News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (March 9-15, 2011)

�The Israeli Family Murdered in its Sleep in Itamar The murdered Fogel family. Top row: Ruth Fogel, 35; Rabbi Ehud Fogel, 36. Bottom row, left to right: Elad, 4; Yoav, 11; Hadas, three months. All were stabbed to death in their sleep by Palestinian terrorists who infiltrated their home (IDF Spokesman’s website, March 13, 2011).

Overview

Events this past week focused on the murder of five members of the Fogel family in Itamar. They were stabbed to death in their sleep, apparently by Palestinian terrorists who infiltrated the settlement by climbing over the security fence. The Israeli prime minister and international community condemned the murders. The prime minister called on the Palestinian Authority to stop its anti-Israeli incitement and education. Senior PA figures, including Mahmoud Abbas, weakly denounced the attack after a delay. Senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures praised the murder, expressed support for "killing Israeli settlers," and called the attack "heroic." Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip celebrated by distributing candy and sweet pastries to passersby. On March 15 Israeli navy fighters took control of the M/V Victoria, a commercial vessel carrying weapons, apparently for the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. It set sail from the Syrian port of Latakia and was on its way to the Egyptian port of Alexandria. According to the Israeli prime minister, the weapons came from Iran (of which there was much evidence on board the ship).

Five Members of a Family Murdered in Their Sleep in Itamar

On Friday, March 11, 2011, at around 22:00 hours, Palestinians terrorists (apparently two) infiltrated the settlement of Itamar (southeast of Nablus) by climbing over the security fence. They entered the home of the sleeping Fogel family and stabbed five members of the family: the parents and three of their children. After the murder they fled, apparently to the nearby village of Awarta. The couple’s three other children were not killed. The victims were Rabbi Ehud Fogel, 36; his wife Ruth, 35; their sons Yoav, 11, and Elad, four, and their daughter Hadas, three months old (IDF Spokesman’s website, March 13, 2011).

Left: The bodies of the murdered Fogel family. Right: Removing the bodies

from the house (photos by Avigdor Stern courtesy of ZAKA, March 11, 2011)

When the attack was discovered IDF forces and police arrived on the scene and searched the settlement and its surroundings. The region was declared a closed military area and suspects were detained; however the murderers have not yet been caught.

Aerial view of Itamar (photo from Google Maps)

So far it is not known whether the attack was carried out by an organization or lone terrorist operatives. A network calling itself the Imad Mughnieh Squad of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades was quick to claim responsibility for the murders, but later issued a denial (Al-Hayat, March 13; Qudsnet website, March 12, 2011).

Reactions to the Murders of the Fogel Family
(As of the afternoon of March 15)

Overview

Israel and the international community strongly condemned the murder. The Palestinian Authority issued a belated, weak condemnation of all types of violence. Hamas and the other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip praised the attack and made it clear they regarded it as justified. Candy and sweet pastries were distributed in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, to celebrate the murders.

The Israeli Government

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu strongly denounced the murders. He said, "There is no justification and there can be neither excuse nor forgiveness for the murder of children." He called on the international community and the Palestinian Authority to condemn the attack unequivocally. Regarding the Palestinian Authority, he said "I demand that the Palestinian Authority stop the incitement that is conducted on a daily basis in their schools, mosques and the media under their control. The time has come to stop this double-talk in which the Palestinian Authority outwardly talks peace, and allows � and sometimes leads � incitement at home."¹

Israeli President Shimon Peres said "This is one of the most difficult and despicable events that we have seen. It indicates a loss of humanity. There is no religion in the world or any faith that allows these kinds of horrible acts." Israeli Foreign Minister Lieberman instructed the Israeli delegation to the United Nations to file a harsh complaint to the UN secretary-general and the president of the Security Council.²

The Palestinian Authority

Senior Palestinian Authority figures belatedly issued weak denunciations of the attack,³ expressing their opposition to all forms of violence against Israelis and Palestinians. The Palestinian security forces detained suspects, mainly in the Samarian city of Nablus, a few kilometers to the northwest of Itamar (Hamas’ Safa News Agency, March 12 its Palestine-info website, March 13, 2011).

In the late afternoon on March 12, PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas issued a short statement opposing all forms of violence against Jews and Palestinians. He also contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to express his sorrow (Israeli prime minister’s website, March 12, 2011). He described the attack to the Israeli media as "immoral and inhuman," and rejected Netanyahu’s accusations of incitement in the mosques. He said that if the Palestinian Authority had had advance information about the intention to carry out the attack, the PA would have prevented it. He added that he and Prime Minister Netanyahu had agreed to carry out a joint investigation (Mahmoud Abbas interviewed by Gal Berger, Voice of Israel radio, March 14, 2011). Mahmoud Abbas called an emergency meeting of the Fatah Central Committee and commanders of the various Palestinian Authority security services to discuss the implications for the Palestinians of the events (Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda, March 13, 2011).

