Terrorist attack in Elad. Three Israeli civilians killed and four wounded. Hamas again praises and encourages

Overview

• On the evening of May 5, 2022, Israel’s Independence Day, two Palestinians from a village near Jenin carried out a terrorist attack in the central Israeli city of Elad, using an axe and a knife.
• They killed three civilians and wounded four, two of them critically, beginning their killing spree in the late evening. They were driven to Elad by an Israeli. Arriving at the city they killed him, then killed two others and wounded four. They escaped through a breach in the fence surrounding the city, reaching a forested area nearby, where all trace of them disappeared. After searching for about 60 hours the Israeli security forces found and detained them.
• The attack in Elad was another in a series of lethal terrorist attacks in Israeli cities, among them Beersheba, Hadera, Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv and Ariel, which began in March 2022. Nineteen people were killed, three of them from the Israeli security forces, and more than 20 were wounded.
• Although the two terrorists apparently were not specifically directed by an established organization, the attack in Elad came during a Ramadan-long Hamas propaganda campaign encouraging terrorist attacks. The campaign was accompanied by frequent threats of rocket fire if Israel crossed the terrorist organizations’ red lines, which simply meant an Israeli presence in al-Aqsa mosque. Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, gave an inflammatory speech calling on the residents of the West Bank and Israeli Arabs to carry out attacks, specifically mentioning axes and knives, and in an unusual step, Hamas’ military-terrorist wing claimed responsibility for the shooting attack in Ariel, in which a security guard was killed.
• Calls were heard in Israel to attack Yahya al-Sinwar, and Hamas responded with threats of a strong reprisal. Despite the militant rhetoric, threats of rocket fire and encouragement for attacks in Israel, the Hamas leadership is apparently content to leave violent clashes to the Palestinians in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem, and to Israeli Arabs. That enables them to maintain relative quiet in the Gaza Strip, which in turn means the measures Israel instituted for the Gazan population will continue. Especially important are the permits for Gazans working in Israel, who make a significant contribution to the Gaza Strip’s internal and economic stability.
• So far, the leadership of Hamas and the other terrorist organizations continue issuing propaganda inciting and encouraging terrorist attacks.^[1]

The Attack

•  On May 5, 2022, Israel’s Independence Day, two Palestinian terrorists killed three Israeli civilians and critically wounding four others. They began their killing spree in the late evening, arriving in the central Israeli city of Elad (15.5 miles east of Tel Aviv) armed with an axe and a knife. They killed the Israeli who gave them a ride into the city and then mounted the steps of the crowded local amusement park. They ran along the path leading into the park, hacking two people to death as they ran and critically wounding another. At the entrance to the park, they were stopped by a security guard, whom they attacked and critically wounded as he was drawing his weapon. They then ran to the parking lot where they attacked two people sitting in a car. One person fought back and was wounded, and the terrorists fled through a breach in the fence surrounding the city. They reached the nearby forest and at that point all trace of them disappeared.

   
The scene of the attack (QudsN Twitter account, May 8, 2022; Paldf Twitter account, May 5, 2022)

• Israeli security forces began searching for them. It was assumed they were still inside Israeli territory and had not managed to enter Judea and Samaria. Their pictures and names were published, and the closure of Judea and Samaria declared for Independence Day was extended. The Israeli security forces detained the father of one of the terrorists at his place of employment in Israel. He claimed he had not seen his son since the middle of Ramadan. Other family members said they had not heard from him since Thursday at noon, a number of hours before the attack, and had not been seen for several days (al-Jazeera May 6, 2022).
• On the morning of May 8, 2022, after an extensive search, the two terrorists were captured in a forested area between Elad and the city of Rosh HaAyin. The two were exhausted, not having eaten or drunk since the attack. They were examined by paramedics at the site and taken for interrogation. According to the initial results, they had worked in Elad and were familiar with the city, and had entered and left many times through a breach they made in the fence (Israeli media, May 8, 2022).
• After the attack Israeli Chief of Police Major General Yaakov Shabtai announced there would be a broad police operation to detain Palestinians staying in Israeli illegally, as well as anyone who helped them, gave them rides, employed them or enabled them to sleep overnight inside Israeli territory. Since the beginning of the year the Border Police fighters have detained 6,614 Palestinians who were in Israel illegally. In addition, 977 people who arranged sleeping quarters for them, employed they or gave them rides were also apprehended (Ynet, May 6, 2022).
• In response to the capture of the terrorists, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Hamas saluted the “heroes who carried out the attack,” adding they had exposed the weakness of Israel’s security forces (Shehab, May 8, 2022). Senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) figure Muhammad Shelah called the “two heroes” and “the pride of the Palestinian people.” He said they had humiliated the [Israeli] “occupation’s” security forces by hiding from them for three days. He also claimed Israel had issued the video of the detention of the two “heroes” to prove its operation had been successful, but actually it had been a total failure (Filastin al-Yawm, May 8, 2022).
• The Jenin Battalion of the Jerusalem Brigades, the PIJ’s military-terrorist wing, issued a statement promising to work to release the two. According to the statement, Israel was responsible for their welfare in jail, and they would be the first to be released (Filastin al-Yawm, May 8, 2022).

