News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 2 – 8, 2021)

Shooting attack

• On June 2, 2021, shots were fired at an Israeli vehicle near Elon Moreh (east of Nablus). No casualties were reported. The vehicle was damaged. IDF forces arrived to search for the shooters (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 2, 2021).

Rocks, Molotov cocktails and other events

•  On Friday, June 4, 2021, Hamas announced a “day of rage” and called on the Palestinian public to march, en masse, to every site of friction with the Israeli security forces, to block roads and escalate their attacks on settlers (al-Aqsa, June 2, 2021). There was considerable tension on Friday but the participation in events was relatively limited. The Palestinian media reported about 20 Palestinians wounded in clashes with the Israeli security forces.
• On June 7, 2021, as part of Israeli counterterrorist activities, four Palestinians from Hebron were detained for interrogation on suspicion of arms dealing, possession of weapons and operating a lathe to manufacture weapons (Israel Police Force, June 7, 2021).

•  On June 8, 2021, Palestinians rioted during a Border Police action in Abu Dis (east Jerusalem). They threw pipe bombs, rocks and heavy objects at the fighters, burned tires and shot fireworks. The Border Police fighters responded with riot control measures. No casualties were reported, however, vehicles were damaged (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, June 8, 2021).
• In the meantime, in Judea and Samaria Palestinians continue throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at civilians and Israeli vehicles driving on the roads. The number of attacks has increased with the recent tensions and hostilities. The more prominent events were the following:^[1]
  • June 7, 2021: Rocks were thrown at two Israelis engaged in sports activities near the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Suspects were detained by police. No casualties were reported.
  • June 7, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus northeast of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported. The front windshield of the bus was damaged.
  • June 6, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle south of Nablus. A woman was wounded and evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment. Another woman was treated for shock. The vehicle was damaged.
  • June 6, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus southwest of Hebron. No casualties were reported. The bus was damaged.
  •  June 5, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle from a passing Palestinian vehicle south of Nablus. No casualties were reported. The front windshield of the vehicle was damaged.
  • June 4, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle from a passing Palestinian vehicle west of Nablus. No casualties were reported. The vehicle was damaged.
  • June 3, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle from a passing Palestinian vehicle south of Hebron. No casualties were reported. The vehicle was damaged.
  • June 2, 2021: Molotov cocktails were thrown at an Israeli vehicle west of Ramallah. No casualties were reported.
  • June 2, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle west of Hebron. No casualties were reported. The front windshield of the vehicle was damaged.
  • June 2, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle south of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported. The vehicle was damaged.

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

Senior Hamas leader detained in al-Bireh

• On June 2, 2021, an IDF force detained Sheikh Jamal al-Tawil at his house in al-Bireh. He is a prominent member of the Hamas leadership in Judea and Samaria, and was imprisoned in Israel for almost 17 years. He is currently under suspicion of charges which include incitement to violence and participation in riots (IDF spokesman, June 2, 2021). His detention was widely covered by the Palestinian media. Hamas said in a statement that his detention would not silence “the voice of the resistance” [i.e., the terrorist organizations], adding that the option of unity and confronting Israel, which al-Tawil preached, was the only way to deal with the “occupation and settlers” (QudsN Facebook page, June 2, 2021).

Palestinian wounded in riot dies

• On June 2, 2021, Fadi Washeha, 34, from Birzeit, died. He was wounded while rioting against IDF forces at the northern entrance to al-Bireh. He was dressed for burial in a uniform and draped with the Fatah flag, and an M-16 assault rifle was placed on his body (Ma’an, June 3, 2021). According to reports, he was imprisoned in Israel for eight years. A video posted to the social networks showed him confronting the Israeli security forces (Palinfo Twitter account, June 7, 2021).

   
Right: The funeral held for Fadi Washeha in Birzeit (Ma’an, June 3, 2021). Left: Fadi Washeha as he appears in a video posted to the social networks, confronting the Israeli security forces at some time in the past (Palinfo Twitter account, June 7, 2021).

Rocket and mortar shell fire into Israel

• Since May 22, 2021, no rocket hits have been identified in Israeli territory.

