News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 10 – 16, 2020)

Judea and Samaria^[1]

• On June 15, 2020, 14 new active COVID-19 cases were reported in Judea and Samaria, thus the number of active cases is now 62. Of them, 38 are in the Hebron district, 16 in the Qalqilya district, four in the Jenin district, two in the Jericho district and one each in the Bethlehem and Tulkarm districts (according to the Palestinian minister of health, the case in Tulkarm is a Palestinian who worked in Israel). The total number of reported infections since the outbreak of coronavirus is 434 (Facebook page of the PA ministry of health, June 15 and 16, 2020).
• Given the increase in the number of cases, at the weekly government meeting PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh asked that the orders regarding preventive measures be enforced and to try in court anyone who disobeyed them. He claimed Israel was the source of most of the COVID-19 infection (Wafa, June 15, 2020). Dr. Kamal al-Shakhra, spokesman for the PA ministry of health, denied the postings on the social networks claiming the PA was planning to enforce a total lockdown (Facebook page of the Palestinian ministry of health, June 16, 2020).

   
Mahmoud Abbas and Muhammad Shtayyeh visit the streets of Ramallah
(Wafa, June 15, 2020).

• The information center of the Palestinian judiciary board announced a ministry of health decision that the courts in Halhul, Hebron and Bethlehem would close after a judge from Halhul who had visited those courts was found to have COVID-19 (Dunia al-Watan, June 14, 2020). The village of Deir al-Salah in the Bethlehem district was locked down after a local resident was diagnosed with COVID-19 (Amad, June 15, 2020).

The Gaza Strip^[2]

• In the Gaza Strip 72 Palestinians have been infected with the coronavirus; 26 are active cases, all of them currently quarantined in the hospital at the Rafah Crossing. Forty-five patients recovered, 27 of whom are staying in the quarantine center at the Rafah Crossing. One woman has died (Dunia al-Watan, June 15, 2020). In the Gaza Strip 11,740 tests were conducted, 72 of which were positive. There are 357 Palestinians in seven quarantine centers in the Gaza Strip (Dunia al-Watan, June 15, 2020). In view of the low numbers of infection in Gaza, restrictions continue to be lifted, accompanied by the ongoing supervision of the implementation of precautionary health measures.

Rocket and mortar shell fire into Israel

• On the evening of June 15, 2020 a rocket was fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip. It fell in an open area in the western Negev. No casualties or damage were reported (IDF spokesman, June 15, 2020). It was the first rocket fired at Israel since May 6, 2020.
• In response, IDF aircraft attacked a Hamas underground military facility in the southern Gaza Strip, while tanks attacked Hamas posts (IDF spokesman, June 15, 2020). The Palestinian media reported that “resistance” posts in eastern Khan Yunis and eastern Rafah had been attacked.

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

IED/incendiary balloons launched into Israeli territory

• This past week a number of networks in the Gaza Strip announced the renewal of launching IED/incendiary balloons into Israeli territory. The networks claimed it was the first stage in a campaign against Israel and would be followed by escalation. However, sources in the Supreme National Authority for the Return Marches and the Struggle Against the Deal of the Century said that so far no official decision had been made regarding the renewal of balloon launching. On June 15, 2020, al-Akhbar reported that the Palestinian [terrorist] organizations had agreed to stop launching incendiary balloons after contacts had been conducted through Qatar and the UN, and after Israel had agreed that the money from Qatar could be delivered to the Gaza Strip.
• On June 13, 2020, 11 fires were reported in the Israeli area near the Gaza Strip. According to firefighters who examined the fires, they were the result of arson but no evidence was found that they had been caused by balloons launched from the Gaza Strip (spokesman for Israel Fire and Rescue Services, June 14, 2020). On June 14, 2020, a balloon cluster was found near an Israeli community in the western Negev. According to the police an IED was attached to it (Haaretz, June 15, 2020).
• The following are the main activities of the balloon-launching networks in Gaza:
• On the morning of June 12, 2020, the Resistance Committees’ Ahfad al-Nasser network announced that its operatives had launched several incendiary balloons. They claimed they had a “surprise” in waiting for Israel (Ahfad al-Nasser Telegram channel, June 11, 2020). A network operative said a decision had been made for a gradual escalation if Israel continued its [so-called] “crimes,” including launching IED balloons and later a return to the activities of the Night Harassment Units (al-Quds, June 12, 2020). On June 13, 2020, the network issued several claims of responsibility for launching clusters of incendiary balloons into the Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza Strip (Ahfad al-Nasser Facebook page, June 13, 2020).

