News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (January 4-11, 2022)

Terrorist attacks

• On the evening of January 11, 2022, a Palestinian carried out a vehicular ramming attack near the community of Halamish, north of Ramallah. According to initial reports, a Palestinian drove his vehicle to the site, sped up towards a group of IDF fighters securing the road, an hit one of them, wounding him in the leg. The Palestinian was detained and taken for interrogation (IDF spokesman, January 11, 2022).

Counterterrorism activities

• On January 6, 2022, during an Israeli security force operation in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus to detain a wanted terrorist, shots were fired at the soldiers. The soldiers returned fire. The wanted terrorist was detained (IDF spokesman, January 6, 2022). In the exchange of fire, senior Fatah terrorist operative Muhammad Musa Hashash, 21, who had been wanted by Israel for a long time, was killed (Filastin al-Yawm, January 6, 2022).
• Fatah issued a formal mourning notice (Fatah Twitter account, January 6, 2022). Hamas offered the family its condolences, saying his blood had not been shed in vain and that the “resistance” [i.e., anti-Israeli terrorism and violence] would continue throughout the Palestinian territories until the end of the [so-called Israeli] “occupation” (Hamas Telegram channel, January 6, 2022). A military-style funeral was held for Hashash with the participation of PA security force operatives. The funeral was attended by Ibrahim Ramadan, governor of the Nablus district and Fatah secretary in Nablus. Armed Fatah operatives at the funeral fired their weapons into the air (Ma’an, January 6, 2022). Hashah’s uncle said he had often participated in riots and shot at IDF forces, and had been wanted by the IDF for a long time.

   
The formal mourning notice issued by Fatah in the Balata refugee camp (Fatah Twitter account, January 6, 2022).

   
The military-style funeral held for Musa Hashash. His body was wrapped in the Palestinian flag, on top of which was his weapon (Ma’an News, January 6, 2022).

• On January 10, 2022, an IDF force detained five Palestinians near Birzeit University in Ramallah. Among them was Isma’il Barghouti, chairman of the Islamic Bloc, Hamas’ student bloc. The detention enraged both Fatah and Hamas.

Rocks, Molotov cocktails and other events

• In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continued throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles driving on the roads, especially buses. The more prominent events were the following:^[1]
  • December 10, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near Luban al-Sharqia, south of Nablus. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • December 10, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle between the communities of Tapuah and Migdalim, south of Nablus. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • December 10, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle in Funduq, near Kedumim, east of Qalqilya. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • December 10, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus near Kedumim. No casualties were reported; the bus was damaged.
  • December 10, 2022: Rocks and Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli vehicles and an Israeli bus on the Gush Etzion-Hebron road near Karmei Tzur. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • December 10, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus on the Gush Etzion-Hebron road near Bayt Ummar. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • December 9, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near the Marda Junction, southeast of Qalqilya. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • December 9, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle in Hawwara, south of Nablus. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • December 9, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus between the community of Adam and Hizma, north of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported; the front windshield was damaged.
  • December 9, 2022: Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli vehicles on the Jerusalem Tunnel-Gush Etzion road. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • December 9, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle between Tapuah and Migdalim, south of Nablus. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • December 9, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near Dir Nidham, northwest of Ramallah. The front windshield was shattered and a female passenger was injured by flying glass.
  • December 8, 2022: A Molotov cocktail was thrown at an Israeli bus on the Gush Etzion-Hebron road, south of Karmei Tzur. No casualties or damage were reported.
  •  December 7, 2022: Rocks were thrown targeting at least three Israeli vehicles near Western Tekoa, west of Bethlehem. Four Israelis were injured by flying glass. The front windshield of one of the vehicles was shattered by a rock.
  • December 6, 2022: A Molotov cocktail was thrown at an Israeli bus between the communities of Givat Asaf and Mikhmash, east of Ramallah. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • December 6, 2022: Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli vehicles on the Husan bypass road between al-Khader and Beitar Illit. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • December 6, 2022: Two Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli vehicles on the Jerusalem Tunnel-Gush Etzion road. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • December 6, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near Sinjil, east of Ramallah. No casualties were reported; the windshield of the vehicle was damaged.
  • December 6, 2022: Molotov cocktails were thrown at an Israeli bus near Halhul, north of Hebron. No casualties were reported.
  • December 5, 2022: Molotov cocktails were thrown at an Israeli bus and other vehicles on the Gush Etzion-Hebron road south of the Karmei Tzur Junction. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • December 5, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle between Beit Hadassah and Tel Rumeida in Hebron. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • December 5, 2022: Molotov cocktails were thrown at the southern entrance to Kibbutz Migdal Oz, southwest of Bethlehem. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • December 5, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle between Tapuah and Migdalim south of Nablus, near Aqraba. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • December 4, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle on the Gush Etzion-Hebron road near Bayt Ummar, north of Hebron. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.

