News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (February 3-9, 2021)

The Gaza Strip

• In light of the decrease in infection, Iyad al-Buzum, spokesman for the ministry of the interior in Gaza, announced the cancellation of the nightly curfew and general lockdown on the weekends, put in place two months ago. The markets are open, but no decision has been made about opening hotels or reception venues (Filastin al-Yawm, February 4, 2021). Over the weekend the streets in the Gaza Strip were crowded with pedestrians and vehicles (Palinfo Twitter account, February 4, 2021).

• Majdi Dheir, director of preventive medicine in Gaza, said they were waiting for the arrival of doses of the Russian vaccine, which would be sent from the PA on February 14, 2021 (Sawa, February 8, 2021).
• The ministry of welfare in the Gaza announced the payment of 700 shekels (about $215), financial aid to people who had been harmed by the coronavirus. It would be a one-time payment, part of a project funded by the [Islamic] National Bank (established by Hamas in 2008) (alresala.net, February 8, 2021).

Judea and Samaria

Covid-19 vaccines arrives in the PA

• On February 4, 2021, the first shipment of Russian vaccines arrived in the PA, including 10,000 doses donated by Russia (Palestinian TV, February 4, 2021). Mai al-Kayla, PA minister of health, said that in addition to the Russian vaccine, sufficient for 5,000 people, they also purchased one million doses which are expected to arrive in the middle of February 2021 (Facebook page of the ministry of health in Ramallah, February 4, 2021).
• PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh told the weekly Palestinian government meeting that the ministry of health would begin vaccinating the population in the middle of February 2021, once all the vaccines had arrived. He again noted that the first people to be vaccinated would be the elderly and chronically ill (Wafa, February 8, 2021). Mai al-Kayla said 2.3 millions Palestinians would be inoculated over a period of months. She also said some of the doses received by the PA would be transferred to the Gaza Strip (Palestinian TV, February 3, 2021).

 
Right: The minister of health at a press conference with the Russian representative in the PA, announcing the arrival of the Russian vaccine (Wafa, February 4, 2021). Left: The Palestinian minister of health receives her first Covid-19 vaccine shot (Facebook page of the ministry of health in Ramallah, February 2, 2021).

Easing the lockdown

• Muhammad Shtayyeh told the weekly government meeting that as of February 8, 2021, the crossings would open for all Palestinians who wanted to return to the PA territories. Entrance will be limited to 450 people per day (Wafa, February 8, 2021).
• With the easing of restrictions in Israel on the morning of February 7, 2021, prayers were renewed on the Temple Mount and worshippers were allowed to enter (Palinfo, February 7, 2021). In the morning Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, who preaches in al-Aqsa mosque and is head of the Higher Islamic Commission, called on the Palestinian public to come to the Temple Mount and stay for as long as possible to compensate for the 40 days during which the mosque was closed. He also claimed Israel had exploited the coronavirus-related restrictions to increase its hold on the site (Felesteen, February 7, 2021).
• In the meantime, local east Jerusalem activists launched an online campaign calling on the public to do their shopping in the Old City markets to help local businesses recover from the lockdown (al-Araby al-Jadeed, February 7, 2021).

Rocket and mortar shell fire into Israel

• This past week no rocket hits were identified in Israeli territory.

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

Palestinian infiltrates the Sde Efraim Farm

• Before dawn on February 5, 2021, a Palestinian drove his vehicle into the Sde Efraim farm, an outpost northwest of Ramallah. He exited the vehicle, ran towards the home of the farm owner shouting “Allah akbar,” and tried to break down the door. The guard saw him running towards the house and confronted him. Another guard and the farm owner shot and killed him. IDF soldiers who arrived on the scene did not find a weapon on his person or in the vehicle. The IDF relates to the incident as an attempted terrorist attack (Israeli media, February 5, 2021).
• The Palestinian media reported the Palestinian was Khaled Maher Nofal, 34, married and father of one, from Ras Karkar, northwest of Ramallah. He had a BA in business administration from Birzeit University and worked for the PA’s ministry of the treasury (Palinfo website, February 5, 2021).

