News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 19 –25, 2019)

The return march of June 28, 2019

•   On Friday, June 28, 2019, the return march was held in the Gaza Strip with the theme, “May the [economic] workshop in Bahrain fail.” About 7,000 Palestinians participated in activities held at the five return camps. Several dozen Palestinians approached the security fence, burned tires and threw IEDs and Molotov cocktails at IDF forces. Several attempts were made to cross the fence into Israeli territory. A spokesman for the ministry of health in the Gaza Strip reported that fifty Palestinians had been injured (Ashraf al-Qidra’s Twitter account, June 28, 2019).
• When the activities ended the Supreme National Authority of the Great Return March announced that the marches would “continue to burn.” They called on the Palestinians to participate in next Friday’s march (July 5, 2019), whose theme will be “Our unity will cause the [American-Israeli] plot to fail.” The march will protest the results of the economic workshop in Bahrain as part of the Palestinian rejection of the “deal of the century” (Supreme National Authority Facebook page, June 28, 2019).

Arson terrorism

• This past week the scope of incendiary and IED balloons launched into Israeli territory was particularly great and increased the number of fires near the Gaza Strip (more than 100 fires were reported). The number of launches increased significantly during the two days of the economic workshop in Bahrain. In some instances explosives were found attached to balloon clusters. The various balloon launching units in the Gaza Strip announced they were continuing their activities and threatened to intensify them, adding that they were not deterred by Israel’s threats of attack. The units threatened the residents of the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip that they intended to make the area “unfit for habitation” (Facebook page of the Baraq jihadi unit, June 26, 2019).
• Following reports in the Palestinian media that new understandings had been reached with Israel [see below], the Sons of al-Zawari unit in Rafah announced they would stop launching incendiary and IED balloons to give Israel the opportunity to implement the understandings (Sons of al-Zawari unit in Rafah, June 30, 2019). However, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Baraq balloon-launching unit announced that they would continue because no instructions had reached them from the Supreme National Authority leadership. The unit threatened to turn the area near the Gaza Strip into “black ash” (Facebook page of the PIJ’s Baraq unit, June 28, 2019). In any event, on the ground there has been a decrease in the number of incendiary and IED balloons, and therefore a decrease in the number of fires, but the balloon launchings have not stopped.

    
Right: The PIJ’s Baraq unit threatens Israel. The picture shows IEDs ready for launching (Facebook page of the PIJ’s Baraq unit, June 28, 2019). Left: Baraq unit operatives with balloons ready for launching. An operative holds a sign of the Jerusalem Brigades in the al-Zeitoun [neighborhood of Gaza City] (Paltoday, June 27, 2019).

• The main incidents were the following:
  • On July 1, 2019, a suspicious object with explosives was found at the entrance to a home in an Israeli community in the western Negev. The object apparently detached itself from a balloon launched from the Gaza Strip. A police demolitions expert was called in to neutralize the explosives. No casualties or damage were reported (western Negev spokesman’s unit, July 1, 2019).
  • On June 30, 2019, two fires were set near the Gaza Strip.
  •  On June 29, 2019, two fires were set near the Gaza Strip. Investigators determined they were the result of incendiary balloons (Eli Cohen, spokesman for the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, southern district, June 29, 2019).
  • On June 28, 2019, Fire and Rescue Service teams dealt with 14 fires near the Gaza Strip, all of which broke out as a result of incendiary balloons (Eli Cohen, spokesman for the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, southern district, June 28, 2019). In addition, a large cluster of balloons was found in the western Negev attached to a book in Hebrew. A security force examination revealed that the book was booby-trapped (western Negev council, June 28, 2019).

• On June 27, 2019, Fire and Rescue Service teams dealt with 17 fires near the Gaza Strip, all of which caused by incendiary balloons (Eli Cohen, spokesman for the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, southern district, June 27, 2019). The Palestinians showed a picture of a drone they alleged had been flown into Israel.
• On June 26, 2019, Fire and Rescue Service teams dealt with 19 fires near the Gaza Strip, all of which had been caused by incendiary balloons (Eli Cohen, spokesman for the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, southern district, June 27, 2019).
• On June 25, 2019, ten fires were located. Hamas also reported that a drone carrying a explosive device had been flown into Israel.
• Talal Abu Zarifa, a member of the DFLP political bureau, said no decision had been reached by the Supreme National Authority to use “extreme measures” (incendiary and IED balloons and the Night Harassment Units) along the eastern border of the Gaza Strip. He claimed that such measures were used on the [so-called] individual initiative of young “revolutionaries.” That was because they had not seen any real progress in the implementation of the understandings reached between the “resistance” [i.e., terrorist] organizations and Israel (Paltoday, June 27, 2019).

