Spotlight on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict (July 2 – 9 , 2024)

IDF operations in the Gaza Strip

• This past week IDF operations focused on the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip and the Shejaiya neighborhood in Gaza City. Ground and air forces attacked terrorist operatives, destroyed terrorist facilities and rocket launchers, and located many tunnels and large quantities of weapons. Four IDF soldiers were killed.
• Shejaiya: IDF forces killed more than a hundred terrorist operatives in combat above and below ground and in aerial attacks. They located tunnel shafts and large quantities of weapons, including long-range rockets capable of reaching the center of Israel, and destroyed dozens of terrorist facilities. They also destroyed six offensive tunnels about six kilometers (about 3.7 miles) long and a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) command and control tunnel about 2.5 kilometers (about 1.56 miles) long. IDF forces destroyed the headquarters of Hamas’ Shejaiya Battalion, which operated in a compound of schools, and a clinic where large quantities of weapons were located alongside UNRWA equipment. On July 3, 2024, an IDF officer was killed by an anti-tank missile; in another incident, an IDF officer was killed in a clash inside a building. On July 4, 2024, an IDF soldier was killed in a clash (IDF spokesperson and Israeli media, July 2-9, 2024).

    
Right: Rocket launchers located in Shejaiya (IDF spokesperson, July 6, 2024). Left: Weapons found in the clinic (IDF spokesperson, July 8, 2024)

• Rafah: IDF forces killed dozens of armed terrorist operatives in clashes and airstrikes, located tunnel shafts, including in residential buildings, found rocket launchers ready for launch and large quantities of ammunition, and destroyed terrorist facilities. On July 7, 2024, an IDF officer was killed by an anti-tank missile in Rafah (IDF spokesperson and Israeli media, July 2-9, 2024).

IDF operations against Hamas facilities in the Gaza Strip, including UNRWA

• On the night of July 7, 2024, IDF forces operated in Gaza City, including in UNRWA headquarters, after receiving information about the presence of Hamas and PIJ terrorist facilities. The forces killed dozens of terrorist operatives and located large quantities of weapons. The operation focused on the al-Sheikh Ajlin and Tel al-Hawa neighborhoods in the southwest of the city (IDF spokesperson and Israeli media, July 8-9, 2024).
• In preparation for the activity, the IDF issued warnings to the local residents and opened a passage for the exit of uninvolved civilians from the area. The IDF spokesperson in Arabic published a map calling on residents of the al-Tufah, Old City and al-Daraj neighborhoods to move to shelters in the west of the city (Avichay Adraee’s X account, July 7, 2024). A call was later issued to the residents of al-Sabra, al-Rimal, Tel al-Hawa and al-Daraj neighborhoods to evacuate and move to the humanitarian area in Deir al-Balah (Avichay Adraee’s X account, July 8, 2024).
• Palestinian media reported heavy airstrikes and artillery fire in southwest Gaza, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents (Quds Agency’s Telegram channel and Hamza al-Masri’s Telegram channel, July 7 and 8, 2024). It was also reported that al-Ahli al-Ma’madani and Asdiqaa al-Marid (Patient’s Friends) Hospitals were evacuated (OCHA website, July 8, 2024). The Hamas government media office called on residents not to evacuate and accused the IDF of publishing “inaccurate” maps to lure the residents into “death traps” (Hamas government media office Telegram channel, July 8, 2024).

     
Right: Map of the evacuation areas (Avichay Adraee’s X account, July 8, 2024). Left: Residents evacuate neighborhoods in Gaza (Quds Agency, July 8, 2024)