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire since January 2020

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

Foreign aid for the Gaza Strip

• Gazan fisherman complained that Israel was preventing them from making a living. Zakaria Bakr, head of the fishermen’s union in the Gaza Strip, claimed that the limitations Israel placed on fishing off the Gaza coast had prevented fish from being exported to the cities in the West Bank, which led to a drop in prices. He said Israel was acting against Gazan fisherman in three ways: one, by limiting the fishing zone; two, by monitoring and persecuting the fishermen; and three, preventing the delivery of equipment to the Gaza Strip, such as motors and replacement parts for fishing boats (Dunia al-Watan, June 3, 2021).
• Stéphane Dujarric de la Rivière, spokesman for the UN Secretary General, said at a news briefing that Tor Wennesland, the UN envoy to the peace process in the Middle East, had visited the Gaza Strip. He said the UN was worried by the continued closing of the Erez Crossing because it prevented the transfer of the wounded to hospitals in Judea and Samaria. He reported the arrival of 150 UN trucks carrying food and other assistance for the Gaza Strip (UN website, June 2, 2021).

Financial donations from Qatar

• A representative of Qatar reported that Israel had banned them from delivering the monthly funds from Qatar to the Gaza Strip through the Erez Crossing; the delivery was supposed to be made next week. Reportedly, in response Hamas and the other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip had threatened that they would shortly “exert pressure” on the border, hostilities would be renewed and they might decide to take steps which would lead to a broad “struggle.” They announced their expectations for the delivery of the funds by the end of the next week, otherwise they would end the ceasefire (al-Akhbar, June 4, 2021).

Rebuilding the Gaza Strip

• Following the visit of Abbas Kamal, head of Egyptian General Intelligence, to the Gaza Strip a team of six Egyptian engineers arrived through the Rafah Crossing to examine the sites that had been destroyed during Operation Guardian of the Walls in preparation for bringing in heavy equipment. Once they had completed the examination, a convoy of 35 Egyptian army vehicles entered the Gaza Strip. During the first phase of the Egyptian reconstruction program, buildings partially destroyed and in danger of collapse will be removed. According to the authorities in Gaza, about 1,200 residential dwellings were completely destroyed, 1,000 were partially destroyed and are unfit for human occupancy, and about 10,000 Gazans are currently homeless (Twitter account of photojournalist Ashraf Abu Amra, June 4, 2021).

   
Right: Egyptian bulldozers sent to the Gaza Strip. Left: Egyptian engineers help remove the rubble of the al-Shorouk Building in Gaza City (Twitter account of photojournalist Ashraf Abu Amra, June 4, 2021).

• Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, the EU representative in the PA, visited the Gaza Strip and held a press conference near the ruins of the al-Jalaa Building, where the broadcasting equipment of the foreign media had been located and which was attacked by the IDF. He said the EU would support the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip, which had to end the [so-called] “siege.” He claimed the most important step would be to create a united Palestinian leadership. The EU, he said, was currently preparing to assess the damage and provide the services needed by those who had been harmed with an initial €34 million. Robert Mardini, director-general of the International Red Cross, also visited the Gaza Strip (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, June 3, 2021).

   
Right: Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, the EU representative in the PA, second from the right, holds a press conference in front of the ruins of a building destroyed during Operation Guardian of the Walls (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, June 1, 2021). Left: Robert Mardini, director-general of the International Red Cross, visits the Gaza Strip (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, June 3, 2021).

• Interviewed by al-Jazeera, PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said the mechanisms for rebuilding the Gaza Strip used after Operation Protective Edge in 2014 had proved useless and would not be used again. He claimed the government would appoint a team, in addition to the team of professionals, that would go to the Gaza Strip to direct the rebuilding (al-Jazeera, June 7, 2021). Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, threatened that if without significant improvement in the humanitarian situation, felt by everyone in the Gaza Strip, the hostilities would resume and “change the face of the Middle East” (al-Jazeera, June 6, 2021). Khaled al-Batash, of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leadership, said the organization objected to all the previous rebuilding mechanisms and called for [the establishment of] a national rebuilding council to reconstruct what had been destroyed (al-Jazeera, June 7, 2021).
• The website of al-Haq (a Palestinian organization based in Ramallah) posted an article about the [alleged] destruction of public health facilities and institutions by Israel during Operation Guardian of the Walls. The post claimed the IDF had destroyed the road leading to the public hospital in Gaza City, and attacked the ministry of health building, facilities for coronavirus testing and vaccination and emergency medicine centers. Since such attacks violate international law, al-Haq demanded an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation (al-Haq website, June 2, 2021).