 
Right: Khaled Nofal (Palinfo website, February 5, 2021). Left: The scene of the event
(IDF spokesman’s website, February 5, 2021)

• The PA and Hamas condemned the killing. PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh posted a mourning notice to his Facebook page condemning the settlers who killed him. He claimed they were operating with the protection of IDF forces (Facebook page of Muhammad Shtayyeh, February 5, 2021).

• The Facebook page of Ras Karkar claimed that Khaled Nofal was “murdered in cold blood” by Israeli settlers despite the fact that he had been unarmed and killed in territory which [allegedly] belonged to his family (Facebook page of the village of Ras Karkar, February 6, 2021). Fatah in Ras Karkar issued a mourning notice for the death of its “son, the shaheed, the hero” (Facebook page of Fatah in Ras Karkar, February 5, 2021).

• According to Hamas, the killing of Khaled Nofal was proof of [Israeli] settler aggression against the Palestinian people in the West Bank. Hamas called for the establishment of a united “resistance” force [i.e., terrorist network] to act against the settlers and IDF soldiers. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) called for the end of security coordination with Israel (Dunia al-Watan, February 5, 2021).

Other events

• In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continued throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at vehicles driving on the roads. The more prominent events were the following:^[1]
  • February 9, 2021: Stones were thrown at a bus northeast of Hebron. No casualties were reported. As a result, vehicles were damaged.
  • February 8, 2021: Stones were thrown at a vehicle southwest of Nablus. No casualties were reported.
  • February 8, 2021: Stones were thrown on the Tunnel Road between Jerusalem and Gush Etzion. No casualties were reported.
  • February 8, 2021: Molotov cocktails were thrown at the fence of the community of Psagot (east of Ramallah). No casualties were reported.
  • February 8, 2021: Stones were thrown at a bus northeast of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported.
  • February 8, 2021: Molotov cocktails were thrown at a vehicle northeast of Ramallah. No casualties were reported.
  • February 7, 2021: Stones were thrown at a vehicle east of Ramallah and at a bus northwest of Ramallah. No casualties were reported.
  • February 7, 2021: Stones were thrown at a bus northeast of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported.
  • February 6, 2021: Molotov cocktails were thrown at a bus on Jerusalem-Gush Etzion road. No casualties were reported. The front windshield of the bus was damaged.
  • February 6, 2021: Stones were thrown at a bus north of Hebron. No casualties were reported.
  • February 6, 2021: Tires were burned on the road west of Jenin. No casualties were reported.
  • February 3, 2021: Stones were thrown at a vehicle north of Hebron. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • February 2, 2021: Two Molotov cocktails were thrown at a bus west of Hebron. No casualties were reported.

Significant terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria since January 2019^[2]

Reactions to Israeli activity in the northern Jordan Valley

• On February 3, 2021, during an activity in Hamsa in the northern Jordan Valley, Israel confiscated tents and shelters which were on IDF territory. Muhammad Shtayyeh visited the site with EU representatives and condemned the IDF activity. He also laid the cornerstone of a structure to replace one which had been demolished (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, February 4, 2021). Riyad Mansour, PA representative in the UN, said he would lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council and the president of the General Assembly. It would include documentation of Israel’s [alleged] “crimes” against the Palestinians in general and against Palestinians whose houses had been destroyed in particular (Dunia al-Watan, February 4, 2021).

New hospital to be built in Rafah

• During his most recent visit to the Gaza Strip, Mohammed al-Emadi, chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, signed an agreement to invest $24 million in the construction of a new hospital in Rafah (Dunia al-Watan, February 6, 2021). The hospital will cover a site of more than 12 acres and have 355 beds. According to Yusuf Abu al-Rish, deputy minister of health in Gaza, it will provide ICU, cardiac and maternity services and will have advanced equipment (Qatar’s National Committee website, February 9, 2021). For years Rafah has had only one hospital, and it has not been able to provide all the necessary services for local residents.
• On February 4, 2021, Mohammed al-Emadi officially opened the new headquarters of Qatar’s National Committee in Gaza. Present were public figures, and the heads and senior figures of Gaza Strip organizations, including Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip; and senior PIJ figure Khaled al-Batash (Qatar’s National Committee website, February 3, 2021).

   
Opening the new headquarters of Qatar’s National Committee
(Qatar’s National Committee website, 3, 2021).

