemoration of Terrorists Killed in the Current Palestinian Terrorist Campaign

• The Authority for the Struggle against the Wall and the Settlements, headed by Palestinian minister Walid Assaf, held a display in the middle of Ramallah of pictures of Palestinian terrorists who had been killed, called "Every shaheed has a life." More than 100 pictures were hung of Palestinian terrorists (most of them from the current terrorist campaign). Visiting the display, Walid Assaf noted the importance for the younger generation of commemorating the shaheeds. Passersby who were interviewed expressed considerable interest in the display and said it helped them become familiar with the activities and biographies of the Palestinian shaheeds (Watan, June 13, 2016).

Left: Walid Assaf, chairman of the Authority for the Struggle against the Wall and the Settlements, at the display. Right: The display of pictures of shaheeds in the center of Ramallah (Watan, June 13, 2016).