• The Israeli Air Force attacked UNRWA schools where terrorist activity was detected. In all cases, the IDF reported that precision weaponry was used and other measures were taken to reduce possible harm to civilians:
  • On July 4, 2024, the al-Qahera school in al-Furqan and the Musa school in Daraj Tufah were attacked, both which served as hideouts for terrorist operatives who planned and carried out attacks on IDF forces in the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesperson, July 4, 2024). Civil defense in the Gaza Strip reported that five bodies were recovered and more than 15 wounded were evacuated from the Musa bin Nuseir school in the al-Daraj area, and that the attack on the administration office of the al-Qahera school in the west of Gaza City caused no casualties (the civil defense Facebook page in the Gaza Strip, July 4, 2024).
  • On July 6, 2024, Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked buildings used as locations for terrorist operatives in the al-Ja’ouni school complex in the center of the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesperson, July 6, 2024). The Hamas government media office claimed that the attack on the al-Ja’ouni school in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp, where about 7,000 displaced people were staying, had killed more than 16 Palestinians and injured more than 75 (Hamas government media office Telegram channel, July 6, 2024). Hamas denied there were “resistance” operatives in the school and said the IDF’s claims were intended to justify the continuation of Israel’s “war crimes” (Hamas website, July 6, 2024). Rawhi Fattouh, Palestinian National Council chairman, accused Israel of carrying out a “massacre” at the school (Wafa, June 6, 2024). Philip Lazzarini, UNRWA commissioner general, called for an independent investigation into the attack on the school (Philip Lazzarini’s X account, July 7, 2024).
  • On July 8, 2024, Israeli Air Force warplanes attacked Hamas and PIJ terrorist operatives engaged in terrorist activity in a school compound in the al-Nuseirat area (IDF spokesperson, July 9, 2024). Palestinian media reported an attack targeting the security room at the main gate of the UNRWA elementary school in the new al-Nuseirat refugee camp (al-Nuseirat refugee camp Telegram channel, July 8, 2024). A “source” at al-Odeh Hospital in al-Nuseirat said the hospital had admitted several Palestinians who had been wounded in the attack on an UNRWA school entrance in the new al-Nuseirat refugee camp (al-Sharq al-Awsat, July 9, 2024). Medical sources at the hospital said that 13 wounded Palestinians had been admitted (Anadolu Agency, July 9, 2024).

Speech given by Abu Obeida marking nine months of fighting

• On July 7, 2024, Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’ military wing, gave a speech to mark nine months since the beginning of the war. He accused Israel of carrying out “[ethnic] cleansing and extermination” and praised the “resistance fronts” in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen for their support of the Palestinians. According to Abu Obeida, all 24 Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades battalions in the Gaza Strip were involved in the fighting and had been able to restore capabilities and construct new weapons from the debris of the IDF’s weapons. He also claimed that the military wing had been able to recruit “thousands” of new operatives during the war and that there were thousands more ready to join when needed (al-Jazeera, July 7, 2024).

Rocket fire from the Gaza Strip

• This past week the Palestinian terrorist organizations continued to fire rockets at the cities, towns and villages surrounding the Gaza Strip:
  • July 3, 2024: Four rockets were fired after midnight. One rocket was intercepted and the rest fell in open areas. No casualties or damage were reported (Israeli media, July 3, 2024).
  • July 4, 2024: One rocket was intercepted in the Nahal Oz area; no casualties or damage were reported (Israeli media, July 4, 2024). Hamas’ military wing claimed responsibility for launching Rujoum and 107mm rockets at an IDF headquarters near Nahal Oz (al-Aqsa TV Telegram channel, July 4, 2024).
  • July 6, 2024: A rocket was intercepted in the Kfar Aza area; two rockets fell in an open area in the Sderot area (Israeli media, July 6, 2024). A rocket fired from the Shejaiya neighborhood in Gaza City fell in an open area in the Nahal Oz region. The Israeli Air Force destroyed the building from which the rocket had been launched (Israeli media, July 6, 2024). The Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for launching several 107mm rockets at the Nahal Oz base (Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades Telegram channel, July 6, 2024). In all instances, no casualties or damage were reported.
  • July 9, 2024: A rocket fired from the Rafah region at the towns and villages near the southern Gaza Strip was intercepted. No casualties were reported (IDF spokesperson, July 9, 2024).
• On July 3, 2024, there was a direct hit to a house in the western Negev. Examination revealed the house had been hit by an anti-aircraft missile launched at an Israeli Air Force plane from the Gaza Strip. There were no casualties (Israeli media, July 3, 2024).