UNRWA

• In the wake of the vitriolic campaign waged by Hamas and the other terrorist organizations against the UNRWA directorate in the Gaza Strip, and after Hamas had declared them personae non gratae, UNRWA Director-General Matias Shamali and his second in command left the Gaza Strip. Hamas has demanded replacements. Shamali infuriated Hamas during an interview with Arad Nir of Israel’s Channel 12 TV channel, where he said that the IDF’s attacks in the Gaza Strip were well planned and not directed against civilians. Hamas asked him to apologize and held loud, aggressive demonstrations in front of UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City.
• Before Shamali left, Yahya al-Sinwar met with Deputy UNRWA Commissioner-General Leni Stenseth, to discuss the negative implications of Shamali’s remarks on Israeli TV. They also discussed the importance of continuing cooperation with UNRWA, especially after the hostilities (Filastin al-Yawm, June 2, 2021).
• The UNRWA commissioner-general said in a formal statement that UNRWA was very concerned about the extent of the attacks directed against the agency’s senior leadership in the Gaza Strip, and especially about the demonstrations held in front of its offices, the attacks on the director and about Hamas’ declaration of UNRWA personnel as persona non grata (UNRWA website, June 3, 2021).
• The al-Dhameir organization lodged a complaint with the UN Human Rights Council against the UNRWA director-general in the Gaza Strip because of his remarks to Israeli TV. The organization called on the council to issue a condemnation of Shamali and expel him from the council because his remarks were deceptive and dangerous, and legitimized the violations committed by the Israeli forces (al-Dhameir website, June 1, 2021).

Statements from the Hamas leadership

•  Hamas, especially its leadership, continues spreading its victory narrative. Al-Jazeera broadcast a program in which operatives of Hamas military-terrorist wing allowed correspondents into Hamas’ tunnel system. They showed long corridors, many weapons depositories which mainly held rockets, and a control and command room where there were maps and communications equipment. The military-terrorist wing claimed the tunnel network had sustained only marginal damage, some of which had already been repaired (al-Jazeera, June 6, 2021).,

     
Right: An al-Jazeera correspondent visits Hamas tunnels. Left: A control and command room in one of the tunnels (QudsN Facebook page, June 5, 2021).

• Yahya al-Sinwar, at a meeting of Gazan academicians, boasted that thanks to them and their professional colleagues who had joined the ranks of the “resistance” or enriched the “resistance” with their knowledge, today Hamas’ rockets were precise and had capabilities that had not yet been revealed. Other topics he related to were the following:
  • The hostilities in the Gaza Strip were merely a “military maneuver” to test their operational capabilities. They had achieved a series of strategic successes which proved to Israel that al-Aqsa mosque had a defender willing to pay any price. The “victory” was won by the Gazans, the Palestinians living in Israel and the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and the West Bank, who rose up in a massive intifada that surprised Israel and exerted greater pressure on it than the “missiles of the resistance.” He claimed they had achieved their goals thanks to the unity of the people.
  • The military campaign was only part of the overall campaign, it was preparation for the battle for hearts and minds, for public discourse and for exerting influence on global public opinion. He claimed they needed to promote a discourse which on the one hand would focus on Israel’s “crimes” and on the other focus on the strength of the “resistance.”
  • Despite the [so-called Israeli] “siege” of the Gaza Strip, Hamas had hurt and shocked Tel Aviv. Hamas could simultaneously fire 130 rockets at Tel Aviv, and during the most recent hostilities they decided to fire all their old rockets. Israel managed to destroy only 3% of Hamas’ infrastructure in Gaza and killed only 90 operatives from all the organizations.
  • The issue of military headquarters located inside the civilian population was “problematic” in the past but Hamas and the other organizations had begun gradually moving them, especially those in high-rise buildings and residential locations.
  • Iran, Hezbollah and others who “are afraid to have their names mentioned” support the “resistance” [i.e., the terrorist organizations] and provide it with substantial aid.

• Marwan Issa, deputy commander of Hamas’ military-terrorist wing, gave a rare interview to al-Jazeera in which he dealt with the issue of prisoners of war and MIAs. His face was kept in the shadows. He discussed the history of indirect negotiations with Israel after the abduction of Gilad Shalit, claiming they had strong bargaining chips for a prisoner exchange deal. He claimed it was currently the most important file kept by the military wing. He revealed that during the most recent hostilities they had tried to abduct IDF soldiers to improve their bargaining power (al-Jazeera, June 6, 2021).

