News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (February 19 –25, 2020)

Overview

• The rockets were fired after on Friday, February 21, 2020, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced unprecedented measures to ease daily life in the Gaza Strip as part of the understandings for an arrangement. In the meantime, Mohammed al-Emadi, chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza announced the monthly donation to the Gaza Strip would be increased to $12 million through 2020 (al-Akhbar, February 22, 2020).
• Hamas abstained from firing rockets and the IDF avoided attacking Hamas targets. However, Hamas operatives made no efforts to restrain the PIJ, which for many months has been the main instigator of clashes in the Gaza Strip. Hamas spokesman gave media support to the PIJ’s activity and justified it as a response to “Israel’s [so-called] crimes.”

Rocket and mortar shell fire into Israel^[2]

• During the two-day escalation more than 110 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. The IDF spokesman reported that about 90% were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system. The rockets were fired by PIJ operatives in response to the February 23, 2020 killing of a terrorist who placed an IED at the security fence near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip and whose body was removed by the IDF (See below). The PIJ claimed responsibility for the rocket fire.
• The rockets were fired in two rounds:
  • February 23, 2020: Starting in the afternoon 21 rockets were fired at the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip and at the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashqelon. Thirteen rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system.
  • February 24, 2020: The rocket fire was renewed in the afternoon and continued until late at night. The PIJ’s military wing claimed the rocket fire was the response to the Israeli attack in Syria, in which two military wing operatives were killed (Jerusalem Brigades website, February 24, 2020). During the day, until the ceasefire was declared, about 89 rockets were fired at Ashqelon, Netivot, Sderot and the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip. No loss of life was reported. Several rockets caused property damage.

    
Pictures from a video issued by the PIJ’s military wing documenting the rocket fire. Right: Rockets ready for firing. Left: Preparing a rocket for firing (Jerusalem Brigades website, February 24, 2020).

    
Right: Rocket found in a community in the western Negev (western Negev spokesman’s unit, February 24, 2020). Left: Rocket that fell in the yard of a house in Sderot (ZAKA spokesman’s unit, February 24, 2020).

• Twenty-one people were treated at the Barzilai Hospital in Ashqelon, one of whom incurred moderate wounds, 15 who incurred minor injuries and five who were treated for anxiety (Barzilai Hospital spokesman’s unit, February 25, 2020).

Weekly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire since the Escalation of November 11, 2019

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

Israel’s response

• Following the ongoing rocket fire on February 24, 2020, IDF aircraft continued attacking PIJ targets in the Gaza Strip. Among the targets were military posts, a position in the northern Gaza Strip from which rockets had been fired into Israel, a military facility in Khan Yunis used for training terrorist operatives and storing weapons and a PIJ underground facility (IDF spokesman, February 24, 2020). In response to the rocket fire Israel ordered the closing of the crossings to the Gaza Strip (with the exception of humanitarian equipment) and shut down the fishing zone.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) declares a ceasefire

• In the afternoon on February 24, 2020, the PIJ’s military wing announced it had “completed its military response” to the killing of its operatives in Khan Yunis and Syria (Jerusalem Brigades website, February 24, 2020). At 22:00 a ceasefire was declared, but sources in the organization denied the announcement. Rocket fire continued and as a result IDF aircraft continued attacking PIJ targets. Abu Hamza, spokesman for the PIJ’s military wing, said the objective of the rocket fire carried out after the announcement of the ceasefire was to stress the equation of “an attack in response to an attack” (Abu Hamza’s Twitter account, February 24, 2020). Later, a “senior source” in the PIJ announced that after the intervention of Egyptian mediators and Nikolay Mladenov, the UN envoy to the Middle East peace process, the ceasefire would go into effect at 23:30 (Safa, February 24, 2020). After the announcement the rocket fire stopped.

• Following the cessation of rocket fire and after an evaluation of the situation, it was decided that the roads which had been closed near the Gaza Strip would be reopened and train service would be renewed (IDF spokesman, February 25, 2020). It was also announced that places of business would reopen but that the schools would remain closed.

• This past week PIJ operatives twice tried to attack IDF soldiers near the border security fence in the Khan Yunis area. The event on February 23, 2020, triggered the round of escalation:
  • On February 19, 2020, an IDF force identified a squad of PIJ snipers which shot at IDF soldiers in Israeli territory from the Khan Yunis region. In response the IDF soldiers returned fire (IDF spokesman, February 19, 2020).
  • On the morning of February 23, 2020, IDF forces identified two Palestinians who approached the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip (east of Khan Yunis) and placed an IED. The soldiers shot at them, killing one and wounding another, who was evacuated by other Palestinians to the Gaza Strip. According to the IDF spokesman they belonged to a PIJ squad which in recent months had twice placed IEDs near the security fence (IDF spokesman, February 23, 2020). The dead terrorist was removed to Israeli territory with a bulldozer because of concerns that his body had been booby trapped. A picture of the bulldozer carrying the terrorist’s body was posted to the Palestinian social networks and strongly condemned in the Palestinian media.

