General Information

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 20 – 26, 2018)

The march of Friday, June 22, 2018, was attended by several thousand Gazans. Attendance was at its lowest since the "return marches" began. The level of violence and terrorism accompanying the marches continues to escalate. Note: On the night of June 26, 2018, an IDF force, using aircraft and tanks, attacked two Hamas observation posts and a vehicle in the Nuseirat refugee camp (central Gaza Strip).
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Hamas’ new policy towards Israel: from restraint and calm to controlled violence, creating escalation

For the past three months Hamas has employed a policy of controlled violence against Israel, there are now mass demonstrations and riots ("return marches") and mass attempts to penetrate into Israeli territory. The marches have been accompanied by a variety of violent activities, including shooting at IDF forces; throwing hand grenades, Molotov cocktails and IEDs; vandalizing the border crossings and the security fence; and launching kites and balloons bearing incendiary substances and explosives (arson terrorism).
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Rocket and mortar shell fire attack Israel as part of the new “rules of engagement” Hamas is trying to dictate to protect arson terrorism

Following the worsening of arson terrorism, the IDF stepped up its responses and began attacking Hamas targets, and did not only make do with firing warning shots at Palestinians launching kites and balloons. Hamas, which is behind arson terrorism, is now trying to establish "new rules of engagement" to prevent severe Israeli responses and to protect the Palestinians launching kites and balloons. Hamas calls the "response equation" "an attack in return for an attack, blood in return for blood." That is, an IDF attack on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to the launching of kites and balloons will be retaliated by rocket and mortar shell fire into Israeli territory. As a result, an explosive situation has been created, with potential for additional escalation in the Gaza Strip. That, in turn, is liable to lead to a broad confrontation even if neither side wants one.
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News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 13 – 19, 2018)

The "return march" events of Friday, June 15, 2018, which began during Eid al-Fitr, were the quietest since the "marches" began on March 30, 2018. No clashes with the IDF were reported. In view of the situation the IDF intensified its responses. Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked nine Hamas targets, including facilities for the manufacture of weapons in the northern Gaza Strip. At the end of April 2018 the Israeli security forces detained a Hamas network with more than twenty operatives.
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Arson Terrorism: A new method devised by Hamas during the “return marches” to attack the communities near the Gaza Strip and disrupt their daily lives

The phenomenon of "arson terrorism" using kites, which began on a small scale during the third week of the violent "return marches," has gathered momentum during the past few weeks, led by Hamas. In addition to incendiary kites, the use of helium balloons with flammable substances attached began, and later kites and balloons with IEDs attached.
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Palestinian popular terrorism in Judea and Samaria declined during the first half of 2018, despite both the relocation of the American embassy to Jerusalem and Hamas’ continuous inciting Palestinians to join the violent “return marches”

Why did Hamas not succeed in duplicating the marches, with their attendant violence and terrorism, in Judea and Samaria? Why is the populace in Judea and Samaria apparently relatively apathetic, without masses of Palestinians demonstrating in support of the Gaza Strip, where events led to such a large number of casualties? Why has the relocation of the American embassy not led to mass popular protest in Jerusalem and throughout Judea and Samaria? Why have the events in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem not motivated young Palestinians to carry out attacks and give new momentum to popular terrorism?
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