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

The hostages and a ceasefire agreement

• On July 3, 2024, Hamas said in a statement that it had exchanged “a number of ideas” with the mediators as part of efforts to reach an agreement to stop the “aggression” in the Gaza Strip (Hamas Telegram channel, July 3, 2024). It was also reported that Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, was in contact with the mediators in Qatar and Egypt to discuss “Hamas’ ideas” (Hamas Telegram channel, July 4, 2024).
• A “source” in Hamas said that the movement had submitted amendments to the Israeli proposal without touching the core issues. According to the source, Hamas reiterated its demands for a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip, including the Philadelphia Axis and the Rafah Crossing, and the return of the displaced to their previous places of residence. He added that Hamas refused to allow Israel to veto the release of Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment (al-Mayadeen, July 4, 2024).
• An “official Palestinian figure” said that Hamas no longer demanded an Israeli commitment to a permanent ceasefire as a precondition to its signing the agreement, adding that it will be possible to discuss the matter during the first phase, which should last six weeks. However, if the parties needed more time to sign an agreement for a permanent ceasefire, they would have to agree not to return to fighting until it had been signed (Reuters, July 5, 2024).
• A “senior Hamas figure” and a “senior Egyptian figure” stated that Hamas had given up its demand that Israel commit to a complete halt to the war and had agreed to a phased ceasefire, in accordance with President Biden’s proposal. According to Hamas, the agreement came following “verbal” guarantees” from the mediators that the war would not resume and that the negotiations would continue until an agreement on a permanent ceasefire had been reached; however, Hamas still wanted the guarantees in writing (AP, July 6, 2024).
• On July 8, 2024, Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of raising obstacles in the negotiations and escalating the “aggression” against the Palestinians, while the movement was demonstrating “flexibility and positivity to facilitate reaching an agreement.” Hamas also stated that Ismail Haniyeh had contacted the mediators and warned them that the negotiations could return to “ground zero” due to the “catastrophic consequences” of the events in the Gaza Strip, primarily the IDF’s instructions to evacuate residents from Gaza neighborhoods and the continuation of the [alleged] “massacres.” Haniyeh also claimed the Israeli government and the IDF would be fully responsible for the collapse of the negotiations (Hamas Telegram channel, July 8, 2024).
• Hamas and PIJ leaders defended the joint movements’ position regarding the agreement and accused Israel of trying to sabotage the negotiations:
  • Husam Badran, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, claimed the movement had shown “great flexibility” during the negotiations, while Israel tried to interfere and disrupt the process. He said Hamas’ positions were not influenced by external pressures (al-Jazeera, July 3, 2024). He also stated that the starting point was the cessation of “aggression” against the Gaza Strip and that Hamas would not hesitate to do whatever was necessary for the “benefit of the Palestinian people.” He claimed the mediators regarded the movement’s position “positively” and that Israel was the “only obstacle” (Hamas Telegram channel, July 6, 2024).
  • Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas figure who lives in Lebanon, said that if Israel responded positively to the Hamas proposal, it would be discussed in detail. He noted that the “resistance” would rebuff Israel’s “excuses,” and expressed hope that the American administration’s position would be strong enough to compel Israel to agree to the ideas put forward (Agence France-Presse, July 5, 2024)
  • Mahmoud Mardawi, a senior Hamas figure, claimed the movement had shown a “positive spirit” in its response and had given the mediators an opportunity to examine the Israeli position. He noted that the movement would approach the next round of talks “cautiously optimistic and alert to the machinations of the Israeli government.” He added that Hamas would not accept an IDF presence in the Gaza Strip after the war, adding that the future of the region would be determined by the Palestinian people without outside intervention (al-Jazeera Mubasher, July 5, 2024)
  • Ahmed Abdel Hadi, Hamas representative in Lebanon, said that the ball was now in Israel’s court and the American administration had to continue putting pressure on Netanyahu. He said Hamas “would continue to resist” [attack] if a transparent agreement were not reached, because Netanyahu was not serious about reaching an agreement.
  • Muhammad al-Hindi, deputy PIJ secretary general, said that the response forwarded to the mediators represented the position agreed upon by the “resistance.” He said that in the assessment of the “resistance” organizations, favorable conditions had been created to put the negotiation process in motion since, he claimed, Israel was “exhausted and ready to accept a deal at any price” (Filastin al-Yawm, July 6, 2024).