Another lull arrangement

• On June 27, 2019, after a week during which about 100 fires were set by incendiary and IED balloons from the Gaza Strip, Hamas confirmed it had reached new understandings with Israel through Egyptian and UN mediation. According to the reports, Israel had promised to return to delivering fuel to the Gaza Strip after having stopped deliveries in response to the continued arson terrorism. In addition, the fishing zone would be enlarged to 15 nautical miles. According to the reports, Hamas committed to not launching balloons and would prevent demonstrators from approaching the security fence. Hamas also claimed Israel had committed not to fire live ammunition at demonstrators (Sawa, June 29, 2019). Israel has not officially commented on the lull or its conditions. It was also reported that an Egyptian delegation would arrive in the Gaza Strip in the near future.
• Regarding the new understandings, Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanua claimed Egyptian and UN efforts had caused Israel to commit to implementing the understandings. He claimed that as part of the understandings the launching of incendiary balloons at the territory near the Gaza Strip had stopped (Dunia al-Watan, June 29, 2019). Mahmoud al-Zahar, a member of Hamas political bureau, claimed Israel always violated agreements and commitments made to the “resistance.” He said the “resistance” would not be fooled by the “marginal sacrifices” Israel uses to exhaust it (Filastin al-Yawm, June 28, 2019).
• However, both Israel and the Palestinians are skeptical about the successful implementation of the understandings. Palestinian sources said the Palestinian organizations had not announced they had reached a lull agreement because Israel is now in a “testing period.” According to the sources, the “resistance” takes into account the possibility that Israel will again retreat from its commitments to the understandings or try to wring more concessions from the “resistance.” The Palestinian sources added that the mediators were told that if Israel did not meet its commitments there would be a serious escalation in the Gaza Strip and “harsh popular reactions” near the border. However, the military wings of the terrorist organizations (with the exception of Hamas’ military wing) announced they were on high alert and were not cooperating with the lull (al-Akhbar, June 29, 2019).
•   Regarding the high alert, the media unit of the DFLP’s military wing published pictures of its operatives and operatives from the PIJ’s military wing. They claimed they were guarding the borders and would monitor the activities of the IDF, and would repel any IDF attempt to enter the Gaza Strip. They stressed they were on high alert and claimed they were not cooperating with the lull because Israel continued to violate the most recent understandings (Sawa, qassem.net, June 29, 2019).

   
Operatives of the National Resistance Battalions and the PIJ’s Jerusalem Brigades conduct joint operations (qassem.net, June 29, 2019).

Rocket and mortar shell fire

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

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire since January 2018

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

Attempt to cross the security fence

• On the night of June 28, 2019, IDF soldiers detained two suspicious Palestinians near the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip. Both were armed with knives. They were taken for interrogation (IDF spokesman, June 29, 2019). Two other suspicious Palestinians were detained in the northern Gaza Strip on June 27, 2019, both of whom were carrying knives (IDF spokesman, June 27, 2019).

Palestinian killed by Israel security force fire during a riot in Issawiya

• On June 28, 2019, during a riot in the neighborhood of Issawiya in east Jerusalem, one of the rioters shot fireworks at Israeli security forces. He was shot and killed. The DFLP announced the death of Muhammad Samir A’bied, 21 (Ma’an, June 27, 2019). According to reports, Muhammad Samir A’bied was a DFLP operative who had spent a total of four years in Israeli jails. He was most recently released in 2018 after serving twenty months for participation in “popular resistance,” i.e., popular terrorism, activities and for membership in the DFLP. Reportedly, his father, Samir A’bied, and his sister, Sandas, were detained by Israel in the past (Facebook page of the DFLP’s central media office in Damascus, June 28, 2019).

     
Right: DFLP mourning notice for “the shaheed of the rejection of the deal of the century and of the defense of Jerusalem from Israelization and Judaization” (Facebook page of the DFLP’s central media office in Damascus, June 29, 2019). Left: Formal Palestinian delegation offers condolences to the A’bied family from PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas and PA prime minister Muhammad Shtayyeh. The delegation included Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the mufti of Jerusalem; and Fadi al-Hidmi, minister of Jerusalem affairs, who was detained by Israel this past week (Facebook page of the PA ministry of Jerusalem affairs, June 30, 2019).