The return marches

• In the Gaza Strip preparations continue for the March 30, 2020 return march. Maher Zaher, a member of the PIJ’s political bureau, reported that preparations were being made for the march, which will mark Land Day and the second anniversary of the return marches. He said that at the beginning of March logistic and technical work would begin to prepare the ground. He called for marches to also be held in the West Bank (Sawa, February 22, 2020). Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said that on Land Day a new wave of marches would begin, which would be similar to the return marches [held during the past two years] (al-Aqsa, February 22, 2020).
• Senior PIJ figure Ahmed al-Mudallal said the return marches, whose name had been changed to include the “struggle against the deal of the century,” would continue until their objectives had been fully realized. He also said that Land Day, which falls on March 30, would be a “special day in the history of the return marches.” He said plans had been made for the march and the organizers wanted wide Palestinian participation, including residents of the West Bank. He said he hoped the Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem would begin an intifada at every point of friction with IDF soldiers and with the settlers (Dunia al-Watan, February 20, 2020).

Balloon launches

• This past week there was a significant decrease in the number of balloons launched into Israeli territory. However, despite statements about an arrangement and the stopping of balloon launching, a number of balloon clusters were found in Israeli territory. On February 21, 2020, a balloon carrying an RPG warhead was found in Ashqelon (Walla!, February 21, 2020).

Stabbing attacks

• On February 21, 2020, a young woman went to the Armon Hanatziv promenade and tried to stab a civilian passerby. The civilian and a policeman who saw the attack neutralized the young woman and she was detained. Interrogation revealed she was an Israeli Arab living in Jerusalem (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, February 21, 2020).
• On February 22, 2020, a Palestinian man armed with a knife ran towards the Lion Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem and tried to stab policemen stationed at the site. They shot and killed him. An Israeli woman caught in the crossfire incurred minor wounds (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, February 22, 2020).
• The Palestinian media reported that the terrorist who attempted the stabbing attack was Maher Ibrahim Z’atra, 33, father of three, from Jabel Mukaber (Wafa, February 22, 2020; almukaber.net Facebook page, February 22, 2020). Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the death of Maher Z’atra in Jerusalem was “a continuation of Israel’s crimes” against the Palestinian people (Dunia al-Watan, February 22, 2020).

Other events

• In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continued throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli security forces and civilian targets The more prominent events were the following:
  • February 24, 2020 – An IED exploded near an IDF post northwest of Ramallah. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, February 24, 2020).
  • February 24, 2020 – Molotov cocktails were thrown at route 443 (the Jerusalem-Modi’in road) east of the Maccabim roadblock. No casualties or damage were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, February 24, 2020).
  • February 24, 2020 – An IED was thrown from a passing car at an IDF post east of Baqa al-Gharbia in Samaria. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, February 24, 2020).
  • February 24, 2020 – Stones were thrown at an Israeli bus northeast of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported. The bus was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, February 24, 2020).
  • February 23, 2020 – Stones were thrown from a passing car at an Israeli vehicle northeast of Ramallah. No casualties were reported. The front windshield of the vehicle was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, February 23, 2020)
  • February 23, 2020 – A Molotov cocktail was thrown at an Israeli vehicle north of Ramallah. No casualties or damage were reported. A Molotov cocktail was thrown at an IDF post north of Hebron (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, February 23, 2020).
  • February 21, 2020 – An IDF soldier was injured by a stone thrown at him during a riot in Nabi Saleh (northwest of Ramallah). He was evacuated to a hospital, IDF spokesman initiated a search to find the Palestinians who threw the stones (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, February 21, 2020).
  • February 20, 2020 – Stones were thrown at an Israeli vehicle, northwest of Ramallah). No casualties were reported. The front windshield of the vehicle was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, February 21, 2020).
  • February 20, 2020 – Stones were thrown at an IDF force securing a road southwest of Hebron. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, February 20, 2020).