Palestinian casualties

• The Hamas-controlled ministry of health in the Gaza Strip reported at 2:00 p.m., July 9, 2024, that since the beginning of the war, 38,243 Palestinians had been killed and 88,033 injured (ministry of health in Gaza Facebook page, July 9, 2024).
• On July 6, 2024, the general police administration in the Gaza Strip reported that Israeli aircraft had attacked a foot patrol of the Tel al-Sultan police in western Rafah, killing four police officers and injuring eight. According to reports, one of the casualties was also the commander of the Tel al-Sultan police station, Colonel Fares Abd al-‘Aal, aka Abu Yazen. The report claimed Israel sought to “spread chaos in the Gaza Strip” (ministry of the interior in Gaza Facebook page, July 6, 2024).
• On July 7, 2024, Israeli Air Force warplanes attacked terrorist operatives located in a school building in Gaza City. A Hamas facility for the manufacture of weapons established in the school compound was also attacked (IDF spokesperson, July 7, 2024). According to reports, the Hamas civil defense teams evacuated four dead and a number of wounded after an Israeli aircraft attacked the al-‘Ailah al-Muqadasah school in the west of Gaza City, where there were many displaced persons (Quds Agency, July 7, 2024). Palestinian media reported that one of the dead was Ihab Ribhi al-Ghussein, the deputy minister of labor in the Hamas government (Ultra Palestine, July 7, 2024). Hamas’ government media office confirmed his death, adding that he had held various positions at the governmental and national level (Hamas government media office Telegram channel, July 7, 2024).

The situation in the Gaza Strip

• On July 8, 2024, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) reported that 30,000 diphtheria and tetanus vaccines, donated by UNICEF, had been delivered to the Gaza Strip. He added that in recent months more than two million vaccines for other diseases, including whooping cough, measles, mumps, chicken pox and hepatitis, had been delivered (COGAT X account, July 8, 2024). He also reported that a thousand units of blood and a large quantity of medical aid, including painkillers and anesthesia, had been transferred from Jordan to the Gaza Strip through the Erez Crossing (COGAT Facebook page in Arabic, July 2, 2024).

• On July 9, 2024, the COGAT reported that eight trucks had entered the Gaza Strip with a shipment of 18 tons of infant formula donated by UNICEF, sufficient to feed babies for more than six months. In addition, 90 tons of biscuits with nutritional supplements were delivered (COGAT X account, July 9, 2024).
• On July 8, 2024, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that only 13 of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip were functioning, and only partially: four in the Gaza district, three in the northern Gaza Strip, three in Khan Yunis and three in Deir al-Balah. According to the report, the hospitals are trying to maintain essential operations despite a severe lack of fuel. It was also reported that the al-Ma’madani (al-Ahli) hospital and the Patient’s Friends’ Association Hospital in Gaza City had been evacuated on July 7 to 8 following IDF instructions, and the European Hospital in Khan Yunis had been evacuated on July 2, 2024 (OCHA website, July 8, 2024).
• The Palestinian Red Crescent presented documentation of the first displaced persons camp in the Gaza Strip for the disabled. It can house a hundred families and includes water and sanitation facilities as well as education and health facilities. Abd al-Aziz Abu Aisha, in charge of risk management at the Red Crescent in the Gaza Strip, stated that the closure of the Rafah Crossing had forced the Red Crescent to purchase the equipment for the camp in the local market, despite the shortage of items and the high prices (Palestinian Red Crescent X account, July 8, 2024).

