News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (August 3-9, 2016)

Terrorist Attacks and Attempted Attacks

• On August 5, 2016, Palestinians shot at an Israeli vehicle in the vicinity of the village of Hamza (near Pisgat Ze'ev in north Jerusalem). There were no casualties. The identity of the shooters is unknown.

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:

• August 6, 2016– An IDF soldier was wounded by a stone thrown in a riot in the village of Burin (Samaria).Several IDF soldiers were wounded when Palestinians threw stones at them during a riot in the village of al-Maghaier (north of Ramallah)(Facebook page of Red Alert, August 6, 2016).
• August 4, 2016– Palestinians threw stones at Israeli vehiclesin the area of Hawwara (near Nablus). There were no casualties but damage was reported. Palestinians threw stones and three Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles in Mt. Hebron. There were no casualties and no damage was reported (Facebook page of Red Alert, August 4, 2016).

Houses of Terrorists Demolished

• On the night of August 3, 2016, the IDF demolished the houses of Muhammad and Khaled Makhamra in the villages of Khirbet Ruqa' and Yatta in the Hebron region. Muhammad and Khaled Makhamra were the two Palestinian terrorists who carried out the shooting attack at the Sarona Market commercial center in the heart of Tel Aviv on June 8, 2016, killing four Israelis. Riots broke out when IDF forces came to demolish the houses (Facebook page of Shihab, August 4, 2016).

Rocket Fire Attacking Israel

• This past week no rocket hits were identified in Israeli territory.

Riots and Terrorist Attacks near the Border Security Fence

• On August 5, 2016, Gazans rioted near the border security fence east of the al-Bureij refugee camp (central Gaza Strip), throwing stones at IDF soldiers near the fence. The IDF responded by employing riot control measures. The Palestinians claimed that six rioters had been injured (Facebook page of Quds.net, and Ma'an, August 5, 2016).

Detention of International Aid Organization Employees Who Transferred Funds to Hamas

• The Israeli security forces recently detained employees of international aid organizations who had transferred to Hamas and its military-terrorist wing funds earmarked for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the welfare of its inhabitants.

Muhammad Halabi

• Muhammad Halabi is a senior employee of World Vision International who was detained by the Israeli security forces at the Erez crossing about a month and a half ago. According to the indictment handed down against him, for the past six years he had transferred tens of millions of dollars to Hamas' military-terrorist wing, funds donated to World Vision in the United States and Europe. Halabi, a civil engineer, was recruited by Hamas' military-terrorist wing in 2004. A year later he was instructed to infiltrate World Vision and covertly siphon off funds earmarked for the Gazan civilian population and divert them to Hamas' military-terrorist wing.
• According to the indictment, he transferred $7.2 million a year to Hamas. The money was used to construct military posts, dig tunnels and purchase weapons. He exploited his entrance permit into Israel as an aid worker to travel through the area and mark locations suitable for attack tunnel shafts inside Israeli territory (Israel Security Agency, Israeli Southern District Prosecutor's Office, August 4, 2016).
• According to the Israel Security Agency (ISA), a Hamas post in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, was constructed with $80,000 raised in Britain, also used to pay the salaries of Hamas operatives and distributed as bonuses to Hamas terrorist operatives who fought against Israel in Operation Protective Edge. According to the ISA, other World Vision employees were aware of Halabi's actions. Hamas has denied any connection to Muhammad Halabi and stressed that the information published in the Israeli media is baseless (Alresala.net, August 4, 2016).
• World Vision International, which calls itself "an Evangelical Christian humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organization," has branches around the globe. It has operated in Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip since 1975. According to its website, it is a "is a global Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice...and serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender." Its board of directors has members from all over the world, with one exception from non-European countries. During the past year the organization received donations of $570 million from private individuals.^[3]

Wahid Abdallah Bursh

• In July 2016 the Israeli security forces detained Wahid Abdallah Bursh, 38, from Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip. He is suspected of exploiting his position in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to finance the activities of Hamas' military-terrorist wing.
• Wahid Bursh began working for the UNDP as an engineer in 2003. One of his tasks was to ensure the demolishing of houses damaged in confrontations and removing the debris. In 2014 he was instructed by a senior Hamas figure to use his job at the UNDP to support Hamas. In 2015 he helped Hamas' military-terrorist wing build an anchorage in the northern Gaza Strip with UNDP resources. He also exerted his influence to allow the houses of Hamas operatives to receive priority in reconstruction (ISA, August 9, 2016).
• According to its website, the UNDP "works in some 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion." Since receiving its mandate from the UN on December 20, 1978, it has worked to improve the conditions of the Palestinians. It undertakes reconstruction and development projects for the residents of the Gaza Strip, including the rebuilding of homes damaged during military conflicts (UNDP website).

Hamas Terrorist Tunnel Collapses

• Hamas' military-terrorist wing announced the death of Khaled Mithqal Abd al-Rahman al-Hour, 23, from the al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. He was killed in the collapse of a tunnel in the village of Juhor al-Dik, southeast of Gaza City (Safa, August 6, 2016). Ismail Haniyeh, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, attended the funeral held for him in the al-Bureij refugee camp and praised the "jihad fighters of the Palestinian resistance" (Twitter account of Palinfo, August 7, 2016).

Left: Ismail Haniyeh pays a condolence call at the al-Bureij refugee camp. Right: Khaled Mithqal Abd al-Rahman al-Hour, killed in a tunnel collapse (Facebook page of Shihab, August 8, 2016).

Facebook Blocks Page of Senior PIJ Figure

• Facebook blocked the official page of Khaled al-Batash, a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) figure. In response al-Batash said he was surprised but claimed Facebook was known for its pro-Israeli bias. He claimed blocking his page would not prevent the PIJ from making its voice heard because there were other avenues through which it could make itself heard to Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims (Qudspress.com, August 6, 2016).

Two New Hamas Spokesmen

• Hamas announced the appointment of two new spokesmen: Hazem Ahmed Qassem, from Gaza City, and Abd al-Latif Rajeb al-Qanua from Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip (Watan, August 7, 2016).

Global Jihad Terrorist Operatives Train in the Gaza Strip

• The ISIS-affiliated Haq website posted a series of pictures documenting weapons training in a course apparently held in the Gaza Strip (Haq, August 3, 2016). The terrorists in the pictures are referred to as "jihad fighters in greater Jerusalem." Apparently they are ISIS-affiliated Salafist-jihadi operatives in the Gaza Strip.

Pictures from the Haq website (August 3, 2016).