   
Right: Threat issued by the Ahfad al-Nasser network. Left: Launching incendiary balloons from eastern Gaza City (Ahfad al-Nasser Facebook page, June 12, 2020).

• The Sons of al-Qoqa units,^[3] affiliated with the Popular Resistance Committees, claimed responsibility for renewing incendiary balloon launching. They boasted they were planning a “hard, painful round” which would begin by flying two booby-trapped UAVs into Israeli territory and launching a cluster of incendiary balloons. They claimed the round of escalation would continue until Israel surrendered to the Palestinians’ demands (Ma’an, June 14, 2020). On June 13, 2020, they issued a claim of responsibility for the launching of incendiary balloons and UAVs with IEDs attached to them (website of the Popular Resistance Committees, June 14, 2020).

   
Right: The Sons of al-Qoqa units launch balloons (website of the Popular Resistance Committees, June 14, 2020). Left: Launching UAVs with IEDs attached (Facebook page of the Filastin al-Hadath news agency, June 13, 2020).

• The Hamas-affiliated Sons of al-Zawari units announced they were also planning to renew launching incendiary balloons (Facebook page of the Sons of al-Zawari units in eastern Khan Yunis, June 13, 2020; Facebook page of Jawad Hussein, who represents himself as a member of the Sons of al-Zawari unit in Rafah, June 13, 2020). On the evening of June 15, 2020, the Sons of al-Zawari unit in eastern Khan Yunis issued a notice praising all those who participated in launching incendiary balloons. In response to a question from an Internet surfer, the author of the notice answered that on June 15 no incendiary balloons had been launched (Facebook page of the Sons of al-Zawari in eastern Khan Yunis, June 15, 2020).

Possible renewal of the return marches

• Given the opposition to Israel’s plan to annex territories in Judea and Samaria, reports were received about intentions to renews the return marches. Palestinian sources reported that some of the organizations, among them the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), wanted to renew the return marches while others, such as Hamas, wanted to postpone their renewal for the time being, in view of current circumstances (al-Quds, June 12, 2020).
• Maher Muzher, a member of the PFLP’s political bureau, said the Supreme National Authority would meet in the near future to discuss holding return marches near the Gaza Strip border (Sawa, June 11, 2020). Talal Abu Zarifa, a member of the DFLP’s political bureau and of the Supreme National Authority, noted that the fight against the spread of COVID-19 was an obstacle to renewing the marches. According to Zarifa, they demanded the renewal of the marches to make Gaza part of the comprehensive program to “confront the occupation” and against the “deal of the century” and the annexation of the Jordan Valley (Dunia al-Watan, June 11, 2020; PalestinePost24, June 13, 2020).
• Regarding the possibility of a flareup in Gaza if Israel annexes Palestinian territory, Salah al-Bardawil, a member of the Hamas’ political bureau, said Israel (“the occupation”) would pay a high price. He said the war they wanted to wage was not a battle for the Jordan Valley, it was an existential war against the presence of the “occupation” [i.e., the State of Israel] on “Palestinian land” (Filastin Online, June 15, 2020).

Activity in east Jerusalem against stone-throwing Palestinians

• This past week the Israeli security forces acted against Palestinians throwing stones and Molotov cocktails in east Jerusalem. On June 15, 2020, the Jerusalem police detained five young residents of east Jerusalem suspected of involvement in throwing stones and Molotov cocktails, and shooting fireworks at IDF soldiers operating in the a-Tor neighborhood in east Jerusalem (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, June 15, 2020). On June 14, 2020, the Israeli security forces detained two Palestinians suspected of throwing Molotov cocktails at a Border Police jeep in Abu Dis on May 8, 2020; the jeep burned to the ground (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, June 14, 2020)..

