Hamas

Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (June 4-10 , 2024)

This past week, IDF operations focused on the refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip and the Rafah area in the south. A terrorist infiltration near Kerem Shalom was prevented, during which an IDF soldier was killed; The Israeli security forces rescued four Israeli hostages in an operation in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp. A fighter of the counterterrorism unit was killed. The Palestinians claimed that more than 270 civilians were killed during the operation and accused Israel of a "massacre." Despite this, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) said they were still interested in reaching an agreement that would lead to a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip and the release of the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners; The delivery of humanitarian aid was renewed through the floating sea pier constructed by the United States military off the coast of Gaza; No terrorist attacks were carried out this past week in Israel, Judea and Samaria. A car bomb exploded about a kilometer from a military checkpoint in the Jordan Valley; there were no casualties; The Israeli security forces continued their counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria. The security forces of the Palestinian Authority (PA) detained wanted operatives of the PIJ's Tubas Battalion.
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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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The International Judicial System vs. Israel Reactions and Significance

On May 24, 2024, the International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ) published temporary orders regarding the IDF's activity in Rafah and regarding the humanitarian demands from Israel within the framework of the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, as part of a lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel alleging an alleged violation of obligations under the Convention to prevent genocide. The ruling did not order a halt to the IDF operation in Rafah, but stated that Israel should refrain from carrying out actions that could be considered genocide against the Palestinians. On May 20, 2024, Karim Khan, the Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC), announced that he had submitted a request to issue arrest warrants on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity against three of the leaders of Hamas and against Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Galant. This is the first time that the prosecutor's office requests to arrest individuals from a western country and the request also created an immoral comparison between Israeli leaders and senior Hamas officials. The ICJ ruling and the chief prosecutor's request were regarded by the Palestinian Authority (PA), Hamas and Palestinian NGOs as important achievements in the legal warfare they have been waging against Israel for years and which they regard as no less important than the armed struggle. The Palestinians welcomed the announcements, but also expressed doubt about the cessation of the operation in Rafah and criticized the request to arrest senior Hamas officials.
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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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The Palestinian Perspective on the IDF Operation in Rafah

IDF forces initiated a military operation in limited areas in east Rafah, targeting Hamas terrorist facilities. The forces took control of the Gazan side of the Rafah Crossing, which is situated in the east of the city. Prior to the operation, the IDF began evacuating the residents of east Rafah to an expanded humanitarian zone in Mawasi Khan Yunis in the central Gaza Strip. UNRWA and Palestinian media outlets reported tens of thousands of residents evacuated from the area, although Hamas claimed lower numbers. The IDF takeover and closing of the Rafah Crossing provoked reactions from Palestinian figures and international aid organizations. The Arab world also condemned the IDF's action and expressed concern regarding the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah, the Houthis and the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq threatened that if Israel entered Rafah they would escalate their attacks, and have in fact carried out their threats. Egypt prepared for the operation and raised the alert level of its forces in the border area, out of concern that Gazans would enter its territory. It is currently unclear how long the IDF operation in east Rafah will last and if it will expand to other areas. Meanwhile, the efforts of the United States, Qatar and Egypt to reach a deal to release the hostages continue. Contrary to the statements of senior Hamas members before the operation, its representatives continued the negotiations for a ceasefire and a hostage deal even as IDF forces operate in Rafah.
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