Criticism of Hamas

• A BBC article stated that public criticism of Hamas was increasing in the Gaza Strip, both on the streets and on social media. The main criticism related to rocket fire from populated areas and the concealing of hostages in apartments near busy markets, criticism prompted by the rescue operation of four of the Israeli hostages in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp on June 8, 2024. Residents said that cursing Hamas leaders had become routine in the markets and that riders on donkey carts named the animals after Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip. An employee of the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip admitted that the movement had not prepared shelters or sufficient reserves of food, fuel and medical supplies for the residents (BBC, July 4, 2024).
• A video published on social media showed a Gazan man criticizing al-Sinwar and the situation in the Gaza Strip. He appeals to Yahya al-Sinwar and says, “We want al-Sinwar to come to us, Abu Ibrahim [al-Sinwar] our leader killed us in Gaza, why?” The man added that “the people of the Gaza Strip are alive, but not really alive” and “our children have died for nothing, our women died gone for nothing, our lives have ended for nothing, and there is nothing left for us in Gaza.” He also said that “the thieves killed us” (al-Hadath Facebook page, July 5, 2024).
• Omar Abd Rabbo, an online influencer from the Gaza Strip (with about 7,300 followers), published a post in which he complained about how Hamas operatives treated his family in a displaced persons shelter at a school in the Jebalya refugee camp. He said that Omar Rihan, the Hamas-appointed director of the shelter, had burst into the family’s private room with other operatives and expelled them. According to Abd Rabbo, Atallah Juma’a, the Hamas-appointed director of the shelter centers in the al-Fallujah area, had ordered the room to be turned into a “special office.” Abd Rabbo called on the Hamas movement to punish Rihan and Juma’a, noting that such acts constituted a violation of human rights and of international laws (Omar Abd Rabbo’s X account, July 6, 2024).

Isma’il Haniyeh congratulates the new Iranian president

• Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, sent a letter of congratulations to Masoud Pezeshkian, the new president of Iran, following his election. Haniyeh noted that the Palestinian people and their “resistance” were currently in the midst of a historic war. He added he was confident of Iran’s willingness to continue the unity of the Islamic nation and aid to the Palestinians (Hamas Telegram channel, July 8, 2024).

Senior Hamas figures meet to coordinate positions with the “resistance axis”^[2]

• Following the submission of Hamas’ response to the proposal for a ceasefire agreement and the release of the hostages, senior Hamas figures held talks with the other organizations in the Iranian-led “resistance axis” and with other Palestinian and regional organizations to coordinate positions:
  • A Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Haya, Yahya al-Sinwar’s deputy, met with Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah secretary general, in Beirut. According to reports, they discussed developments in the war in the Gaza Strip. The Hamas delegation described the condition of the “resistance” in the field and confirmed its ” increasing efficiency” against the IDF forces. The Hamas delegation also described its political efforts to reach an agreement that would end “aggression” and “human suffering” in the Gaza Strip. The delegation praised Hezbollah’s role in supporting the Gaza Strip, its performance and its sacrifices (Hamas Telegram account, July 5, 2024). According to reports, Hamas representatives said the movement agreed to the proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and that Nasrallah welcomed it (Reuters, July 5, 2024). A “source close to Hezbollah” stated that the meeting focused on future cooperation during and after the war, especially regarding training and supplies, and that the parties emphasized their readiness to deal with any Israeli “thoughtless action” (al-Sharq al-Awsat, July 5, 2024).

• • The Hamas delegation led by al-Haya also met with a delegation of the Houthi leadership in Yemen and a delegation of the Islamic Resistance Lebanon in Iraq. Hamas representatives described developments in the fighting and negotiations and praised the Houthis and the militias for their support of the Gaza Strip. They agreed to continue communication and support between the leadership and field levels (Hamas Telegram account, July 5, 2024).
  • A senior Hamas delegation from Hamas met with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, PIJ secretary general, and Jamil Mazhar, deputy secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. They discussed developments on the ground, policy and the “resistance’s” efforts ” to stop “Zionist aggression” in the Gaza Strip. They also examined the mediators’ proposals for a ceasefire. Hamas said the goals of the “resistance” were to stop the “aggression” against the Palestinians, cause the IDF forces to withdraw, provide humanitarian aid, reconstruct the Gaza Strip and reach a “fair deal” for the exchange of “captives” (Hamas website, July 5, 2024).
  • Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, met in Qatar with Muhammad Taqoush, the secretary general of al-Jamaa al-Islamiyya in Lebanon, and other representatives of the movement’s leadership. They discussed developments in the war and the efforts to achieve a ceasefire, and praised the “resistance” in Lebanon for its part in the fighting. Taqoush claimed Operation al-Aqsa Flood had put an end to the illusion that the “occupation” would not disappear (Hamas’ Telegram channel, July 5, 2024)
  • Ismail Haniyeh met in Qatar with Fahed Suleiman, the secretary general of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine,. They discussed the developments in the war, the “resistance” operations in Judea and Samaria, and the efforts of Egypt and Qatar to promote a ceasefire. They also discussed internal Palestinian relations and agreed that to achieve unity, they had to defeat Israel in the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria, and with a joint Palestinian decision, establish a common vision and a unified plan of action for the day after the war (Hamas Telegram channel, July 5, 2024).