Meetings in Russia

• Recently there has been an increased Russian involvement in the Palestinian issue, manifested an increasing number of meetings held by members of the Russian administration with Palestinians, including some from Hamas and the PIJ. This past week a Hamas delegation headed by Musa Abu Marzouq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, went to Moscow. The delegation met with Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian foreign minister; their main topic of discussion was the upcoming Palestinian elections (Sawa, February 4, 2021). Before the meeting Bogdanov met with a PIJ delegation headed by Ziyad al-Nakhalah, PIJ leader.

• The Hamas and PIJ delegations exploited the visit to meet with one another (Sawa, February 5, 2021). Both delegations later met with Kazem Jalali, the Iranian ambassador to Russia. Reportedly, they discussed recent political developments in the Palestinian arena, especially the issue of the PA’s upcoming general elections (Hamas website, February 6, 2021).

Ziyad al-Nakhalah praises Qassem Soleimani

• Ziyad al-Nakhalah, PIJ leader, attended a virtual memorial ceremony held in Iran for Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the IRGC’s Qods Force, and his second in command. He said that Soleimani had personally supervised the firing of the rockets that hit Tel Aviv, and had also supervised the delivery of weapons [to the Gaza Strip]. He said Soleimani’s death had caused a chain of collapse in the Middle East, beginning with the normalization between Israel and Arab states (Filastin al-Yawm, February 2, 2021).

Palestinian reactions to the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC)

• On February 5, 2021, a panel of ICC judges issued a majority ruling giving the court judicial authority over the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967. The rationale behind the ruling was that “Palestine,” which joined the Rome Statute, was to be considered a “state” whose territory included the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Therefore the ICC could open an investigation into [alleged] “crimes” carried out in the territories. The ruling confirmed the conclusions reached by the pretrial examination issued on December 20, 2019, by Fatou Bensouda, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, who said the situation met the legal criteria warranting an investigation. The ruling paves the way for opening an investigation into the alleged “war crimes” committed by Israel in Gaza Strip, Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem as of June 13, 2014 (the date the PA joined the Rome Statute).

• Senior PA figures expressed great satisfaction with the ruling, considering it a political achievement, fruit of the long-term, ongoing diplomatic activity with the ICC, the international community and other international organizations. Senior figures, among them Mahmoud Abbas, PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh, and Riyad al-Maliki, Palestinian foreign minister were quick to praise the ruling. Riyad al-Maliki gave an interview in which he detailed the preparations being made in the PA for the investigation (which has not yet been set by the chief prosecutor). He claimed they were aware that according to the ICC ruling, Hamas could also be investigated, and they were preparing for that eventuality.

PA elections

The Palestinian organizations meet in Cairo

• On February 8, 2021, a round of internal Palestinian talks began to discuss the elections, in which 14 Palestinian organizations will participate. Arriving in Cairo were a Fatah delegation headed by Jibril Rajoub, secretary of Fatah’s Central Committee; a Hamas delegation headed by Saleh al-‘Arouri, deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau (also in attendance was Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip); a PIJ delegation headed by Muhammad al-Hindi; a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine delegation and others. A PA source reported that in order to ensure the success of the meeting, no media presence was permitted (Wafa, February 8, 2021).

 
Right: The Palestinian organization delegations leave the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing en route to Cairo (al-Quds, February 7, 2021). Left: The Hamas delegation, headed by Saleh al-‘Arouri (extreme right), standing next to Yahya al-Sinwar (Palinfo Twitter account, February 7, 2021).

• Before the meeting, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the objective of the meeting was to ensure fair elections and provide the atmosphere necessary for their success (Safa, February 7, 2021). Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu said Hamas had come to the meeting “with an open mind” regarding the entire issue of elections. He said they hoped that in the near future they would be able to declare positive results for the newly-initiated round of talks (al-Aqsa, February 8, 2021). Senior PIJ figure Ahmed al-Mudallal said that before elections [could be held] there had to be an internal reconciliation, and the powers of the various Palestinian bodies, such as the PLO and the Palestinian National Council, had to be redefined (Filastin al-Yawm, February 8, 2021).

