The “Return March” and propaganda events in the Gaza Strip

Overview

• Like every Friday (since March 30, 2018), the “return march” took place on Friday, September 7, 2018. Events on the recent march were more violent than those of recent weeks. Several thousand rioters, operating in several locations along the security fence, participated in the march. A hand grenade was thrown at the IDF forces, and several rioters sabotaged the security fence, crossed it and entered an (unmanned) IDF outpost. During the Friday march and on the days following it, a relatively small number of incendiary balloons were launched, reflecting the continued decline in the scope of “arson terrorism.” During the demonstrations, two rioters were killed, and over a hundred were wounded. On September 10, 2018, a flotilla of about 50 vessels sailed from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, and at the same time violent demonstrations took place along the Gaza coast.
• In response to the throwing of the hand grenade and sabotaging of the fence, the IDF twice attacked Hamas observation posts in the northern and southern Gaza Strip. In addition, the IDF attacked a balloon squad, for the first time in several weeks (IDF Spokesperson, September 7, 2018).

The Supreme National Authority of the Return March called on the public to participate in the next march on Friday, September 14, 2018. In addition, the Supreme National Authority announced its intention to expand the protest activities. Thus, from now on, a protest flotilla will set sail from the Gaza Strip every Monday, on a permanent basis. Concurrently with the flotilla, there will be demonstrations along the Gaza coast, and every Tuesday a demonstration will be held near the Erez crossing. These dates in a row indicate, in the ITIC’s assessment, that Hamas is keen on maintaining “controlled tension” vis-à-vis Israel, simultaneously with the contacts on the possibility of arrangement (which are still bogged down).

The Return March

The return march events

• Like every Friday (since March 30, 2018), the “return march” took place on Friday, September 7, 2018. It was the 24th march, entitled “Whether you like it or not, Trump.” The Supreme National Authority of the Return March called on the public to take part in the next march, on Friday, September 14, 2018, which will take place under the slogan, “The Resistance [i.e., terrorism] is our choice” (Shehab Twitter account, September 7, 2018).
• The demonstrations were more violent than those which took place in recent weeks. Several thousand rioters operated on several sites along the security fence. They burned tires and threw stones, Molotov cocktails and a hand grenade at IDF soldiers (IDF Spokesperson, September 7, 2018). East of Rafah, near Kerem Shalom, the rioters set fire to an IDF telecommunications tower (IDF Spokesperson, September 7, 2018). Palestinian media reported that protesters broke through the security fence east of the Al-Bureij refugee camp (PALINFO Twitter account, September 7, 2018). The Al-Aqsa Channel broadcast a video showing demonstrators cutting the security fence under the cover of the tire smoke (Al-Aqsa Channel, September 8, 2018).   

• At several sites, the rioters burned posters with the picture of US President Trump. In addition, they hanged effigies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and US President Donald Trump, and in several cases, they set them on fire.

• As usual in every week, Hamas officials attended the events. In a speech delivered before the demonstrators, Hamas Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said that the mass participation of the Palestinians in the “return marches” and the clashes with the IDF soldiers are proof that whoever bears arms, uses them, and makes sacrifices is the one who represents the Palestinians. This is contrary to those who sign agreements and collaborate with Israel, i.e., the Palestinian Authority (Hamas website, September 7, 2018).

   
Right: Ahmad Bahar, Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, taking part in the activities of the “return march” in the central Gaza Strip. Left: Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas senior official, arriving at the “Return Camp” in eastern Gaza City (Facebook page of the Supreme National Authority of the Return March, September 7, 2018)

Palestinian casualties

• Ashraf al-Qudra, spokesman for the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, reported that a 17-year-old demonstrator was killed in eastern Rafah (Ashraf al-Qudra’s Twitter account, September 7, 2018). In addition, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that there were 395 wounded, of whom 147 were rushed to hospitals in the Gaza Strip (Facebook page of the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip, September 7, 2018). The day after, on September 8, 2018, the spokesman for the Health Ministry reported that one of the wounded Palestinians in eastern Rafah died of his wounds (Facebook page of the spokesman of the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip, September 8, 2018).