The Terrorist Operatives

• The day after the attack the Israel Police Force published the names and pictures of the two terrorists. Both came from the village of Rummanah near Jenin and had been staying in Israel illegally (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, May 6, 2022). The Palestinian media did not publish much information about them. They were:
  • Assad Yusuf Assad al-Rifa’i, 19. His father said he worked as an electrician in construction projects (Arabs of 48, May 8, 2022).
  •  Subhi ‘Amad Subhi Sabihat, 20. His father claimed Israel was responsible for everything that happened. He said his son cried and was incensed when he saw the “settlers’ attacks” on al-Aqsa mosque, and that was what had motivated him to carry out the attack (al-Aqsa, May 8, 2022).

Palestinian Reactions

The Palestinian Authority (PA)

• Mahmoud Abbas’ office issued a formal condemnation of the terrorist attack, with wording almost identical to the condemnations issued after the attacks in Bnei Brak and Tel Aviv. It condemned the killing of Israeli civilians, stating that killing Israeli and Palestinian civilians would lead the [security] situation to deteriorate. It warned Israel not to exploit the “deplorable event” for aggressive settler actions against Palestinians. He condemned the ongoing “aggression” against the Palestinian people and the holy sites which had created a tense, unstable atmosphere.

• Alaa al-Rimawi, head of the Rummanah city council, the town the terrorists came from, blamed Israel for the attack. He claimed everything that had happened during Ramadan, including Israel’s activities in Jenin and al-Aqsa mosque, had encouraged the younger generation to “react.” He claimed they were constantly being attacked by Israel (Rummanah Facebook page, May 6, 2022). On another occasion he claimed they would support the two families in Rummanah, “come what may” (Jmedia Facebook page, May 8, 2022).

• After the two terrorists were captured many Palestinians posted support for them on the Rummanah council Facebook page. They included statements such as, “May Allah preserve them,” “They did us a great honor by raising our heads,” “May Allah defend them and release them from detention.” According to reports, many Rummanah residents went to the homes of the Sabihat and al-Raf’i families to express support for their sons (Rummanah Facebook page, May 8, 2022).
•   Hamas and the PIJ “explained” that the attack was a response to the entrance of hundreds of Jews into the al-Aqsa mosque precinct under the guard of Israeli security forces [i.e., the entrance of several hundred Israelis into the Temple Mount compound after the ban on the entrance of Jews was lifted when Ramadan ended]. They were openly pleased the attack had been held on Israel’s Independence Day and destroyed the holiday atmosphere. Shouts of joy and praise for the attack were heard in the mosques throughout the Gaza Strip, and in the streets pastries and candies were distributed to passersby.

   
Distribution of pastries in the Gaza Strip (Palinfo Twitter account, May 5, 2022)

    
Muslim children on the Temple Mount celebrate the terrorist attack
(Paldf Twitter account, May 6, 2022)

Hamas

• Senior Hamas figures and spokesmen praised the attack, claiming it was a response to the events in the al-Aqsa precinct. Some Hamas reactions were the following:
  • Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, said the Palestinian people would not remain quiet when their holy sites, al-Aqsa mosque and Palestinian sensitivities were being attacked (Hamas website, May 5, 2022).
  • Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called the attack in Elad “heroic” and the “natural reaction” to Israel’s “violation” of al-Aqsa mosque. He said all the events at the mosque had crossed red lines, and Israel could expect such “heroic actions” to continue.
  • Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem claimed the attack in Elad, which lies close to Tel Aviv, was the realization of their warnings about what would happen following the “aggression” against al-Aqsa mosque. He claimed it was an expression of “Palestinian rage” and the consequence of the escalation of Israel’s “terrorism” against the [Muslim] holy sites (al-Aqsa mosque May 5, 2022).
  • Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanua claimed an “excellent, heroic” action had again given a “mortal blow” to the “occupation” and its defenses (Hamas Telegram channel, May 5, 2022).
•  The Hamas-affiliated media outlets published cartoons expressing glee and support for terrorism, stressing the motif of axes (al-Risalah, Palinfo Twitter account, May 6, 2022). For example:

The PIJ

• Muhammad Hamid (Abu al-Hassan), a member of the PIJ’s political bureau, called it a “victory for al-Aqsa mosque” [sic] (Telegram channel of the PIJ’s propaganda unit, May 5, 2022). He said the PIJ praised the attack and those who had carried it out. He said they welcomed the “heroic action” in Elad carried out “for the sake of al-Aqsa mosque” after it had been “defiled” by “a gang of settlers who crossed every red line” (Shams News, May 5, 2022).
• PIJ spokesman Tareq al-Salami claimed the attack was the natural reaction to “the occupation’s crimes against al-Aqsa mosque and its attacks on the residents of east Jerusalem.” He assigned responsibility to Israel for the results of its actions against the Palestinians, claiming Israel’s [alleged] policy of revenge would not go unanswered by the Palestinians (al-Andalou News, May 5, 2022).
•  After the attack an appeal was issued to the residents of Judea and Samaria by Sabereen News, which is affiliated with the Iranian militias in Iraq, calling on them contact the militias if they wanted rifles or handguns (Sabereen News Telegram channel, May 7, 2022).