• Following the death of Muhammad Samir A’bied, large-scale riots broke out in Issawiya between the Palestinians and Israeli security forces. Several dozen Palestinians were slightly injured. About twenty were detained. Two days later the funeral of Muhammad A’bied was held. His body was wrapped for burial in a Hamas flag. After the funeral riots broke out again when masked Palestinians threw stones and shot fireworks at` the Israeli security forces (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, Jerusalem, July 1, 2019).

• The killing of Muhammad A’bied led to a wave of angry reactions from the Palestinians. Some of them encouraged the residents of Judea and Samaria to escalate their violence and terrorism:
  • At the weekly PA government meeting in Ramallah, Muhammad Shtayyeh, Palestinian prime minister, praised the “firm stance” of the residents of Jerusalem, Issawiya, Silwan and Sur Baher in the face of Israel’s [alleged] aggression (Wafa, July 1, 2019).
  • The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned what it called Israel’s “continuing aggression” against Jerusalem in general and Issawiya in particular, and expressed its sorrow that the international community remained quiet in the face of Israel’s actions (Wafa, June 29, 2019).
  • Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum praised the firm stance of the residents of Issawiya and their intifada He called for as strong an escalation as possible of the clashes against Israel (Shehab, June 29, 2019). According to Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, the death of Muhammad A’bied was a reaction to the workshop in Bahrain (Filastin al-Yawm, June 27, 2019).
  • Salah al-Bardawil, a member of the Hamas’ political bureau, condemned Israel’s harming of Palestinians in Jerusalem. He praised the residents of Issawiya and called on the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and the West Bank to intensify the clashes against IDF forces and the settlers (Hamas website, June 30, 2019).

Other events on the ground

• In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continued throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli security forces and civilian targets. Israeli security forces carried out counterterrorism activities throughout Judea and Samaria, detaining Palestinians suspected of terrorist activity, seizing funds intended for terrorist activities, and seizing military grade and improvised weapons. The more prominent events were the following:
  • June 27, 2019 – Several Palestinians threw Molotov cocktails at an IDF force near the al-Aroub refugee camp (north of Hebron). The soldiers shot back at them (IDF spokesman, June 27, 2019).
  • June 27, 2019 – During an IDF operational activity in Jenin an IED was thrown at the soldiers and shots were fired nearby. No casualties or damage were reported (IDF spokesman, June 27, 2019).
  • June 27, 2019 – During an IDF activity in the region of Tubas (northeast of Nablus) a number of IEDs were thrown at the soldiers. No casualties or damage were reported (IDF spokesman, June 27, 2019).
  • June 25, 2019 – During searches in Hebron and the village of Qatanna (northwest of Jerusalem) IDF forces seized tens of thousands of shekels intended for terrorist activities (IDF spokesman, June 25, 2019).

Significant terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria since June 2017^[1]

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip

Supply of electricity

• After a renewal of the understandings with Israel and a renewal of the delivery of fuel into the Gaza Strip, the electric company announced the activation of the power plant’s third generator (Safa, June 28, 2019). Muhammad Thabet, spokesman for the power plant, said that after the third generator was put into operation again there was a significant improvement in the supply of electricity. He said the power plant would now provide electricity in cycles of eight hours of power with an eight-hour hiatus (alresala.net, June 30, 2019).

Medical delegation in the Gaza Strip

• Israel authorized the entrance of an international medical delegation into the Gaza Strip. The delegation was composed of 16 doctors from around the globe. They worked in hospitals in the Gaza Strip and carried out dozens of complicated operations and treatments, also providing training for local doctors. The delegation brought millions of dollars worth of medicine and equipment into the Gaza Strip. Permission to enter the Gaza Strip was given as part of Israel’s policy to make it possible for the population of the Gaza Strip to have access to medical care (Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories’ Facebook page, June 30, 2019).

UNRWA’s financial situation

• At a conference at the UN in New York of the countries contributing to UNRWA, Pierre Krähenbühl, UNRWA commissioner general, said a number of countries had promised financial aid to UNRWA and that currently donations were estimated at $110 million. He said other countries had promised to provide support at a later stage. Britain said that during 2019 and 2020 it would increase its donations to $85.5 million; the EU announced it would contribute $21 million (Wafa, June 25, 2019). The Turkish ambassador to the UN said Turkey would donate $10 million (al-Andalou News, June 21, 2019).