Reactions from other senior Palestinian Authority figures:

• Prime Minister Salam Fayyad was the first to react to the murders. At the laying of the cornerstone of the new municipality in Beit Jala he said that the Palestinian Authority leadership opposed all forms of violence. He added that such events harmed Palestinian interests and the establishment of a Palestinian state (Wafa News Agency, March 12, 2011).

• Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki denounced the attack. He raised suspicions regarding the identity of the murderers. He claimed that the Palestinians never murdered people, to say nothing of babies, in such a cruel way (Wafa News Agency, March 12, 2011).

In the meantime, on March 13 Fatah marked the 32nd anniversary of the Coastal Road massacre, carried out by Fatah, among them Dalal al-Magribi.⁴ A rally was held in Ramallah and a square named after her was dedicated (Hamas’ Safa News Agency, March 13, 2011). Dalal al-Magribi has been considered a kind of national heroine since the days of Yasser Arafat, who glorified her. Over the years she has been commemorated in many different ways by the Palestinian Authority.

Fatah activists in Ramallah hang a picture of terrorist Dalal al-Magribi, who participated

in the massacre on the Coastal Road (Hamas’ Safa News Agency, March 13, 2011)

The Gaza Strip

Overview

The terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, especially Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, praised the murder in Itamar, expressing support for killing Israeli settlers, claiming it was a "legitimate response to the Israeli occupation." The de facto Hamas administration warned Israel not to use the murder as an excuse to escalate the situation in the Gaza Strip (Hamas’ Safa News Agency, March 13, 2011). In the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah candy and sweet pastries were distributed to passersby as a sign of joy and celebration.

Hamas

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that the murders were in response to Israel’s "crimes" and that the Hamas movement completely supported killing Israeli settlers (Israel Channel 2, TV, March 12, 2011). De facto Hamas administration spokesman Taher al-Nunu claimed that it had possibly been a criminal event (Hamas’ Safa News Agency, March 13, 2011).

Azzat al-Sharq, member of the Hamas political bureau, denied any connection between Hamas and the murders, claiming that "harming children is not part of Hamas policy" (Hamas� Palestine-info website, March 12, 2011).

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Senior PIJ figure Khaled al-Batash praised the "blessed hands which responded to a trick of the occupation," calling the murder "a heroic action" (PIJ Paltoday website, March 12, 2011). A spokesman for the PIJ’s military wing, the Jerusalem Brigades, a man nicknamed Abu Ahmed, called the murder "a natural response" of the "resistance" [i.e., the terrorist organizations] to the "crimes of the occupation," adding that it was the "right" of the "resistance" to respond in such a way (Agence France-Presse, March 12, 2011).

Palestinians in Rafah celebrating the slaughter of the Fogel family by handing out candy
and sweet pastries to passersby (Hamas’ Safa News Agency, March 12, 2011)

Other Reactions

A spokesman for the White House issued a strong condemnation of the murder, and called on the Palestinian Authority to condemn it as well. American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement saying "I was shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the brutal murder of an Israeli family early Saturday morning in the West Bank. The United States condemns this appalling attack in the strongest possible terms. To kill three innocent children and their parents while they sleep is an inhuman crime�" She added, "[t]he murderers must be found and brought to justice. Israeli security forces have launched a thorough investigation and we look to the Palestinian authorities to assist in every way possible."⁵

The foreign ministers of France, Britain and Germany, the UN Secretary General and the International Quartet’s envoy to the Middle East all condemned the murders in the strongest possible terms. They also called on both sides to show restraint in order to prevent a deterioration of the situation and again promote the negotiating efforts.

IDF Takes Control of a Ship Carrying Weapons to the Gaza Strip
(Initial report)

Israeli navy forces took control of a commercial vessel 200 miles west of the coast of Israel. The ship was carrying weapons apparently intended for the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. The takeover was rapid and the crew offered no resistance. The ship was then towed to the port of Ashdod for an examination of its cargo.

M/V Victoria belongs to a German company, is operated by a French company and flies the Liberian flag. It set sail from the Syrian port of Latakia, heading for the Egyptian port of Alexandria. It had a stopover in the southern Turkish port of Mersin, apparently to disguise its route. In its hold were containers of weapons, apparently intended for the terrorist operatives in the Gaza Strip⁶ (IDF Spokesman, March 15, 2011). According to Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, Iran was the source of the weapons and they were to be used for arming the Gaza Strip (Ynet, March 15, 2011) (much evidence for which was found aboard the ship).

The Victoria (photo from the marintraffic.com website)

First pictures of the weapons found aboard the ship (IDF Spokesman, March)

IDF Spokesman videos

IDF soldiers take over the ship

Israeli navy appeal to the ship

 

Important Terrorism Events

The Gaza Strip

Rocket And Mortar Shell Fire

This past week two rocket hits were identified in the Israeli territory, on March 9 and 10. Both landed in an open areas in the western Negev. There were no casualties and no damage was done

This past week one mortar shell hit was identified in the western Negev, north of the Gaza Strip. It fell in an open area; there were no casualties and no damage was done.