Significant Terrorist Attacks in Judea and Samaria since January 2020^[2]

Rocket and mortar shell fire into Israel

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

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire since January 2020

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

Attempt to use the hunger strike to secure the release of another Palestinian terrorist prisoner

• After a hunger strike that lasted 141 days an agreement was reached with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) administrative detainee Hashem Abu Hawwash. His lawyer, Jawad Bulas, said that according to the agreement reached with the Israeli military attorney’s office, he would end his hunger strike in return for early release on February 26, 2022, and his administrative detention would not be extended. Until his release he will remain in the Israeli hospital where he is being treated. The Palestinians perceived the end of the Hashem Abu Hawwash affair as a “victory” which could potentially be exploited to secure the release of other terrorist prisoners.
• The official Palestinian TV station reported that his release had been achieved thanks to intensive activity by Mahmoud Abbas and Majed Faraj, head of Palestinian general intelligence. The family thanked Mahmoud Abbas for his efforts. Mahmoud Abbas spoke to the family and praised Hashem Abu Hawwash for his firm stance against Israel (Wafa, January 4, 2022). PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh welcomed his release and praised his determination, thanking all the countries which had helped exert pressure on Israel to release him (Sawa, January 4, 2022). According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, the affair of Abu Hawwash had returned the issue of the prisoners, and specifically the issue of the prisoners held in administrative detention, to center stage (Palestinian Prisoners Club Facebook page, January 4, 2022).

     
Right: Hashem Abu Hawwash celebrates his “victory” from his bed in Israel’s Asaf Harofeh Hospital (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, January 8, 2022). Left: Mahmoud Abbas congratulates the Abu Hawwash family (Mahmoud Abbas’ Facebook page, January 4, 2022).

• The PIJ and Hamas celebrated the end of the affair and the prisoner’s “victory.” Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanua claimed the “victory” was a reminder of the ability of the Palestinians and the prisoners to “win every battle against Israel” (Hamas website, January 4, 2022).
• The PIJ organized a “victory parade” in the Gaza Strip, during which Khaled Mansour, senior operative in Hamas’ military terrorist wing, was interviewed (Filastin al-Yawm, January 6, 2022). Muhammad al-Hindi, a member of the PIJ’s political bureau, said the “victory” was a “national symbol” for overcoming challenges (Filastin al-Yawm, January 4, 2022). Abu Hamze, spokesman for the PIJ’s military terrorist wing, spoke of Abu Hawwash’s “heroic battle.” He said that during his hunger strike they had raised the level of the military wing’s alert to be able to carry out the order of PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah, which was to provide a military response if he died (Jerusalem Brigades’ Telegram channel, January 4, 2022).

   
The PIJ’s military terrorist wing in the Gaza Strip’s military display to celebrate the “victory” of Hashem Abu Hawwash’s hunger strike (al-Risalah Twitter account, January 5, 2022).