Continuing protests against the economic workshop in Bahrain

• With the closing of the two-day economic workshop in Bahrain, spokesmen for the PA announced it had failed. Mahmoud al-‘Alul, deputy Fatah chairman, said the will of the Palestinians and their position had been victorious and the “deal of the century” would fail. He said the low participation in the workshop was an important lesson for the United States. He said it showed that the Palestinian people’s clear position could not be ignored. Muhammad Shtayyeh, PA prime minister, said the proposals made during the economic workshop in Bahrain were “divorced from reality” and could not be brought together into a political program. Criticism was also heard from spokesmen for Hamas and the other terrorist organizations.
• On the ground, popular protests continue. On June 27, 2019, rallies and demonstrations were held in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. On the afternoon of June 26, 2019, the Supreme National Authority held a demonstration in the return camp east of Sajaiya. Several hundred demonstrators went to the security fence during the events and sabotaged it, burned tires and threw IEDs and stones. A number of rioters tried to cross the fence.

    
Right: Demonstration in Bethlehem (QudsN Twitter account, June 25, 2019). Left: Demonstration in Nablus with the participation of senior Fatah figure Mahmoud al-‘Alul (official Fatah Facebook page, June 25, 2019).

•  In the Gaza Strip Palestinians marched from UNRWA headquarters to UN headquarters in Gaza City. Two of the marchers were Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau; and Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip. Haniyeh condemned the workshop and claimed the funds for supporting the Palestinian people could not come at the expense of Jerusalem, the [so-called] “right of return” or the “Palestinian resistance” [terrorist organizations] supported by the “resistance” [i.e., Hezbollah] in Lebanon. He said attempts made by the United States to rewrite the list of enemies of the Arab states and to turn Iran into an enemy instead of Israel would not succeed (Hamas website, June 25, 2019)

    
Right: Isma’il Haniyeh (center) and Yahya al-Sinwar march in Gaza City. Al-Sinwar (third from right) is holding the hand of Imad al-Agha, a member of Fatah’s supreme leadership community in the Gaza Strip (Twitter account of the media department of Isma’il Haniyeh’s office, June 26, 2019). Left: Cartoon of Fatah and Hamas as the two levers of a nutcracker holding the “deal of the century” (official Fatah Facebook page, June 25, 2019).

     
Right: Demonstrators in Khan Yunis with pictures of Netanyahu and Trump (Facebook page of correspondent Maryam Abu Daqqa, June 26, 2019). Left: Demonstrators burn pictures of Netanyahu and Trump (QudsN Twitter account, June 25, 2019).

• The Safa news agency reported that despite the Palestinian objections, 12 Palestinians, some of them businessmen, participated in the economic workshop in Bahrain (Safa, July 1, 2019). According to a “Palestinian security source,” the PA decided to arrest any Palestinian who participated in the workshop (Agence France-Presse, June 29, 2019). On June 29, 2019, the PA’s security forces carried out a series of arrests in Hebron. Among those arrested was Saleh Abu Mayaleh, a Palestinian businessman from Hebron who participated in the workshop. An attempt to arrest another Palestinian businessman, Ashraf Ghanem, failed because escaped from his house. The Palestinian security forces confiscated the security cameras around his house and seized documents (Amad, June 29, 2019). After 24 hours Saleh Abu Mayaleh was released and the Americans expressed their satisfaction (Jason Greenblatt’s Twitter account, June 29, 2019). A member of the Abu Mayaleh family said high level Western sources had intervened to secure his release (al-Andalou News, June 30, 2019).