Significant terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria since January 2019^[3]

Increase in financial aid from Qatar

• On February 20, 2020, Mohammed al-Emadi, chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, arrived in the Gaza Strip. During his visit he met with Yahya al-Sinwar and other senior Hamas figures. Among the subjects discussed were the distribution of the funds donated by Qatar and its decision to increase the sum to $12 million, to be distributed to 120,000 needy families, $100 per family (instead of 100,000 families), a donation of $2 million for 500 couples who could not afford to pay their wedding expenses, $1 million to renovate buildings and $1 million to help university graduates who had not paid their tuition (Hamas website, February 21, 2020).
• Mohammed al-Emadi also announced that according to instructions from the Emir or Qatar, after he had spoken to Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, the aid from Qatar would continue through the end of 2020 (al-Akhbar, February 22, 2020). On February 23, 2020, the Qatari delegation left the Gaza Strip through the Erez Crossing (Sawa, February 23, 2020). Mohammed al-Emadi went to Ramallah to meet with Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh (Wafa, February 24, 2020).

    
Right: Mohammed al-Emadi meets with Yahya al-Sinwar (right) (Hamas website, February 21, 2020). Left: Distributing Qatari money at branches of the post office bank in Gaza (Facebook page of Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, February 24, 2020).

Measures to ease daily life

• On Friday, February 21, 2020, the COGAT announced a series of gestures to ease daily life in the Gaza Strip, as part of the understandings for an arrangement. They included extending the fishing zone off the Gaza coast to 15 nautical miles and issuing 7,000 permits to Gazan businessmen for entrance into Israel. Given recent events in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s closing of the crossings, it is not clear when the gestures will be implemented.

The supply of electricity

• The Gazan electric company announced that the high tension grid east of Khan Yunis had been damaged by the Israeli attacks. As a result there was no electric current in extensive areas of the district (Amad, February 24, 2020).

Hamas activity against the Trump plan

• Hamas, the PIJ and other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip continue their activities to block the Trump plan. To that end they have organized protest activities, committees and conferences in the Gaza Strip. Senior Hamas figures are active in the international arena and are holding a series of meetings outside the Gaza Strip to discuss the issue.
• The Supreme Authority for the Return Marches and the Struggle Against the Deal of the Century held a rally in Palestine Square in Gaza City with the theme, “Together in the struggle against the deal of the century.” Supreme Authority chairman Khaled al-Batash said the activity expressed the Palestinian position, which opposes the “Trump conspiracy,” and to stress that the campaign with Israel (“the occupier”) is still open (PIJ website, February 22, 2020).
• Saleh al-‘Arouri, deputy chairman of Hamas’ political bureau, called the articles of the Trump plan “political crimes” forced on the Palestinians and the entire region. He said Hamas demands agreement from the Palestinians to operate against the plan in three main areas (al-Aqsa, February 22, 2020):
• Activity in the field: A struggle against the plan using all the measures available to the “resistance:” mass, popular, military and semi-military activities. Hamas is working under the assumptions that a popular movement will arise to fight against the plan and its consequences. Al-‘Arouri noted that Hamas continues developing its power to improve the “resistance,” including in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
• National agreement: Hamas expects to hold meetings with various groups such as Fatah, the PLO and the PA. Al-‘Arouri said Hamas welcomes Mahmoud Abbas’ intention to go to the Gaza Strip or to send a delegation. He stressed that Hamas would welcome every delegation that came to the Gaza Strip. He said that unfortunately, so far no meeting had been held because of what he called “excuses about technical arrangements,” but Hamas is still waiting for the arrival of the delegation.
• Political activity: Hamas invests efforts in political activity and its representatives hold meetings around the globe where they explain the dangers the plan holds for the entire region. He also praised Mahmoud Abbas’ political activity.

Hamas delegation meets with the speaker of the Iranian parliament (the majlis)

• A delegation of senior Hamas figures headed by Musa Abu Marzouq, minister of international relations; accompanied by Husam Badran and Maher Ubeid, a member of the political bureau; and Hamas representatives in Iran and Lebanon, met in Lebanon with Ali Larijani, speaker of the Iranian parliament, while he was visiting Lebanon. Larijani stressed Iran’s rejection of the Trump plan and its support of the Palestinian people and the “resistance” (al-Risalah, February 18, 2020).

Hamas delegation meets with senior Russian officials

• A Hamas delegation headed by Musa Abu Marzouq, minister of international relations; and Khaled Mashaal, former of Hamas’ political bureau, went to Qatar to meet with Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian foreign minister; and the Russian ambassador to Doha. Musa Abu Marzouq stressed Hamas’ rejection of the Trump plan. Bogdanov said Russia opposed any peace plan rejected by the Palestinians (Hamas website, February 18, 2020). The meeting may have also been held to prepare for Isma’il Haniyeh’s visit to Moscow, expected to be conducted at the beginning of March (al-Ghad, February 19, 2020).