• • Haniyeh met with Murad al-Adailah, the general supervisor of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. Haniyeh reviewed the latest developments on the ground and the negotiations for the hostage deal. He also said that the relations between the Palestinian and Jordanian people were historic and praised Jordanian support. Al-Adailah reviewed the dangers facing Jordan from Israel and accused Israel of undermining Jordan’s stability (Hamas Telegram channel, July 4, 2024).

PIJ secretary general meets with Houthi leader

• Ziyad al-Nakhalah, PIJ secretary general, spoke with Abd al-Malek al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis, to discuss the general situation in “Palestine” and “Zionist aggression.” Al-Nakhalah described the situation of the “resistance” and informed al-Houthi of the efforts to reach a ceasefire through an agreement that would stop the “aggression” against the Palestinians. He also expressed his appreciation for the important role of the Yemeni people in supporting the Palestinian issue (PIJ Telegram channel, July 4, 2024).

Administering the Gaza Strip

• Hamas issued a statement expressing opposition to all plans designed to “bypass” the Palestinian will regarding the future of the Gaza Strip and emphasized that all Palestinians agreed that the administration of the Strip was a “purely Palestinian matter.” Hamas rejected plans to introduce foreign forces into the Strip and said the Palestinians will not allow any supervision or the forcing of external solutions or equations which violated their principles (Palestinian Center for Communication, July 5, 2024).
• According to reports, Israeli efforts to form an alternative civil administration in the Gaza Strip with the participation of local Palestinian elements who are not part of the current government and who are willing to cooperate with Israel have failed. According to a Reuters report based on conversations with “five members of the major clans” in the Gaza Strip and with local residents, the heads of the clans do not want to cooperate with the Israeli plan because they fear retaliation from Hamas operatives who still roam the streets of the Gaza Strip (Reuters, July 3, 2024).

The internal Palestinian dialogue

• According to reports, Hamas agreed to accept the Chinese invitation to renew the internal-Palestinian dialogue. The agreement came after China’s ambassador in Qatar informed the Hamas leadership in Doha that Mahmoud Abbas also approved resuming the national dialogue in Beijing. However, a date has not yet been set for the meeting, in which 14 Palestinian organizations are expected to participate. It was also reported that Fatah wanted to hold a bilateral meeting with the Hamas delegation before the extended meeting and that Hamas adhered to the results of the meeting in April 2024 (al-Mayadeen, July 5, 2024).
• [Bullet Abbas Zaki, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, said that a meeting was expected to be held to renew the Palestinian national reconciliation dialogue in China. He said all the organizations should relinquish their self interests in favor of the interests of the Palestinian people. He added that the PLO also needed to reexamine itself as a united front for all Palestinians and not just for some organizations (al-Sharq, July 6, 2024).

Stabbing in Karmiel

• Before noon on July 3, 2024, an Israeli Arab armed with a knife went to the mall in Karmiel and stabbed two soldiers seriously wounding them. One managed to shoot and kill the terrorist, but later died. Another soldier was seriously injured. According to reports, the terrorist was Jawad Rabi’, 21 years old, from the town of Nahf, in northern Israel (Israeli media, July 3, 2024). Hamas welcomed the stabbing attack and called it a “natural response to the crimes of the occupation.” Hamas called on “the heroes of our people” to escalate the “resistance” and confront the soldiers and the “settlers” everywhere (Quds Agency’s Telegram channel, July 3, 2024). The PIJ published also praised the attack, which it called a “heroic operation.” The PIJ claimed the attack confirmed that “resistance” was the choice to “drive the invaders out of our land” and that Israel “will not have stability on our land” (al-Risalah Telegram channel, July 3, 2024). PIJ spokesman Muhammad al-Hajj Musa called the attack a response to the “occupation’s crimes” and claimed it showed the unity of the arenas and the capabilities of the “resistance” (Filastin al-Yawm, July 3, 2024).