Hamas Incitement Propaganda

• On April 30, 2022, a few days before the attack, Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, gave a provocative, inflammatory speech for the end of Ramadan and World Jerusalem Day. He appealed to the Palestinians, and especially the Arabs of the Negev, the Galilee, Haifa, Jaffa, Acre and Lod. Anyone who had rifle, he said, should prepare it, and anyone who did not have a rifle, should prepare an axe, a meat cleaver or knife. If the Jews wanted a religious war, he said, Israel would remove all the red lines (Hamas Telegram channel, April 30, 2022).
• The social networks affiliated with the Hamas leadership and which act as propaganda outlets for it, stressed Hamas’ incitement to terrorism and praise for those who carry out terrorist attacks and employ violence. Hamas used a variety of its social networks to spread its message, including its Facebook page and Instagram accounts.

•   Threats were heard in Israel against Yahya al-Sinwar in the wake of his speech. In response the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip issued a joint statement claiming the threats “proved Israel’s confusion” and warned Israel not to do something foolish which would have consequences for the Israeli leadership. They boasted they were proud of the Palestinians who had carried out the attack, proving the Palestinian people would not retreat from their “right to defend the holy sites with every means at their disposal,” claiming “the occupation” understood only the language of force and war (Safa, May 7, 2022).

   
Demonstration in Khan Yunis in support of Yahya al-Sinwar
(Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, May 7, 2022)

• Isma’il Haniyeh called al-Aqsa mosque “a red line” and said no threat would keep them from defending their land and holy sites. The Palestinians would, he added, continue the “resistance” [i.e., terrorist attacks against Israel] (Hamas Telegram channel, May 5, 2022). Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’ military-terrorist wing, warned Israel not to attack Yahya al-Sinwar or any other commander. Such an attack, he claimed, would cause a “regional earthquake” and have an “unprecedented response.” He warned that the combat of last year [Operation Guardian of the Walls] would be an ordinary affair compared with what Israel would see [if Yahya al-Sinwar were attacked] (Abu Obeida’s Telegram channel, May 7, 2022). Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said “the occupation’s” threats against Yahya al-Sinwar or any other Hamas head did not frighten them and only served to strengthen Hamas’ determination to defend Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque (Sawa, May 6, 2022).
• Hazem Qassem said threats to assassinate Hamas leaders were nothing new, and they were used to them. He claimed threats to kill Yahya al-Sinwar did not frighten Hamas and would not stop the “resistance” [i.e., terrorist attacks] (al-Mayadeen, May 6, 2022).
• Senior PIJ figures also responded to the threats, saying that if “the occupation” killed a “resistance” leader it would face a response it could not imagine or consider. He claimed that if Yahya al-Sinwar were killed the PIJ’s military wing would fire rockets at Israel before Hamas did (Filastin al-Yawm, May 7, 2022). Khaled al-Batash, a member of the PIJ’s political bureau, said such killings would “open the gates of hell” and the battle would be fought in all the arenas (QudsN Twitter account, May 7, 2022). Khader Habib, a senior PIJ figure in the Gaza Strip, claimed that if “the occupation” harmed or killed any senior figure the response would be “unimaginable” (QudsN Twitter account, May 7, 2022).
• In the meantime, according to reports, Israel and Hamas were in constant contact through mediators to calm the situation. According to a “Hamas source,” Hamas had sent message to Israel via the Egyptian mediators claiming that a return to targeted killings would lead to a return to attacks in the heart of Israeli cities and rocket attacks on Tel Aviv and all of central Israel (al-Mayadeen, May 7, 2022).
• According to “Palestinian sources,” the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip sent threats to Israel through the mediators, stating that Israel would pay a high price for any attempt to kill Yahya al-Sinwar. All the “resistance” forces, according to the sources, would act, including Hezbollah and Iran. According to reports, contacts were being held, especially with representatives of the Egyptian General Intelligence, to prevent further escalation (al-Quds, May 8, 2022).

^[1] On May 8, 2022, the day the two terrorists were captured, a Border Police fighter was stabbed at the Damascus Gate in Egypt and a Palestinian armed with a knife entered the Israeli settlement of Tekoa, where he was shot and killed by a local security officer. ↑

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