• Immediately after the agreement had been forged the Palestinians began a campaign to release Nasser Abu Hamid, who is ill with cancer and whose condition has deteriorated. Nasser Abu Hamid was one of the heads of Fatah’s Tanzim, an armed offshoot of the Fatah movement, and a founder of Fatah’s military terrorist wing, the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. He participated in the brutal murder of two Israeli soldiers who got lost and drove into Ramallah by mistake on October 12, 2000. He is serving seven consecutive terms of life imprisonment plus fifty years for the murder of seven Israelis and the attempted murder of twelve. Four of his brothers are in Israeli jails for carrying out terrorist attacks. One of his younger brothers killed an IDF soldier by throwing a marble slab at him from a roof in the al-Am’ari refugee camp in Ramallah on May 26, 2018. His mother is known as “mother of shaheeds.”
• As part of the efforts to secure Abu Hamid’s release a campaign was started in the Palestinian media, especially those affiliated with Hamas. Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, spoke on the phone with family members of several prominent Palestinian terrorist prisoners. He told them of Hamas’ commitment to release the Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and to put the issue of the prisoners at the head of Hamas’ agenda (Hamas Telegram channel, January 5, 2022). Interviewed by al-Jazeera, Haniyeh said the issue of the prisoners in Israel jails was Hamas’ top priority and Hamas had been working for their release since the movement’s founding (al-Jazeera, January 9, 2022). A demonstration was held in the Gaza Strip to demand Abu Hamid’s release (Hamas Telegram channel, January 4, 2022).
• The PA also joined the campaign, and a rally was held in Ramallah, attended by Abu Hamid’s mother. Qudri Abu Bakr, chairman of the commission for prisoners and released prisoners’ affairs, who also attended the rally, claimed that not releasing Abu Hamid was “murder,” and called on all the countries of the world to impose sanctions on Israel because of its actions (Filastin al-Yawm, January 10, 2022).

  
Right: Mass demonstration held in the center of Ramallah to support the release of Palestinian terrorist prisoner Nasser Abu Hamid (Wafa, January 9, 2022). Left: Violent confrontations at the entrance to the village of Bayta in support of the release of Nasser Abu Hamid (al-Risalah Twitter account, January 9, 2022).

   
Rally in support of Nasser Abu Hamid in front of Red Cross headquarters in Gaza City (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, January 6, 2022).

Ongoing calls for Israel to rebuild the Gaza Strip

• This past week threats against Israel continued, and calls were heard for the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip and the lifting of the “siege.” “A source” in the Palestinian terrorist organizations reported that that organizations had given the mediators negotiating with Israel an ultimatum of “a few days” to make real progress in the issues of rebuilding and lifting the “siege.” The organizations threatened that if Israel did not meet their demands, all options were on the table. The “source” did not reject the possibility that the organizations’ military wings or their joint operations room would impose a “final ultimatum” on Israel and/or the negotiators (Quds, January 5, 2022).
• Another report quoting “sources” stated that at meetings held by members of Egyptian General Intelligence, members of the Palestinian organizations gave Israel the ultimatum of meeting their demands for genuine steps to rebuild the Gaza Strip and easing the “siege” by January 13, 2022, otherwise all options were open (al-Ra’i al-Yawm, January 3, 2022).

Rally held to mark the second anniversary of Qassem Soleimani’s death

• On January 3, 2022, a rally was held in Gaza City to commemorate the second anniversary of the death of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Qods Force. A display was held of works by artists from all over the world. The rally was orchestrated by Hamas with the participation of representatives from other Palestinian terrorist organizations, including PIJ leader Khaled al-Batash, who said Qassem Soleimani had supported and contributed to the Palestinian people with money and weapons. Senior Hamas leader Isma’il Radwan praised Soleimani’s contribution, calling him “a general of the Palestinian resistance” who had supported the Palestinian people and the “resistance” [i.e., the Palestinian terrorist organizations]. He said the rally showed the “resistance” continued his path, which only served to strengthen it (al-Ahad News, January 3, 2022).

   
The Hamas rally held to commemorate Qassem Soleimani (al-Ahad News, January 3, 2022).

 
Billboards in the Gaza Strip commemorate Qassem Soleimani, apparently quoting him saying, “My friend Palestine and its supporters, [its] friends and enemies are ours, that has been and will remain our policy” (al-Ahad News, January 3, 2022).