Vehicle ramming attack in Asael

• On July 3, 2024, an Israeli civilian was injured in a vehicle ramming attack near Asael in Mount Hebron. Two suspects were identified while fleeing towards the village of al-Samoa. The Israeli security forces initiated a search and detained one of the suspects (Israel Police Force X account, July 3, 2024).

Shooting in Mitzpe Yosef

• At noon on July 2, 2024, shot were fired from at Mitzpe Yosef, near the village of Har Bracha in Samaria, wounding an Israeli civilian. The Israeli security forces initiated searches and exchanged fire with armed terrorist operatives. There were no casualties (IDF spokesperson and Israeli media, July 2, 2024).

Critical terrorist attacks, 2024^[3]

Annual distribution of critical terrorist attacks

Counterterrorism activities

• The Israeli security forces continued their counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria, focusing on Tulkarm and Jenin. Since the beginning of the war, approximately 4,150 wanted persons have been detained, of whom more than 1,750 have been Hamas operatives (IDF spokesperson, July 2 to 9, 2024):
  • On the evening of July 2, 2024, Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked a number of terrorist operatives seen trying to plant explosives in the Nur al-Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm. According to reports, whey were four terrorist operatives from the camp: Muhammad Shahadeh, Muhammad Kanouh, Yazid Shafe’ and Nimr Ibrahim (IDF spokesperson, July 3, 2024). The ministry of health in Ramallah reported that four Palestinians were killed in the Nur al-Shams refugee camp after an Israeli UAV launched a missile at them. They were Yazid Sa’ed Adel Shafe’, 22 years old; Nimr Anwar Ahmed Hamarshah, 25 years old, Muhammad Yasser Raja Shahadeh, 20 years old; and Muhammad Hassan Ghanem Kanouh, 22 years old (Wafa, July 2, 2024). The Tulkarm Battalion of the Jerusalem Brigades, the PIJ’s military wing, issued a mourning notice claiming the four as operatives in its ranks and stating they were killed during preparations “for a jihad mission” (Tulkarm Battalion Telegram channel, July 3, 2024).
  • On July 3, 2024, Israeli security forces operating in Jenin identified and eliminated an armed terrorist (Israel Police Force X account, July 3, 2024). The ministry of health in Ramallah stated he was Nidal Ziyad al-Amer, 23 years old, the son of an al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades (AAMB) commander during the second intifada (Wafa, July 3, 2024). The AAMB claimed al-Amer as one of their operators (elaqsa_1965, the AAMB Telegram channel, July 3, 2024). In another announcement, the AAMB referred to al-Amer as “the commander,” adding that he was one of the AAMB’s founders in 2001 and was involved in exchanges of fire with the Israeli security forces, in shooting attacks and in the preparation of explosives, including a bomb that killed an IDF soldier on the night of June 26, 2024 (elaqsa_1965, the AAMB Telegram channel, July 4, 2024). Operatives in the Jerusalem Brigades’ Jenin Battalion said al-Amer was one of its operatives and confirmed that he had involved in the explosion that caused the death of an IDF soldier (QudsN X account, July 3, 2024; @quds_feed Telegram channel, July 3, 2024). Photographs from his funeral, show him wearing an ISIS headband (Mahmoud Abu al-Jawad’s Facebook page, July 3, 2024).

     
Right: AAMB mourning notice for Nidal al-Amer (elaqsa_1965 Telegram channel, July 3, 2024). Left: Al-Amer’s body with an ISIS headband (Mahmoud Abu al-Jawad’s Facebook page, July 3, 2024)