Stones and Molotov cocktails thrown at Israeli vehicles

• In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continued throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli civilian and military vehicles and at the Israeli security forces. The more notable events were the following:
  • June 16, 2020 – Three Molotov cocktails were thrown at a civilian Israeli vehicle south of Nablus. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 16, 2020).
  • June 15, 2020 – Stones were thrown at a civilian Israeli vehicle southwest of Ariel. No casualties were reported; the front windshield of the vehicle was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 15, 2020).
  • June 15 2020 – Stones were thrown at a civilian Israeli bus on the Gush Etzion-Hebron road near the al-Aroub refugee camp. The front windshield of the bus was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 15, 2020).
  • June 15, 2020 – Stones were thrown at a civilian Israeli vehicle south of Nablus. The vehicle was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 15, 2020).
  • June 14, 2020 – Stones were thrown at a civilian Israeli vehicle on the Gush Etzion-Hebron road north of Hebron. The front windshield of the vehicle was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 14, 2020).
  • June 14, 2020 – A Molotov cocktail was thrown at an IDF jeep south of Nablus. The Molotov cocktail missed the jeep and hit the road (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 14, 2020).
  • June 14, 2020 – Stones were thrown at a civilian Israeli vehicle south of Tulkarm. The vehicle was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 14, 2020).
  • June 14, 2020 – Stones were thrown at a civilian Israeli vehicle northwest of Modi’in Illit. The front windshield of the vehicle was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 14, 2020).
  • June 14, 2020 – Stones were thrown at a civilian Israeli bus south of Efrat. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 14, 2020).
  • June 14, 2020 – An IED was thrown at a civilian Israeli vehicle east of Nablus. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 14, 2020).
  • June 14, 2020 – Three Palestinians from Bayt Fajjar armed with Molotov cocktails approached a guard post at the entrance to the Israeli community of Migdal Oz. They were detained by the Israeli security forces (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 14, 2020).
  • June 13, 2020 – During a clash in Hebron, a number of Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian. He was extracted from the site by an IDF soldier from a nearby guard post (Israeli media, June 13, 2020).
  • June 13, 2020 – Three Molotov cocktails were thrown at the fence around a house in the Israeli community of Beit El, causing a fire. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 13, 2020).
  • June 12, 2020 – Stones were thrown at a civilian Israeli bus northwest of Ariel. Three passengers were slightly injured. The front windshield of the bus was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 12, 2020).
  • June 10, 2020 – Stones were thrown at a civilian Israeli vehicle southeast of Nablus. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 10, 2020).
  • June 9, 2020 – Stones were thrown at a bus carrying IDF soldiers east of Alfei Menashe. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 9, 2020).
  • June 9, 2020 – Stones were thrown east of Efrat at a civilian Israeli vehicle. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 9, 2020).

Significant terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria since January 2019^[4]

Transfer of aid funds from Qatar

• Mohammed al-Emadi, chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, reported that Qatar was making an effort to enable the delivery of its monthly donation to the Gaza Strip either this week or next week. He said the delay was the result of the fight against COVID-19, and that Israel did not regard delivering the funds as a problem (Sawa, June 15, 2020). Salah al-Bardawil, a member of the Hamas’ political bureau, said he hoped the delay was “technical” and that the donations would continue, since they were the “a right of the Palestinians granted by a sister country” (Filastin Online, June 15, 2020).
• In a conversation held previously by the Ghaza al-A’an website with Mohammed al-Emadi’s office, a senior figure who spoke on condition of anonymity said there were several reasons for the delaying the delivery of the donation, which was two weeks overdue. They included the COVID-19 crisis and coordination with the mechanism delivering the funds. Currently, said the senior figure, delivering the donations for May and June has been coordinated, so this time every entitled family will receive $200 instead of $100. They have also coordinated with the authorities in Gaza responsible for adding the names of families to the list, so families of more than six people who received funds in the past will receive them again with the current donation (Ghaza al-A’an, June 9, 2020).

Other aid

• The World Bank announced it was transferring $10 million to operate and maintain the sewage treatment plan in the northern Gaza Strip for the next four years (Wafa, June 11, 2020).

UNRWA

• Adnan Abu Hasna, UNRWA spokesman in Gaza, said that because of the agency’s budget deficit, its activities in the Gaza Strip would be cut by ten percent (Dunia al-Watan, June 15, 2020).

The supply of electricity in the Gaza Strip

• The electric company in Gaza called on local residents to be more efficient in their use of electricity. According to the request, the high summer temperatures made it difficult for the electric company to commit itself to supplying electricity for more than eight hours at a time. People who worked in offices were asked to make sure they turned the lights and air conditioners off when they left for the day. The electric company called on schools, universities and companies to inspect lighting in their buildings at the end of the day (al-Quds, June 8, 2020).