Mahmoud Abbas visits Sharm el-Sheikh

• On January 9, 2022, Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh for a two-day visit to participate at the opening ceremony of the World Youth Forum held in Sharm el-Sheikh, attended by representatives of youth organizations from around the globe. Hussein al-Sheikh, PA minister of civilian affairs, accompanied him, as did Majed Fares (Wafa, January 9, 2022). Mahmoud Abbas was formally received by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. On January 10, 2022, Mahmoud Abbas participated in the opening ceremony (Mahmoud Abbas’ Facebook page, January 10, 2022).

     
Right: Mahmoud Abbas (left) at the World Youth Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh, standing next to Egyptian President el-Sisi (Wafa, January 10, 2022). Left: A cartoon mocking Mahmoud Abbas’ participation in the Forum. The flight attendant asks, “Where are you going, al-Hajj, may Allah bring it to pass?” Mahmoud Abbas answers, “To the Youth Forum” (Palestinian cartoonists’ Facebook page, January 10, 2022).

The PA marks annual Palestinian Shaheed Day

• Every year on January 7 the PA marks Palestinian Shaheed Day. This year the main event was held in Ramallah with the participation of PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh. In his speech he said the PA would remain committed to the shaheeds, the prisoners and their families, and wanted the families to have lives of respect. He promised they would resist all pressures in order to continue providing them with their “financial rights” (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, January 9, 2022).
• Intissar al-Wazir (Umm Jihad), chairperson of the Commission for the Families of Shaheeds, praised the families and said the Commission she headed was exerting efforts to the best of its ability to ensure the payments to the families of the Palestinian shaheeds and prisoners, according to their resources, despite the pressures exerted on the Palestinian leadership (Wafa, January 9, 2022).

    
Right: Mahmoud Abbas gives a speech at the main event, held in Ramallah to mark Palestinian Shaheed Day. Left: Umm Jihad (Wafa, January 9, 2022).

Fatah delegation visits Syria

• A delegation of the Fatah leadership, headed by Jibril al-Rajoub, secretary of Fatah’s Central Committee, paid an official visit to Syria. They were accompanied by Samir Rifai, Palestinian ambassador to Syria. According to Palestinian sources, the visit was part of preparations for convening the PLO’s Central Council in Ramallah between January 20 and 23, 2022 (al-Quds al-Arabi, January 7, 2022).
• During the visit members of the delegation met with officials of the Syrian government, including Faisal al-Mekdad, the Syrian foreign minister. Ahmed Hilles, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, said that during the meeting with al-Mekdad a communiqué was given by Mahmoud Abbas for President Assad stressing the strength of the ties between the “Palestinian and Syrian brothers,” and the Palestinian leadership’s desire to strengthen relations with the Syrians (Telegram channel of the Syrian bureau of information, January 9, 2022). Hilles also claimed the Palestinian leadership had always supported Syria and the importance of preserving its stability and the unity of its lands (RT, January 9, 2022).
• Jibril al-Rajoub held a press conference where he said Mahmoud Abbas would visit Syria in the near future. He also called for the restoration of Syria’s membership in the Arab League. Syria, he said, had been one of the League’s founding members, and the fact that it was no longer a member “shamed the Arab countries” (Sana, January 10, 2022).

    
Right: The Fatah delegation arrives in Damascus for an official visit (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, January 6, 2022). Left: The Fatah delegation meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad (Wafa, January 9, 2022).

Daughter of the PA ambassador to Iran appointed to replace him

• Salam al-Zawawi, daughter of former PA ambassador to Tehran, Salah al-Zawawi, was sworn in by Mahmoud Abbas in Amman as PA ambassador to Tehran. Her father, Salah al-Zawawi, was the second Palestinian ambassador to Iran, and served as ambassador since the 1980s (Wafa, January 8, 2022). The appointment of his daughter, Salam, was criticized and questioned by the Palestinian social media. For example, Palestinian political commentator Amin al-Biyari asked if having a Palestinian ambassador to Tehran was such an urgent matter, after forty years during which the presence or activity of a Palestinian ambassador to Tehran had never been mentioned. He also said the greatest surprise was that the new ambassador was the daughter of the former ambassador, Salah al-Zawawi (QudsN, January 8, 2022).
•  Salam al-Zawawi, 41, studied political science and economics. She is a member of Fatah, and filled a variety of diplomatic functions in the PA. Her father, Salah al-Zawawi, is considered one of Fatah’s founders (Wikipedia, Arabic, January 9, 2022).