• • On July 5, 2024, Israeli security forces operating in Jenin exchanged fire with terrorist operatives, and attacked a building where other operatives were barricaded and killed terrorist operative Hamam Hashash and another terrorist. According to reports, the two participated in an attack on security forces in an operation in which an IDF soldier was killed and 18 other soldiers were injured on the night of June 26, 2024. In another incident in Jenin, an Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked a squad of armed terrorist operatives (IDF spokesperson, July 5, 2024). The ministry of health in Ramallah reported that in the operation in Jenin, Ahmed Bassem al-Amouri, 20 years old, from the Jenin refugee camp, Qusay Amjad Hazouz, 23, from Jenin; Fouad Iyad Aziz Ashqar, 25 years old, from the town of Silat al-Harithiya, west of Jenin; Yassin Ahmed Mahmoud al-Aridi, 30 years old, from the village of Jalqamus, northeast of Jenin; and Muhammad Mahmoud Muhammad Jabarin, 54, were killed. Those killed in the attack on the building in the Harash al-Sa’adah area in western Jenin were Hamam Assad Hashash, 23 years old, whose body was taken by the Israeli forces, and his brother Hareth Hashash (Wafa, July 4, 2024). According to Hamas’ military wing, Yassin al-Aridi was a commander in the Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades and the brothers Hamam and Hareth Hashash were Brigades operatives. It was also reported that Hamam Hashash was responsible for detonating the bomb that caused the death of an IDF soldier, in cooperation with Nidal al-Amer from the Jerusalem Brigades (Hamas in Judea and Samaria Telegram channel, July 5, 2024). The Jenin Battalion of the Jerusalem Brigades stated that three of the dead were its operatives: Fuad Ashqar (who was in charge of the western sector for the Jerusalem Companies – the Kfar Dan, Silat al-Harithiya and al-Yamoun squads); released prisoner Ahmed Amouri, and Qusay al-Hweiti (@a7rartullkarm Telegram channel, July 5, 2024). The Fatah movement said that the seventh person killed, Muhammad Jabarin, was an operative of the movement and an officer in PA general intelligence (Fatah’s media information and cultural commission Facebook page, July 5, 2024).

Demolishing terrorists’ houses

• On the night of July 2, 2024, the Israeli security forces demolished the house of Ahmed Dawabsheh in Duma, who murdered an Israeli boy from the Malakhei Hashalom farm (northwest of Ramallah) on April 12, 2024 (IDF spokesperson, July 3, 2024).
• On the night of July 3, 2024, the Israeli security forces demolished the houses of the homes of Muhammad Zawahra and Kazem Zawahra in the village of Bayt Ta’mir, who, together with Ahmed al-Wahsh, carried out a shooting attack near the al-Za’im checkpoint (east of Jerusalem) on February 22, 2024, in which an Israeli civilian was killed and several other civilians were wounded (IDF spokesperson, July 4, 2024).

Palestinian security force activities

• According to reports, the Palestinian security forces detonated explosives planted by terrorist operatives in the al-Jisr neighborhood in Tubas (Shehab Telegram channel, July 2, 2024). According to a different report, the PA security forces confiscated IEDs between the town of Tayasir and the neighborhood of al-Thughrah in Tubas, and pursued and shot at wanted “resistance fighters”. It was also reported that the PA security forces confiscated terrorist operatives’ military equipment when they passed through Tubas. The governor of Tubas said the IEDs were neutralized to protect the lives of the residents (Quds Agency, July 4, 2024).

Mahmoud Abbas’ conversation with the new British prime minister

• On July 7, 2024, Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Keir Starmer, the new British prime minister. He congratulated him and added that the establishment of the new British government would contribute to strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation. He updated Starmer on the latest developments in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, and on the immediate need for a ceasefire, for the withdrawal of IDF forces from the entire Strip, to introduce humanitarian aid to the Strip and to release the tax funds Israel collects for the PA. Mahmoud Abbas noted his willingness to work with Starmer to achieve peace by means of the two-state solution and called on the new government to recognize a Palestinian state. Starmer noted his country’s position supporting the ceasefire, introducing humanitarian aid, the release of the hostages and the importance of releasing the tax funds. He also related to the importance of the PA government’s continued implementation of its reform program. He added that the British Foreign Minister would visit soon to continue discussions and strengthen cooperation (Wafa, July 7, 2024).

The PLO’s Executive Committee calls for measures against Israel

• On July 7, 2024, the PLO’s Executive Committee held a meeting to discuss the need to exert pressure to stop the [alleged] “genocide” of the Palestinians, calling for sanctions to be imposed on members of the Israeli government because of the [alleged] “escalation of crimes.” They also decided to expand the campaign for an International Criminal Court of those [allegedly] “responsible for war crimes and occupation violations” against Palestinian prisoners. They also called on the international institutions to intervene and hold the “occupation” fully responsible for the [alleged] “crimes” (Wafa, July 7, 2024).