The Gaza City municipality decides to regulate kiosks at the beaches

• As part of a program to overhaul the beach and promenade in Gaza City, the municipality recently decided to impose a biannual fee for renting kiosk sites near the beach and to remove all the kiosks scattered around the region. Thus of among about 80-90 kiosk owners, only about 40 received permits. That led to a local argument which spilled out into the social networks. Most people supported the municipality but strongly criticized the high price it charged for renting a site (al-Ra’i news agency, June 9 2020).

Video issued by Hamas’ military wing to mark the sixth anniversary of the abduction and murder of three youths in Gush Etzion

• Hamas’ military wing issued a video to mark the sixth anniversary of the abduction and murder of three youths in Gush Etzion (June 12, 2014). The video shows the abduction and ends with military wing operatives threatening that the abductions (“taking of captives”) will continue (Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades website, June 12, 2020).

   
The threat from the Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades at the end of the video: there will be more abductions (Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades website, June 12, 2020).

The PA campaign against Israel’s annexation intentions continues

The international arena

• The following were the main diplomatic and media measures taken by senior PA and Fatah figures:
  • Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian delegate to the UN, said Palestinian, Arab and international efforts were being exerted to hold a meeting at the UN towards the end of June 2020 to discuss Israel’s annexation plan. He said the PA was investing efforts with the members of the Security Council, especially France, which was currently Security Council president, to have the meeting held by foreign ministers (Dunia al-Watan, June 11, 2020). Riyad al-Maliki, Palestinian foreign minister, announced that a virtual Security Council meeting would be held on June 24, 2020 (Wafa, June 4, 2020).
  • Azzam al-Ahmed, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee and Fatah’s Central Committee, said that eight European countries were planning to recognize a Palestinian state in order to support the Palestinians. He claimed the EU threatened to impose sanctions on Israel if it carried out its annexation plans, and also claimed EU countries called for the recognition of a Palestinian state with the 1967 borders and east Jerusalem as its capital (Sawa, June 11, 2020).
  • Saeb Erekat, secretary of the PLO’s Executive Committee, met with Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, EU representative to the PA, and briefed him on developments in the PA after Israel decided to annex Palestinian territory. Erekat called for severe international sanctions to be imposed on Israel because of its [so-called] “crimes and violations” (Wafa, June 14, 2020).
  • PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh met with the foreign ministers of Jordan and Germany. He stressed that the decision to annex violated international law, and action had to be taken against it. He asked the German foreign minister to work with the EU to exert pressure on Israel to abandon its plans (Wafa, June 10, 2020).

Practical measures

• In view of Mahmoud Abbas’ decision to cancel agreements with Israel, the PA continues implementing practical measures. Ibrahim Melhem, PA government spokesman, said the Palestinians were currently “fighting to defend their national identity,” which was different from every other battle they had fought. He said that when Mahmoud Abbas announced he would end relations with Israel he knew there would be a price to pay, for instance, the receipt of tax revenues would stop. However, said Melhem, the Palestinians would not surrender or bargain with their political position (Palestinian TV, June 14, 2020). Abbas Zaki, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, said the Palestinians had no security, military or even political relations with Israel (al-Najah al-Akhbari, June 10, 2018).
• The following are statements about the practical issues that have arisen in the wake of the PA’s ending relations with Israel:
  • The PA ministry of treasury announced that due to the financial crisis caused by the spread of the coronavirus, an agreement had been signed with the Israeli ministry of the treasury. However, given PA leadership’s decision to renege on its agreements with Israel, the ministry refused the receipt of tax funds from Israel (Facebook page of the PA ministry of the treasury, June 11, 2020).
  • The PA government authorized incentives to encourage investment in the Jordan Valley and Area C, which it expects will lead to the development of at least 200 projects over three years, creating 1,400 jobs. Because of the importance of the two regions, incentives will be given to both existing and new projects. The incentives include an exemption from 66% of taxes for five years, as well as loans and financing for projects (Wafa, June 15, 2020).
  • The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), a humanitarian organization operating in the Gaza Strip, related to finding an alternative mechanism for taking patients to hospitalization outside the Gaza Strip. The organization said it unequivocally refused to supervise the exit of patients, as it had until now. It added that it regarded Israel (“the Israeli occupation”) as fully responsible for the lives of Palestinian patients in the Gaza Strip who needed medical treatment abroad (PCHR website, June 9, 2020).
  • Ghassan Nimr, spokesman for the PA ministry of the interior, said that after the decision had been made to renege on agreements with Israel, his ministry had begun working with international agencies to register the Palestinian population and issue passports without having to involve Israel. He said the PA aspired to establish a new mechanism for population registration. He added that according to the orders from the Palestinian government, residents from the West Bank and Gaza Strip were already being registered in the PA and the records were not being sent to Israel, as had been done until now (Agence France-Presse, June 12, 2020).
• On the other hand, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) accused the PA of continuing security coordination with Israel despite the declaration to end all connections. According to Wasfi Qabha, senior Hamas figure in Judea and Samaria, security coordination did not entirely stop and the PA declaration regarding the end of agreement was merely a pretense, because the [security] coordination and detentions [of Hamas operatives] continue (Dunia al-Watan, June 10, 2020). Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem also claimed that security coordination between Israel and the PA continued, making it difficult for all the Palestinian organizations [i.e., Palestinian terrorist organizations] to operate, not only Hamas (al-Aqsa, June 9, 2020).