Arson terrorism

• During the Friday march and the following days, a relatively small number of incendiary kites and balloons were launched. Incendiary balloons reportedly caused two fires. One fire was located in the Shokeda forest (east of Be’eri). The other fire, located in Kerem Shalom, was caused as a result of a kite with a burning tire attached to it (National Fire and Rescue Authority, Southern District, September 7, 2018).
• During the Friday marches in the southern Gaza Strip, the demonstrators managed to land an incendiary kite on an IDF telecommunications tower located near the fence. A fire broke out in the facility, but no significant damage was caused.

   
Fire breaks out at the telecommunications tower in the Kerem Shalom outpost in eastern Rafah after a kite with a burning tire landed on it (Facebook page of the Supreme National Authority of the Return March, September 7, 2018)

IDF’s response

• On September 7, 2018, an Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked a balloon squad which launched incendiary balloons at Israeli territory in the northern Gaza Strip. One of the squad members was lightly wounded in the airstrike. This was the first airstrike in weeks against a balloon squad (IDF Spokesperson, September 7, 2018).
• In addition, during the Friday events, the IDF twice attacked Hamas outposts:
  • In response for the throwing of a hand grenade at the IDF forces during the events of the “return march,” an Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked a Hamas observation post in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian media reported that a drone had launched a missile at a group of Palestinians east of Beit Hanoun and that two Palestinians were lightly wounded (PALINFO, Palestinian Information Center, September 7, 2018).
  • In response to the damage caused by rioters to an IDF security facility, an Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked a Hamas observation post in the southern Gaza Strip.

Additional propaganda events

Flotilla from the Gaza Strip

• On September 10, 2018, another flotilla (the seventh) from the Gaza Strip towards the Gaza Strip northern border was held on behalf of the Supreme National Authority of the Return March. The flotilla, which according to its organizers was intended to “break the maritime blockade,” comprised 50 vessels, which set out from the Gaza fishing port towards the northern Gaza Strip (the maritime border with Israel). The Israeli Navy responded with warning fire at the flotilla, and the vessels returned southward, towards the Gaza Strip (IDF Spokesperson, September 10, 2018).

   
The flotilla to the Israeli coast. In the photo on the left, a burning tire can be seen on a raft (QUDSN Twitter account, September 10, 2018)

• Concurrently with the flotilla, demonstrations of Gazans took place in the coast area. Several thousand protesters took part in those demonstrations. Among the participants were Fathi Hamad, member of the Hamas Political Bureau. During the demonstrations, the Palestinians intended to launch burning tires on rafts and floating devices and have them reach Israeli coasts. The demonstrators threw an IED at the IDF forces deployed against them to prevent public disorder. The Israeli forces fired warning shots at the protesters (IDF Spokesperson, September 10, 2018). On Tuesday (September 11, 2018), protest demonstrations took place around the Erez crossing area in the northern Gaza Strip. According to reports, only a few demonstrators arrived at the site.

   
Right: Palestinian demonstration along the coast, held at the same time as the flotilla (Facebook page of the Supreme National Authority of the Return March, September 10, 2018). Left: Fathi Hamad arrives at the demonstration (PALINFO Twitter account, September 10, 2018)

   
Placing tires on rafts in order to send them burning towards the Israeli coast (Facebook page of the Supreme National Authority of the Return March, September 10, 2018)

The National Authority of the Return March announced its intention to expand the protest activities. As part of this plan, the committee announced that from now on, a protest flotilla would set sail from the Gaza Strip every Monday. At the same time, there will be demonstrations along the Gaza coast. Every Tuesday, there will be a demonstration near the Erez crossing. For this purpose, the National Authority announced that it had started to set up a new “return camp” in the Gaza Strip territory close to the Israeli community of Zikim. This camp is intended for those Palestinians who will arrive at the demonstrations near the Erez crossing (Facebook page of the Supreme National Authority of the Return March, September 8, 2018; QODSNET, September 8, 2018).

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