General Information

Anti-Israel Terrorism from the Palestinian Authority, 2023

In 2023 there was a significant increase in the extent of terrorism and violence, with 179 critical terrorist attacks carried out, compared with 86 in 2022; Twenty-seven were carried out on Israeli territory (16 in 2022); 43 people were killed, 37 civilians and six members of the security forces, compared with 30 killed during 2022; Shootings were prominent, with 108 attacks which accounted for about 60% of the total number (46 in 2022); There were also 35 stabbings, about 19% of the total; 20 vehicle ramming attacks, about 11% of the total; 5 IED attacks and 5 combined attacks. There were also several thousand incidents in which rocks were thrown and several hundred in which Molotov cocktails were thrown, but not all were documented. Due to the Gaza Strip War (Operation Iron Swords) which broke out on October 7, 2023, the summary of 2023 was released considerably late and in an abbreviated format, and does not include terrorism from the Gaza Strip.
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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (May 28 – June 4 , 2024)

IDF forces advanced to the center of Rafah and gained operational control of the Philadelphia Axis along the Gaza Strip-Egypt border, where about 20 tunnels were located, some of which crossed into Egyptian territory. IDF forces also began operating in the al-Sabra and Zeitoun neighborhoods in southern Gaza City and completed their activity in the Jebalya refugee camp. Six IDF soldiers were killed fighting in the southern and northern Gaza Strip; Following President Biden's proposal for a permanent ceasefire in the war in the Gaza Strip and the release of the hostages, Hamas reacted with suspicion and demanded written guarantees; This past week, 1,858 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip through the Erez and Kerem Shalom Crossings. A technical fault shut down the activity of the American naval pier off the Gazan shore; There were four terrorist attacks - two IDF soldiers were killed in a vehicle ramming attack near Nablus. a shooting attack in the Tulkarm area was prevented and a plan by the Hamas headquarters in Turkey to carry out a mass attack on Israeli territory was exposed; The International Court of Justice in The Hague announced that the Palestinian Authority had requested to join South Africa's lawsuit.
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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (May 21-28, 2024)

IDF forces continued to expand their activities in the Gaza Strip, focusing on eastern and central Rafah and the Jebalya refugee camp. Meanwhile, the Palestinian organizations continueג firing rockets at Israel; for the first time in four months, rockets were launched at the center of the country. A special operation rescued the bodies of three Israeli civilians murdered on October 7, 2023, and abducted to the Gaza Strip. Five IDF soldiers were killed in combat. Efforts for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage deal continued, Hamas continued insisting on its demands. The IDF spokesperson in Arabic reported that the amount of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip had recently doubled. Activity at the Kerem Shalom Crossing has been resumed for the first time since the military operation in Rafah began in May. This past week there was an attempted stabbing north of Hebron. The security forces continued their counterterrorism activities on Judea and Samaria, focusing on the Jen
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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (May 15-21, 2024)

IDF forces continued expanding their activities in the Gaza Strip. The focal points were east Rafah and the Jebalya refugee camp. Meanwhile, the terrorist organizations continued firing rockets at the cities, towns and villages surrounding the Gaza Strip. Following intelligence information, the IDF returned the bodies of four Israeli civilians who were murdered on October 7, 2023, and taken to the Gaza Strip. Nine soldiers died fighting in the Gaza Strip. The negotiations are at a dead end and Hamas continues blaming Israel for the failure of the talks on the hostages' release. The floating pier constructed by the United States military off the coast of the Gaza Strip for the delivery of humanitarian aid was activated for the first time. Significant discrepancies between the reports of the Hamas ministries of health and information in the data regarding the number of dead in the Gaza Strip. There were three stabbing attacks in Judea and Samaria. The Israeli security forces continued their counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria. The focal point was the Jenin refugee camp. where an extensive operation began and aircrafts attacked a terrorist operations room. Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech at the Arab League summit meeting in Bahrain attacking Hamas and stating that its unilateral action on October 7, 2023 gave Israel excuses to attack the Gaza Strip and displace its residents. The prosecutor general of the International Criminal Court in The Hague requested arrest warrants for suspicion of war crimes for head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, the commander of Hamas' military-terrorist wing, and the head of Hamas' political bureau, in addition to the Israeli Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.
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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (May 7-15, 2024)

The IDF expanded its activities in the Gaza Strip and is currently focusing on eastern Rafah and the Jebalya refugee camp. The activity in the al-Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City ended on the morning of May 15, 2024. Meanwhile, the Palestinian terrorist organizations continue firing rockets at the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip and in Southern Israel. For the first time in five months, Beersheba was attacked by rocket fire. Five IDF soldiers were killed and several others injured in the fighting in the Gaza Strip. The negotiations for the release of the hostages in Cairo stalled even after Egyptian efforts for a breakthrough. The Hamas delegation left Cairo and returned to Qatar. Hamas accused Israel of not taking the negotiations seriously and claimed the Israeli delegation's participation was meant as a cover for its action in Rafah. With the closure of the Gazan side of the Rafah Crossing following the IDF takeover, international and Palestinian figures warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip would deteriorate. Meanwhile, UNRWA distributes aid in its centers throughout the Gaza Strip. This past week no terrorist attacks were reported in Israel and in Judea and Samaria, and the intensity of IDF activities declined. A number of detentions and counterterrorism activities were carried out in the Hebron and Nablus areas. After a majority vote in the General Assembly, the PA's status was upgraded and its request to be accepted as a full member will be reexamined. The Palestinian prime minister continued his political activities to recruit support and financial aid for the PA and humanitarian aid for the Gazans. Senior Fatah member Jibril al-Rajoub, who denied the October 7th, 2023 attack and massacre, continued to promote Israel's delegitimization in FIFA, the international soccer association.
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Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (April 16 – May 7, 2024)

On the night of May 6, 2024, guided by intelligence, IDF forces began a targeted activity in limited areas of eastern Rafah, achieving operational control on the Gaza side of the Rafah Crossing. Meanwhile, IDF forces continued attacking terrorist targets and rocket launchers in the central Gaza Strip and Beit Hanoun (northern Gaza Strip). Terrorists in the Gaza Strip continued firing rockets at the cities, towns and villages surrounding Gaza and in southern Israel. Four IDF soldiers were killed in a Hamas rocket and mortar shell attack on a concentration of forces in the Kerem Shalom area. In response, IDF forces attacked rocket launch centers in Rafah and closed the Kerem Shalom Crossing. After a series of meetings and the submission of proposals and counter-proposals, Isma'il Haniyeh, head of Hamas' political bureau, informed that Hamas agreed to the outline proposed for a ceasefire with Israel as part of the negotiations for the release of the hostages. The delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip continues, especially to the north. During the past three weeks Palestinian terrorists carried out 11 attacks of various types. The Israeli security forces continued their counterterrorism activities. Mahmoud Abbas continued his efforts with international parties to end the war in the Gaza Strip and prevent the IDF's operation in Rafah. A proposed resolution will be voted on by the General Assembly on May 10, 2024. Meanwhile, with Chinese support, an attempt was made to renew the Palestinian internal reconciliation, despite low expectations for its success.
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