PIJ conference in the Gaza Strip

• On February 19, 2020, the PIJ held a political conference with the slogan, “Palestine will not agree to division or separation.” Senior PIJ figure Khaled al-Batash said that during the conference the organizations had formulated a number of resolutions, among them the restoration of Palestinian national unity, withdrawal from the recognition of Israel, canceling the Oslo Accords, the reconstruction of the PLO and escalating the clashes with Israel in the West Bank and Jerusalem. He said the “resistance” had no intention of sharing Palestine with Israel: “No to two states and no to two peoples” (Filastin al-Yawm, February 19, 2020).
• PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah said that it was time for Jerusalem and the armed jihad fighters to defend Palestine. He said it was also time to oppose Israel’s aggression against the Gaza Strip. He said jihad fighters should not be complacent because the battle, which was currently political, could become military in an instant (Filastin al-Yawm, February 19, 2020).

    
The PIJ conference in Gaza. Right: (right to left) Khaled al-Batash; Nasser Saleh, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s political bureau; Jamil Mazher and Khalil al-Haya. Left: PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah video conferences (PIJ website, February 19, 2020).

• Khalil al-Haya, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said that to fight the “deal of the century” the Palestinians had to unite their goals: to cancel security coordination with Israel, to cancel the Oslo Accords and to cut off relations with Israel. He welcomed the establishment of the “Supreme Authority for the Return Marches and the Struggle Against the Deal of the Century” and said the return marches would continue. He added that their innovations would already be apparent in the coming month. He called on the residents of Judea and Samaria to rise up (Filastin al-Yawm, February 19, 2020)

Scholarships for outstanding students in UNRWA schools

• Sponsored by Mahmoud Abbas, Abu Houli, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee and head of its department of refugee affairs, announced the award of scholarships for outstanding students in UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip. They will be awarded by popular committees in the refugee camps. The scholarships will be awarded with the slogan, “There is no replacement for the [right of] return except return, and the deal of the century must fail.” He said the scholarships would be given to 10,000 outstanding students in the 5^th through 9^th grades who were recommended by UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip.
• Abu Houli said it was the scholarship program’s ninth consecutive year, calling it “the least the department can give to support students to create an aware generation capable of coping with the conspiracies against their rights, especially the right of return.” He said the PLO’s department of refugee affairs was also awarding scholarship to 7,000 outstanding students in the refugee camps in the West Bank (website of the PLO’s department of refugee affairs, February 16, 2020).

    
Ceremony awarding scholarships in the Khan Yunis refugee camp (website of the PLO’s department of refugee affairs, February 16, 2020).

Activity against the Trump plan

• Activity continues in the PA to undermine the Trump plan, mainly in the diplomatic arena. There have been local protest demonstrations and activities but apparently, despite the PA appeal to the Palestinian public, no mass protest activities have yet been held. Calls were heard in Judea and Samaria for the public to participate in the morning prayers on Friday, February 21, 2020. Fatah and Hamas stressed the importance of a public response to the calls. During the prayers, in a number of mosques people chanted “With our souls and blood we will redeem you, al-Aqsa” (Facebook page of the Great Dawn, February 21, 2020).
• Riyad al-Maliki, Palestinian foreign minister, appeared before the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament where he presented the Palestinian objection to the Trump plan. He said the PA was prepared to enter into negotiations based on resolutions, international legitimacy and the principle of the two-state solution. Appearing before the ambassadors of the EU’s Security Council he said the Palestinians expected the Europeans to take steps to rescue the two-state solution. He also warned of Israel’s steps for annexation (Facebook page of the Palestinian foreign ministry, February 19, 2020).

Legal action against companies operating in the settlements in Judea and Samaria

• The PA regards the publication of the list of companies operating in the settlements as a great political achievement and is active to use it to develop a court case against the companies. Thus the PA ministry of the economy announced it had begun legal action against Amazon because it sends packages to the settlements. The ministry sent a letter to Amazon telling it to stop sending packages to and working with the settlements and warning that legal action would be taken against it in international courts (Ma’an, February 18, 2020).

Goods imported from Israel

• The COGAT and Israeli Minister of Agriculture Tzahi Hanegbi held deliberations where it was agreed that the PA would lift its September 2019 boycott on the import of calves from Israel. Then on February 20, 2020 Israeli Defense Minister Naphtali Bennett had the COGAT tell the PA that agricultural products from the PA could now be imported into Israel (defense minister’s media unit, February 20, 2020).