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The Palestinian Authority (PA)

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (September 20-27, 2023)

This past week Palestinians carried out eight terrorist attacks: six were shooting attacks a stabbing attack and a vehicular ramming attack. The Israeli security forces continued carrying out counterterrorism activities. Khaled Tabila, a senior Lion's Den group operative, was detained in Nablus; in an activity in Birzeit University, eight operatives of Hamas' Islamic Bloc student faction, who were planning terrorist attacks . violent clashes continued along the border security fence in the Gaza Strip. International and Arab efforts at mediation have yet to bear fruit. Reports continue about the Hamas administration's severe financial hardship. Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. It was his usual annual litany of complaints and demands, accusations against Israel and the assertion that the Palestinians would continue their "peaceful popular resistance" [popular terrorism]. His speech disappointed the Palestinians, who claimed that it was not assertive enough and did not reflect "the Palestinians' situation."
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The mass exodus of young men from the Gaza Strip

In recent years, the desire to emigrate from the Gaza Strip, with the overwhelming majority of the émigrés' being young men, has increased; it is difficult to estimate its scope because Hamas does not publish exact numbers. However, according to several reports, since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in 2007, between about 250,000 and 350,000 young adults have left and gone abroad. Their initial destination is Turkey, from where their intention is to continue to other countries, primarily European countries and Canada.The issue recently made headlines after on September 9, 2023, there were violent clashes between hundreds of young Gazans and the security guards of a travel agency in Gaza City which had received a monopoly for issuing visas to Turkey. Apparently the exodus is increasing and the events at the travel agency's offices was a manifestation of the growing demand for visas. The most prominent causes are the lack of hope and employment possibilities. Hamas tries to minimize and obscure the extent of emigration Currently, more people are being born in the Gaza Strip than are leaving it, but the mass emigration of the specific age group in question may affect its social and economic structure. In addition, for the most part, the military wings of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip are composed of operatives belonging to the demographic, therefore it is unclear if mass emigration will affect them and their activities.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (September 13-20, 2023)

This past week Palestinians carried out seven terrorist attacks. The Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activities, focusing on Jeninn and Jericho; five Palestinians were killed. Meanwhile, the Palestinian security forces continued to detain wanted persons in Jenin. During the Jewish New Year tensions increased when Jewish worshipers entered the Temple Mount; the event was condemned by Palestinians and Arab countries.This past week riots were renewed along the Gaza border. One Palestinian was killed by IDF forces in the southern Gaza Strip and five others were killed by an explosive device in the eastern Gaza Strip before it could thrown at Israeli soldiers The Palestinian Authority (PA) continued its activities in preparation for Mahmoud Abbas' speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 21, 2023. Mahmoud Abbas and PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh are exploiting the visit to New York to meet with world leaders to mobilize support for the Palestinian issue.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (September 6-12, 2023)

This past week Palestinians carried out four terrorist attacks. Three were shooting attacks one was a stabbing attack in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activities, focusing on Jenin and near Jericho. A rocket was unsuccessfully launched from west of Jenin at the Gilboa settlements in Israel. The rocket fell in Palestinian territory. Saleh al-'Arouri, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, said the "resistance" [anti-Israel terrorism] in Judea and Samaria would continue to develop. On September 12, 2023, the joint operations room of the military-terrorist wings of the Palestinian organizations held its fourth "military" maneuver. Hamas banned protest demonstrations near the security fence after that became a condition for the resumption of activity at the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Harsh international condemnations were leveled at Mahmoud Abbas' anti-Semitic, Holocaust-denying remarks in a speech at a meeting of Fatah's Revolutionary Council.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (August 30 –September 5, 2023)

This past week there were four terrorist attacks: a vehicular ramming near the Maccabim crossing in which an IDF soldier was killed and five people were injured; a vehicular ramming in the south of Mount Hebron in which an IDF soldier was superficially injured; and two stabbing attacks in Jerusalem, in which one person was wounded. An IED was used to attack the security forces securing the worshippers at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus; four soldiers were injured. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activities in Tulkarm, Tubas and Jenin. During an activity in the Nur al-Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm, IEDs ready for use were detonated.The decision of Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israeli minister of national security, to limit the visits of the families of security prisoners, led to tension in the jails. The Palestinian terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip continue to develop and improve their rocket systems. An attempt to smuggle explosives from the Gaza Strip to Judea and Samaria was foiled.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (August 23 –29, 2023)

This past week there was one shooting attack no casualties were reported. Before the Friday prayer at al-Aqsa Mosque, Palestinians rioted and clashed with Israeli police forces; several policemen and Palestinians were injured. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activities, detaining Palestinians suspected of terrorist activities and confiscating weapons and propaganda material. Palestinians made three attempts to cross the border security fence from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. Two rockets were launched towards the sea, what the Palestinian organizations called experiments to "improve rocket capabilities.". A demonstration was held in the east of Gaza City where demonstrators approached the security fence and clashed with IDF forces. The decision made by Israel's Political-Security Cabinet to target terrorists and their dispatchers raised concern among the Palestinians.
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The Palestinian Authority (PA)

The Palestinian Authority is a semi-autonomous entity which controls most of the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria. The Palestinian Authority was established in 1994 by virtue of agreements signed as part of the Oslo process between Israel and the PLO. Formally, the Palestinian Authority also controls the Gaza Strip, but in reality it lost control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007 when Hamas violently took control. Since Yasser Arafat’s death, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has headed the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian Authority’s status under Yasser Arafat was severely damaged by the Palestinian terrorist campaign (the Al-Aqsa, or Second Intifada, 2000 until 2005). Israel asserted that it failed to function since it did not fight against terrorism and even played an active role in organizing and funding terrorist attacks against Israelis. Israel ended cooperation with it and most Palestinian Authority activities came to a standstill.

After the end of the Second Intifada, Arafat’s death and his succession by Abu Mazen, Israel changed its policy towards the Palestinian Authority and the relations between them improved. Today, the Palestinian Authority controls area A in Judea and Samaria and enjoys partial cooperation with Israel, mainly in terms of security and administration. In the territories under its control, the Palestinian Authority operates through its security services, in coordination with Israel, to maintain internal order and prevent terrorist attacks. At the same time, the Palestinian Authority supports “popular resistance” (popular terrorism), providing political and even practical backing to acts of violence taking place as part of this kind of terrorism.

Many countries around the world give the Palestinian Authority some sort of recognition as a political entity, although most of them do not recognize it as a sovereign state. Some of them formalized their diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority and promoted their representatives to the status of ambassadors. On November 29, 2012, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 67/19 by a large majority. The resolution granted the Palestinian Authority a status of an observer state, which is not a full member.