Operation Guardian of the Walls – addenda

• Al-Aqsa TV broadcast the claim that during Operation Guardian of the Walls 4,360 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israeli cities and that only 22% of them were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system, not 90% as Israel claimed (al-Aqsa TV, June 7, 2021).
• Iyad al-Buzum, spokesman for the ministry of the interior in Gaza, claimed that two Hamas military-terrorist wing operatives had been killed and a number had been wounded by an explosion in a “resistance” post in the central Gaza Strip. He said the explosion occurred during the dismantling of a suspicious object left behind by Israel (al-Risalah Twitter account, June 2, 2021).

   
Hamas police remove IDF shells (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, June 3, 2021).

• The northern brigade of Hamas’ military-terrorist wing hung signs throughout the Gaza Strip calling for young Gazans to enlist. Military-terrorist wing operatives also spoke about enlistment during the Friday sermons. According to the announcements, recruiting will be held on June 7, 2021, and civilians between the ages of 17 and 25 are invited to apply. Acceptance will depend on successfully passing a military training course. Operatives from the military wing will go to mosques throughout the Gaza Strip on Friday to sign up potential recruits.

  
Hamas military-terrorist wing recruitment campaign. Right: Hamas’ northern brigade calls for new recruits. Left: Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades operatives at one of the mosques calling for young men to enlist (STWP News website in Arabic, June 5, 2021).

  Hamas’ military-terrorist wing appealed to its supporters to donate bitcoin. The website posted a link for donations. It is not the first time the Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades has asked for donations of cryptocurrencies.

 
The Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades’ campaign for bitcoin donations (Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades website, June 8, 2021).

Palestinian reactions to the flag parade

• This past week Israel announced that the flag parade, cancelled because of Hamas rocket fire attacking Jerusalem, which began Operation Guardian of the Walls, would be held on Thursday, June 10, 2021. The announcement enraged the Palestinians, who threatened to renew and increase the rocket fire. The Israel Police Force announced it would not issue a permit for the parade, which led the organizers to cancel it. The announcement was widely covered by the Palestinian media. Hamas claimed the parade had been cancelled because of the threats the Palestinian organizations had made. Hamas claimed it was additional proof that Israel had been defeated, Jerusalem was a red line and Israel was subordinate to the “resistance.” The social networks issued a call to “celebrate the victory.”
• Palestinians said the following before the parade was cancelled:
  • Fatah’s Central Committee called for a general mobilization of the Palestinian public to unite in defense of Jerusalem and the holy sites of Islam and Christianity, and to combat the parade of the “fascist radicals.” Jerusalem, according to the announcement, was a red line and the Israel government was fully responsible for the explosive situation in east Jerusalem and the PA territories. The committee also called on the international community to intervene immediately to stop the activities in east Jerusalem, which were liable to ignite the entire Middle East (Wafa, June 6, 2021).
  • Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, who delivers the sermons in al-Aqsa mosque, said Israel’s determination to hold the parade was provocation that would ignite the entire Middle East, and Israel would be fully responsible. He called on the Arabs living in Israel to march en masse to Jerusalem and to remain there (al-Quds al-Arabi, June 6, 2021).
  • Isma’il Radwan, of the Hamas leadership, warned Israel it would be fully responsible for any provocation or act of stupidity. He said the “resistance” had the “right” to respond to Israel’s “crimes” and that they were prepared, always and everywhere, to defend Jerusalem (al-Risalah, June 6, 2021).
  • Hamas spokesman in Jerusalem Muhammad Hamada issued a press release warning Israel not to make “a stupid decision” and hold the flag parade in Jerusalem and the Damascus Gate. He called on the residents of Jerusalem and Arabs living in Israel to go en masse to al-Aqsa mosque on Thursday and remain nearby to defend it (Sawa, June 5, 2021).
  • Khalil al-Haya, deputy chairman of the Hamas political bureau, warned Israel, the mediators and the entire world of the results if the flag parade approached Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque. He said he hoped his message was clear and that Thursday would not be like May 10, 2021 [when Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem].
  • PIJ spokesman Ahmed al-Mudallal warned Israel not to test the Palestinian organizations, and claimed the Israeli leadership would be stupid to do so because the outcome [of Operation Guardian of the Walls] had not yet been decided and apparently Israel had not yet learned its lesson. He also claimed that the most recent hostilities had caused a strategic change in the conflict with Israel. Defense against any new attack on al-Aqsa mosque would not be carried out by the Palestinians alone. PIJ spokesman Da’ud Shehab called the parade “an act of aggression” and called on the Palestinians to go to al-Aqsa to beat back any attempt made by Israel to break into it (Filastin al-Yawm, June 5, 2021).