Technical preparations

• In the meantime, technical preparations are being made for the elections and voter registration. According to the PA’s Central Elections Committee, so far 2.3 million of about 2.8 million eligible voters in Judea, Samaria, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip have already registered (about 82%) (Facebook page of the Central Elections Committee, February 4, 2021). Azzam al-Ahmed, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, said the number of Palestinian Legislative Council seats had been more than halved, from 765 to 350, because the Council had become overinflated and ineffective (Sawa, February 3, 2021).
• The Gaza Strip is waiting for the visit of a delegation from the Elections Committee. Farid Taamallah, Committee spokesman, said the delegation would arrive in the Gaza Strip on February 9, 2021, and meet with representatives of the [Palestinian] organizations and civilian social organizations (alresala.net, February 7, 2021).
• Dr. Hana Nasser, Committee chairman, met with Ahmed Assaf, the supervisor general of the media, and signed an agreement for media coverage of the Palestinian elections (Committee Facebook page, February 8, 2021).

The issue of Jerusalem resident participation in the elections

• In addition to preparations for the elections, there is the ongoing issue of the participation of east Jerusalem residents in the elections.^[3] Jibril Rajoub, secretary of Fatah’s Central Committee, declared that the residents of east Jerusalem would vote even if Israel opposed it (Palestinian TV, February 2, 2021). The Central Elections Committee announced that Palestinians from east Jerusalem who had Israeli ID cards were eligible to run for office and vote in elections without having to register. Those who lived outside the district and wanted to vote in one of the other districts did have to register (Sawa, February 3, 2021).

Hamas encourages its supporters to participate in the elections

• Hamas called on its supporters to take an active part in the elections. Khalil al-Haya, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, told a press conference that after the elections Hamas wanted to form a national unity government. However, he said, they had not yet made a final decision about their participation in the elections: on a joint slate with all the organizations or with a small number of them. He called on PA and Jerusalem residents to hurry and register (al-Aqsa, February 3, 2021). Hamas figure Rafat Nassif also issued a call to Hamas supporters to register (Hamas website, February 2, 2021).
• In a video disseminated by the Hamas-affiliated media, Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, called on young Hamas supporters in the West Bank, women and men to use their rights and to vote for Hamas in the upcoming elections. He also had a message for Israel. He threatened that the Hamas leadership would not allow Israel to interfere in the elections. He said that if Israel did try to interfere, Hamas would disrupt the Israeli elections. Behind him were pictures of Israelis running to shelters during a rocket attacks, and Benjamin Netanyahu being hurried away to a bomb shelter during a rocket attack while an election meeting was in progress (Shehab, February 4, 2021).

PIJ participation in the elections

• Senior PIJ figure Khader Habib said his organization would make its decision about participation in the elections only after the round of talks in Cairo. He confirmed recent Palestinian opinion polls which showed the dissatisfaction of the Palestinian public with Mahmoud Abbas’ general functioning as PA chairman and the general sentiment that he should resign (al-Ghad TV, February 4, 2021).

Mahmoud Abbas meets with the UN envoy

• Mahmoud Abbas met with Tor Wennesland, the UN special envoy to the Middle East peace process. Mahmoud Abbas welcomed him in his new role, stressing the importance of the activities of the International Quartet in accelerating the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians based on resolutions made by international institutions and on international law (Wafa, February 6, 2021).

The Arab League holds emergency meeting to discuss the Palestinian issue

• On February 8, 2021, Arab League foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Cairo to discuss the Palestinian issue. Riyad al-Maliki, Palestinian foreign minister, said the Palestinians were prepared to be involved in any negotiations held under the auspices of an international committee based on international law and led by the International Quartet with a designated schedule. He also said the PA adhered to the principles of the Arab peace initiative, and hoped the Biden administration would take a more profound stance towards the Palestinian cause (Wafa, February 8, 2021).
• According to the summary of the meeting stressed the central position of the Palestinian cause, noting that the Arab states have to commit themselves to supporting the rights of the Palestinian people, the most important of which are self determination, the “right of return” and the establishment of a Palestinian state with the 1967 borders and east Jerusalem as its capital. The summary also stressed the need to goad international agencies to take steps to begin the negotiations (al-Ghad, February 8, 2021).