Palestinian reactions to opening the tunnel in Silwan

• On June 30, 2019, a ceremony was held at the Shiloah Pool for the opening of the Pilgrims’ Route in Jerusalem. Present at the ceremony were David Friedman, the American ambassador to Israel; and Jason Greenblatt, advisor to the American president for international negotiations and American envoy to the Middle East. The path of the Pilgrims’ Route includes a tunnel that passes under the village of Silwan in east Jerusalem.
• The opening of the tunnel and the presence at the ceremony of official representatives of the United States enraged the Palestinians and led to harsh criticism. At the weekly meeting of the PA government Muhammad Shtayyeh, PA prime minister, strongly criticized the participation of American representatives at the opening of the new tunnel in Jerusalem (Wafa, July 1, 2019). The social networks called the opening of the tunnel part of the “deal of the century.” Some reactions were the following:
• Mahmoud Abbas’ office issued a statement warning of dangerous consequences resulting from the excavations Israel was carrying out in Jerusalem, especially between Silwan and al-Aqsa mosque. According to the statement, Mahmoud Abbas had issued instructions to struggle against the Israeli excavations which [allegedly] violated international law and the rights of the Palestinians and Muslims (Wafa, June 30, 2019).
• Mahmoud al-Habash, advisor to Mahmoud Abbas for religious affairs, harshly criticized the presence of Americans at the ceremony, calling it aggression and a violation of international law, because Jerusalem was an occupied city with an Islamic heritage. He said the Palestinians were in contact with Jordan to take joint steps in the matter (Wafa, June 30, 2019),
• Saeb Erekat, secretary of the PLO’s Executive Committee, harshly criticized the participation of the American ambassador to Israel and the advisor to the American president at the ceremony opening the tunnel. He claimed their presence was an additional insult to international law (Wafa, June 30, 2019). He also sent a letter to the secretary general of the Arab League and the secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation about Israel’s aggression against the Palestinian people. He called on the Arab and Islamic states to take immediate steps to impose sanctions on Israel (Wafa, July 1, 2019).
• Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the participation of American representatives showed the United States’ aggression against the Palestinian people (al-Quds, June 30, 2019). Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum criticized the opening of the tunnel, saying that it was another Israeli “crime” against the Palestinian people. He claimed the Americans were partners in Israel’s aggression and patrons of the settlements and the Judaization of Jerusalem (Shehab, July 1, 2019).

Israel detains PA minister of Jerusalem affairs

• On June 30, 2019, Israel detained Fadi al-Hidmi, the PA minister of Jerusalem affairs, for having violated Israeli sovereignty by accompanying, with others senior Palestinian figures, the president of Chile to a visit to al-Aqsa mosque. A short time after his detention he was released. His lawyer said the Israeli interrogation focused on al-Hidmi’s violation of Israeli sovereignty during a tour of al-Aqsa mosque with the president of Chile (Wafa, June 30, 2019). Al-Hidmi is a resident of east Jerusalem and is minister of Jerusalem affairs in the new Palestinian government, formed in April 2019 by Muhammad Shtayyeh.
• The Palestinian government severely criticized Israel for detaining al-Hidmi and demanded his immediate release (Dunia al-Watan, June 30, 2019). PA government spokesman Ibrahim Milhem claimed the detention was part of Israel’s attempts to limit the PA’s activity in Jerusalem. Muhammad Shtayyeh called on the international community and the EU to exert pressure on Israel to release al-Hidmi (Wafa, June 30, 2019).

Steps for economic disengagement from Israel

• Khaled al-Asili, Palestinian national financial minister, declared the implementation of practical steps for economic disengagement from Israel: the Palestinian government will no longer refer patients for treatment in hospitals in Israel and instead will refer them to hospitals in Jordan and Egypt. In addition, alternative energy sources will be sought so that the PA can gradually stop using electricity from Israel; an agreement has been signed for supplying solar energy. Moreover, the Palestinian government decided to prevent Israeli goods from being sold in Palestinian markets (Sawa, July 1, 2019).

Fatah glorifies memory of terrorist who shot and killed two Israelis

• Abbas Zaki, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, wrote on the official Fatah Facebook page that at the end of a competition of the Hebron riding club in Salfit an award had been given to the family of Palestinian terrorist Omar Abu Layla. Zaki also went to the village of al-Zawiya to see the site where a new house for the Abu Layla family is under construction. Their old house was razed by the Israeli security forces (official Fatah Facebook page, July 1, 2019). On March 17, 2019, Omar Abu Layla carried out a combined shooting and stabbing attack in Ariel and at the Gitai Avisar Junction, killing an Israeli civilian and an IDF soldier (IDF spokesman, April 24, 2019).

     
Right: Ceremony organized by Abbas Zaki for the family of Palestinian terrorist Omar Abu Layla Left: Visit to the site where a new house is being build for the Abu Layla family in the village of al-Zawiya (Abbas Zaki’s Facebook page, July 1, 2019).