Son of Zakaria Zubeidi arrested

• The Palestinian security forces in Jenin arrested three young Palestinians who were driving recklessly and hit a police car. One of them was Muhammad Zubeidi, the son of Zakaria Zubeidi, currently imprisoned in Israel and one of the six prisoners who escaped from the Gilboa Prison in September 2021. The arrest of the three, especially of Muhammad Zubeidi, was widely covered by the Palestinian social media and news outlets. Some of the responses were severely critical of the Palestinian security forces. Dozens of masked, armed operatives took to the streets in Jenin and Nablus, held processions and fired their weapons to demand the immediate release of Muhammad Zubeidi, son of “the hero of the escape from the Gilboa Prison.” Tensions mounted until nightfall when dozens of armed Palestinians gathered in front of the administration building in Jenin and fired shots at it (al-Quds, January 8, 2022). Hamas was also quick to criticize the actions of the PA security forces against “fighters and national symbols and the children of prisoners,” and called for accounts to be settled with those behind the arrest (Shehab, January 8, 2022).
• The three were released a few hours after their arrest. Talal Dweikat, spokesman for the Palestinian security forces, said they had appointed a committee to investigate the behavior of the security forces to see if they had broken the law. He also strongly criticized the conduct of the masked Palestinians who had shot at the Palestinian security forces (Wafa, January 8, 2022).

 
Right: Arresting Muhammad Zubeidi (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, January 8, 2022). Left: Violent confrontations in Jenin (aljazeera.net, January 8, 2022).

The 17^th anniversary of Mahmoud Abbas’ election to the post of PA chairman

•  On January 9, 2022, the independent Palestinian and Hamas-affiliated media marked the 17^th anniversary of Mahmoud Abbas’ election to the post of PA chairman. They used to event to criticize Mahmoud Abbas for not keeping his promises to hold PA and Palestinian Legislative Council elections, noting the Palestinian public’s lack of faith in him. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem criticized Mahmoud Abbas, saying that throughout the years, he had consistently failed to realize the goals of the Palestinian people. He said the Palestinian people deserved to realize their right to general elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council and the Palestinian National Council (Hazem Qassem’s Twitter account, January 9, 2022). The Twitter account of Hamas-affiliated al-Risalah posted a video criticizing Mahmoud Abbas’ total control of the PA for the past 17 yeas (al-Risalah Twitter account, January 9, 2022). Wafa, the PA’s official media outlet, and other PA-affiliated media did not mention the anniversary.

Judea and Samaria

• According to data from the ministry of health in Ramallah, on January 11, 2022, there were 2,622 active cases, up from 1,898 on January 4, 2022. There were 56 Palestinians in ICUs, 17 of them on ventilators. So far 2,999 Palestinians have died of coronavirus-related causes (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, January 11, 2022).
• Dr. Kamal al-Shakhra, spokesman for the ministry of health in Ramallah, reported a total of 476 omicron variant cases. He said that in view of the rise in the number of new omicron cases, the PA had entered its fifth Covid-19 wave. He repeated his call to all Palestinians to be vaccinated, stressing that there was a sufficient supply of vaccine (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, January 11, 2022).
• The PA government meeting held on January 10, 2022, decided to impose a ban on the entrance of non-vaccinated Palestinian to government institutions (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, January 11, 2022).

The Gaza Strip

• On January 11, 2022, the ministry of health in Gaza reported 1,241 active cases in the Gaza Strip, down from 1,411 on January 4, 2022. Of the 1,323 tests administered during the 24 hours between January 10 and 11, 95 new cases were detected, a 7% positive rate. So far 1,726 Gazans have died of coronavirus-related causes, up from 1,711 on January 4, 2022. There are 45 hospitalized Gazans, 42 in serious or critical condition. So far 552,288 Gazans have been vaccinated, up from 547,448 on January 4, 2022 (ministry of health in Gaza Facebook page, January 11, 2022).