Hamas

Spotlight on Iran (June 24 – July 8, 2018)

The campaign in Syria continues to exact a price from Iranian forces. As reports emerge about negotiations between the United States and Russia concerning Syria’s future and military operations intensify in the country, Tehran and Moscow continue to deliberate concerning developments in Syria. While negotiations concerning the establishment of a new government in Baghdad continue apace, the National Security Adviser of the Iraqi Prime Minister, Faleh Fayyad, visited Tehran and met senior Iranian officials. Internal public criticism of Tehran’s policy of investing beyond the country’s borders, and in particular the support for the Assad regime, Hezbollah and the Palestinians is growing in Iran, as Iranian citizens face a worsening economic crisis.
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News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 27 – July 3, 2018)

The "return march" of June 29, 2018, was attended by a few thousand Palestinians. This past week there were four attempts to penetrate into Israeli territory in the northern and southern Gaza Strip, part of the violence accompanying the "marches." The Israeli Knesset confirmed a proposal for a law that would freeze the funds the Palestinian Authority (PA) pays to terrorists and their families from the tax receipts collected for and transferred to the PA by Israel.
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Institutionalizing arson terrorism: what began as a local initiative has been turned by Hamas into the leading modus operandi in its policy of controlled violence against Israel. Kites are launched under the central direction of Hamas’ military wing, and its operatives participate in the launchings

Arson terrorism is a modus operandi that began as a local initiative during the third week of the "return marches." Since then it has become more sophisticated and extensive, and has turned into Hamas' preferred modus operandi in the policy of controlled violence implemented against Israel during the past three months.
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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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