Summary of Events Along the Gaza Strip Border

Overview

• As they have every Friday since March 30, 2018, on October 5 Gazans held “return marches” along the Gaza Strip-Israel border. About 20 thousand Gazans participated in riots, throwing stones and burning tires. They also threw hand grenades and IEDs at the Israeli security forces. Several rioters tried to cross the security fence into Israeli territory.
• In the past few weeks there has been a significant increase in the number of participants and in the level of violence accompanying the “marches,” including the use of hand grenades and IEDs. Riots are held along the border throughout the week, not only on Fridays, and day and night. There has also been a renewal of broad-scale arson terrorism. Given the situation, the IDF increased its forces along the Gaza Strip-Israel border. The Israeli defense minister announced that in response to the violence the area of fishing waters off the Gaza coast would be narrowed, and other measures might be taken.
• The “return march” events on Fridays and the “protests” during the week, and the subsequent IDF deployment and sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip have the potential to turn into a new round of escalation, even if that is not Hamas’ intention and it prefers to maintain control over the level of violence and tension.

The “Return Marches”

The march of Friday, October 5, 2018

• The slogan of the “return march” of Friday, October 5, 2018, was “Perseverance and a firm stance.” About 20 thousand rioters gathered at a number of locations along the border fence, burned tires and threw stones. In several instances they threw hand grenades and IEDs at the IDF forces. No casualties were reported among the soldiers. During the riots ten Gazans were detected crossing the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip. They entered Israeli territory, threw hand grenades and retreated to the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesperson, October 5, 2018). The heavy smoke at the border forced the residents of the Israeli community of Kerem Shalom to remain indoors. Four roads in the western Negev were closed (Ynet, October 5, 2018).
• The Palestinian media documented a number of instances where rioters cut through the security fence and tried to enter Israeli territory. The Facebook page of the Supreme National Authority of the Great Return March issued a short video of a group of young Gazans cutting through the fence.

    
Gazan rioters sabotage the security fence in the eastern Gaza Strip and enter Israeli territory during the “return march” (Palinfo Twitter account, October 6, 2018).

Click for Video

• The Hamas-controlled ministry of health in the Gaza Strip reported that three Gazans were killed and 376 wounded, about 200 of whom were taken to hospitals (Facebook page of Ashraf al-Qidra, October 5, 2018).
• As on previous Fridays, the events were attended by senior figures of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other organizations. The Supreme National Authority of the Great Return March reported that the slogan of the “marches” of Friday, October 12, 2018, and those following will be the “Jerusalem intifada” to “oppose the settlements and the destruction of Khan al-Ahmar” (al-Aqsa, October 5, 2018).

IDF deployment and response

• In light of the escalation in the Gaza Strip, and in view of assessments that Hamas and the other terrorist organizations intend to hold mass riots and possibly carry out terrorist attacks under cover of the events, the IDF reinforced its forces along the Gaza Strip border. IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot paid a visit to the area and met with commanders to evaluate the situation (IDF spokesperson, October 5, 2018). IDF sources reported that a strict policy would be followed of preventing terrorist activities and penetrations into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. According to the sources, Israel is prepared for a variety of scenarios (Ynet, October 4, 2018).
• During the riots on October 5, 2018, for the first time the IDF used sponge bullets against Gazan rioters. In response to the hand grenades and IEDs thrown at the soldiers, Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked twice in the northern Gaza Strip (IDF spokesperson, October 5, 2018). The Palestinian media reported an attack on a observation post east of the Jabalia refugee camp, and an attack on the headquarters of a “return camp” leadership. No casualties were reported (Shehab Twitter account, October 5, 2018).

Limitation of fishing waters

• Following the riots and attempts to attack IDF soldiers and the boats that set sail to Israel’s naval border, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman instructed Gaza Strip fishing waters be reduced from nine miles to six miles off the coast. He instructed preparations be made for taking additional measures against the Gaza Strip if the violence continues (Haaretz, October 7, 2018).

Propaganda Events

Riots

• On the weekdays between the Friday “marches” riots were held with the participation of several thousand rioters. Some of the riots were held at night, activities pf what Hamas calls the “Night Harassment Unit.” The riots were particularly violent, resulting in many Gazan casualties. The main riots were the following:
• On October 2, 2018, Gazans rioted east of the Jabalia refugee camp. According to reports, two rioters were wounded by IDF fire (Dunia al-Watan, October 2, 2018).
• On the evening of October 3, 2018, about one thousand Gazans gathered at several locations along the border security fence. They burned tires and threw stones at the IDF forces. A spokesman for the ministry of health said that at the “demonstration” in the region of the Erez Crossing-Beit Hanoun (northern Gaza Strip) one Gazan was killed and 24 were wounded (Facebook page of Ashraf al-Qidra, October 3, 2018).
• On October 6, 2018, it was reported that the Night Harassment Unit set fire to tires and shot fireworks at IDF forces east of Khan Yunis (Amama Twitter account, October 6, 2018).

Arson Terrorism

• Alongside the escalation in the clashes along the border, there has been an increase in the number of incendiary kites and balloons launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip. During the past week a number of incendiary balloons were launched, setting fires in the communities in the western Negev. During the “return marches” on Friday nine fires broke out in the western Negev. A large fire also broke out of Saturday, October 6, 2018, in the garbage dump of the community of Ein Habesor in the western Negev. It was set by incendiary balloons whose launching was detected a few minutes prior to the outbreak of the fire. Other fires were found in the western Negev.
• Yahya al-Sinwar, head of Hamas’ political bureau in the Gaza Strip, was interviewed by a reporter from Italian La Repubblica, sent by the Israeli paper Yedioth Ahronoth. He claimed the kites were not a weapon, merely a “message,” and that there was no need to used weapons against them, only fire extinguishers (Yedioth Ahronoth, October 5, 2018).

Statements from Senior Terrorist Organization Figures

Senior figures from Hamas and the other organizations in the Gaza Strip continue to encourage Gazans to hold “demonstrations” and “protest activities,” and call on the public to participate in them. Many organization spokesmen have praised the acts of the “Night Harassment Unit,” which was recently established and whose activities are carried out mostly at night along the fence to exhaust the IDF soldiers stationed there and the Israeli civilian public living near the border.

• Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the recently elected secretary general of the PIJ, exploited the October 5, 2018, “return march” to give his first public speech in his new position. The speech was broadcast live to the “return camps” in the Gaza Strip. He said the “return marches” would continue until they achieved their objectives. He said that the Israelis living near the Gaza Strip would pay the price for the “siege” (al-Mayadeen, October 5, 2018). Ahmed Bahar, deputy chairman of the Legislative Council, gave a speech praising the Palestinian people, the Tire-Burning Unit and the Night Harassment Unit (Filastin al-Yawm, October 5, 2018). Senior PIJ figure Ahmed al-Mudallal said the “return marches” would continue and the Night Harassment Units would continue their activities until the ground burned under the feet of the “Zionists” (al-Aqsa, October 3, 2018). PIJ spokesman Da’ud Shehab praised the Gazans who went out in their thousands to oppose the “Zionist enemy” (al-Mayadeen, October 5, 2018).

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