Examining ways to organize for the new reality

Protests in the PA, so far with little response from Palestinians

• On the ground there are only isolated protests against Israel’s intention to annex Palestinian territories. Fatah appealed to the Palestinian public to join all the activities being held to put an end to Israel’s annexation plan (Wafa, June 15, 2020). Wasel Abu Yusuf, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, said preparations had been made for activities in all the PA districts, especially in regions where there was already friction with Israel. He said the activities focused on the Jordan Valley and would be similar to the weekly activities [i.e., riots] in Kafr Qadoum, Ni’lin, Bila’in and other locations (Dunia al-Watan TV, June 10, 2020). Despite the appeals, so far there has not been any great public participation in the protests.

   
The weekly Palestinian riot in Kafr Qadoum against the settlements
(Wafa, June 12, 2020).

Hamas diplomatic activity in the Arab and international arena

• In the meantime, senior Hamas figures are active in the international and Arab arenas. Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, sent a communiqué to the secretary general of the Arab League calling for an emergency summit meeting in support of the Palestinian position. He demanded the PA be given a political, diplomatic and media safety net to fight Israel’s annexation policy. He said the Palestinian people would fight against “Israeli terrorism” with “comprehensive resistance” (Hamas website, July 10, 2020).
• A Hamas delegation headed by Ahmed Abd al-Hadi, the Hamas representative in Lebanon, met with Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab. Abd al-Hadi praised Diab’s stance against the imposition of Israeli law [in Judea and Samaria] and his siding with the rights of the Palestinian people (Hamas website, June 13, 2020).

Hamas calls for an increase in “resistance” [i.e., terrorism] in Judea and Samaria

• Along with its diplomatic activity, senior Hamas figures continue calling for an intensification of the military “resistance” [i.e., armed terrorist activity] in Judea and Samaria. Statements included the following:
  • Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Hamas invested considerable effort in the West Bank to strengthen the firm stance of its operatives in order to carry out a comprehensive popular, media, political and military “resistance.” He mentioned that Hamas had carried out “military activities” in the West Bank and mentioned the activities of the Barghouti family, which occurred more than a year ago (when two brothers carried out shooting attacks in the Ramallah area) (al-Aqsa, June 9, 2020).
  • Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, gave a speech at a virtual meeting of the Islamic Movement in Jordan. He called for comprehensive resistance against the “Zionist occupation” [sic], whose core was armed resistance. He claimed it was a proven fact that all the national liberation movements had thrown off their occupiers by waving guns at them and driving them away. He said that in the past the Palestinians had also had achievements through “resistance” (Islamic Movement YouTube channel, June 4, 2020)
  • Saleh al-‘Arouri, deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, said in an interview that if Israel annexed the territories, Hamas would regard all means of fighting the occupation as legitimate. He said that in the past the West Bank had seen what the “resistance” was capable of, and it could do it again if it had to. He called on all Palestinians to do whatever they could, from throwing stones to shooting guns, to show Israel it could not remain in the West Bank or annex it (al-Aqsa, June 15, 2020).