Renewal of talks for the internal Palestinian reconciliation, held in Egypt

• Egypt summoned the heads of the Palestinian organizations to Cairo for two days of talks to discuss the internal Palestinian reconciliation, sponsored by Egyptian President el-Sisi and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Spokesmen for Hamas and the PIJ said the talks would also deal with the ceasefire, curbing “Israeli aggression” against the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, and the issue of rebuilding the Gaza Strip. Sources in the PA said they did not know if Mahmoud Abbas would attend the talks (Sawa, June 6, 2021). Maher Muzher, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s political bureau, said representatives of the organizations would begin arriving in Cairo on June 10, 2021, talks would begin on June 12, 2021, and continue for two days (Sawa, June 6, 2021).

Muhammad Shtayyeh visits Qatar

• PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh paid an official visit to Qatar, the last stop on his round of visits to the Gulf States. He was accompanied by Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki and government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem. Muhammad Shtayyeh met with Sheikh Tamim, the emir of Qatar. According to reports, they discussed the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip with international and Qatari aid, the PA’s commercial ties with Qatar, and work permits for Palestinians in Qatar (Wafa, June 7, 2021).

   
Right: Muhammad Shtayyeh arrives in Qatar (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, June 6, 2021). Left: Muhammad Shtayyeh meets with the emir of Qatar (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, June 7, 2021).

Mahmoud Abbas authorizes financial aid for the family of Palestinian terrorist

• On June 6, 2021, Layla Ghanem, the governor of the Ramallah district, speaking for Mahmoud Abbas, gave 30,00 Jordanian dinars (about $42,300) to the family of Palestinian terrorist Muhanad al-Halabi. The money was provided to help the family finance a new house after the IDF had destroyed the former one a number of months ago. At the ceremony the governor thanked Mahmoud Abbas for his concern for the welfare of the families of the shaheeds and Palestinian prisoners. Muhanad’s father also thanked Mahmoud Abbas for the funds (Facebook page of the governor of the Ramallah district, June 6, 2021). In October 2015 Muhanad al-Halabi stabbed two Israelis to death in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Palestinian national economy week

• The Palestinian boycott organizations declared a campaign called “Palestinian national economy week” in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip between June 6 and 12, 2021. It calls for a boycott of products made in Israel and support for Palestinian products. On June 5, 2021, a demonstration was held in Nablus for a boycott of Israeli-made goods. According to Majda al-Masri, a member of the BNC (BDS National Committee) secretariat, its activists are visiting businesses and pressuring their owners not to sell products from Israel. In the Gaza Strip the ministry of agriculture stopped supplying fruits imported from Israel in response to Israel’s preventing vegetables from the Gaza Strip from being exported through the Kerem Shalom Crossing (al-Quds, June 5, 2021).

  
The campaign to boycott Israeli products, Nablus (QudsN Facebook page, June 5, 2021).

• Khaled al-Asili, the Palestinian minister of the economy, reported that local products had become significantly more prominent in the Palestinian marketplace. He said the food-production industry showed an increase of 75%, in the plastics industry an increase of 90%, and the drug industry an increase of 45%. He said Palestinian products were of good quality thanks to the development of production lines and the Palestinian inspectors who supervised them. He also said supporting local production was a top he Palestinian government’s priority, part of the gradual disengagement from Israel’s economy (al-Quds, June 8, 2021).

Jenin economy improves with reopening of Jalameh Crossing

• A report by al-Ghad TV showed a significant improvement in Jenin’s economy after Israel reopened the Jalameh Crossing, which had been closed during the past year because of the coronavirus epidemic. Palestinian retailers expressed satisfaction with the reopening of the crossing, which allowed Israeli Arabs, who had the greatest buying power in the district, to go directly to Jenin to shop. Israeli Arabs, who were interviewed for the program, also said they were happy with the situation, because they could enter the Jenin district quickly and easily, saving them from having to use detours to enter northern Samaria (al-Ghad TV, June 6, 2021).

   
Right: The Jenin Crossing reopened. Left: Israeli Arabs shop in the market in Jenin
(al-Ghad TV, June 6, 2021).