Rockets and Mortar Shells Fired into Israeli Territory ⁷

Rocket Fire — Monthly Distribution

Mortar Shell Fire — Monthly Distribution

* Rocket hits identified in Israeli territory and not in the Gaza Strip. ** As of March 15, 2011.

Judea and Samaria

The Situation on the Ground

This past week the Israeli security forces continued their counterterrorism activities, detaining Palestinians suspected of terrorist activities. Following the murders in Itamar there were clashes between Jewish settlers and local Palestinians in a number of locations in Judea and Samaria, most of which consisted of throwing stones (ajnad-news website and Hamas’ Safa News Agency, March 12, 2011).

Developments in the Gaza Strip

The Crossings

This past week between 145 and 207 trucks carrying merchandise entered the Gaza Strip every day, and 300,000 flowers and two tons of tomatoes meant for export left the Gaza Strip though the crossings into Israel. (Website of the Israeli government coordinator for the territories, January 18, 2011). In addition, 80 million Israeli shekels were sent to the Gaza Strip to replace worn-out bills.

The protests continued against the expected closing of the Karni crossing and the transfer of its activities to the Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern Gaza Strip. On March 6 Palestinian truck drivers went on strike on the Gaza Strip side of the crossing. On March 11 they decided to suspend the strike for two weeks to make it possible to reach an agreement with the Palestinian Authority and Israel (Ma’an News Agency, March 11, and Al-Ayam, March 13, 2011).

Nabil Shaath, member of Fatah’s Central Committee claimed he had received guarantees from the Egyptian foreign minister that the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip would be completely open, and that Egypt would establish a port in Gaza (Al-Ayam, March 8, 2011). An Egyptian representative in the Palestinian Authority also said that Egypt was planning to reexamine its policy of Palestinian traffic through the Rafah crossing (Al-Ayam, March 9, 2011).

The De Facto Hamas Administration Works to Build
a Relationship with the New Egyptian Regime

The de facto Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip continues its efforts to build a relationship with the new regime in Egypt. Hamas administration head Ismail Haniya sent a communiqu� to General Mohamed Tantawi, head of the supreme military council. He begged Tantawi to allow a delegation from the Gaza Strip to meet with members of the council to jointly evaluate the situation and establish relations between the two sides which would serve "regional security and stability" (Filastin al-‘Aan, March 10, 2011). The delegation may be the same one headed by Mahmoud al-Zahar, already in Egypt (Filastin al-‘Aan, March 9, 2011).

The Internal Palestinian Arena

A “Day of Rage” Calling for a Closing of Ranks and Internal Palestinian Reconciliation to Be Held in Both the PA and the Gaza Strip

For the past few weeks the Palestinians have been using Facebook to organize a "Day of Rage" which would call for a closing of ranks and for Hamas and Fatah to reconcile. The date was set for March 15, and demonstrations and marches were held throughout Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. For several weeks marches and demonstrations have been held in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip calling for an end to the schism between Fatah and Hamas, and there has been extensive Palestinian activity in the media and through the Internet (Facebook, March 15, and Al-Hayat, March 7, 2011).

"Day of Rage" demonstration in Nablus (Wafa News Agency, March 15, 2011)

Flotillas and Convoys to the Gaza Strip Update

Freedom Fleet 2

• The international coalition planning to launch an upgraded flotilla to the Gaza Strip, called Freedom Fleet 2, continues its preparations. According to the flotilla’s organizers, it is expected to set sail in May 2011. They met in Amsterdam and called on the governments of the countries whose representatives would participate in the flotilla to ensure the activists’ safety. Benji de Levie, spokesman for the Dutch delegation, said that any "military or political" attempt to halt the flotilla would be a violation of international law (European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza website, March 7, 2011).

• Five British organizations announced they had formed an alliance to participate in the flotilla. Their collaboration would include financing the purchase of a ship for the British delegation. One of the organizations is the Palestinian Forum in Britain, whose spokesman is Zaher al-Birawi, a Hamas activist living in Britain who was active in organizing previous flotillas (Hamas� Palestine-info website, March 11, 2011).

"Bicycle trip:" A group of English bicyclists calling themselves "Ride to Gaza" announced their intention to ride their bicycles from London to the Gaza Strip to support the Palestinians and bring them assistance. It is unclear whether the convoy will set out in April 2011 or in the fall (Ride to Gaza website, March 14, 2011).

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¹ http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/EventsDiary/eventitamar120311.htm.

² http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA

³ The first Palestinian response was heard the following day in the later afternoon.

⁴ Dalal al-Magribi was one of the terrorist squad which carried out the Coastal Road massacre on March 11, 1978. Thirty-seven Israelis were killed and 71 wounded. For further information see the March 21 ITIC bulletin, "Turning Shaheeds into Role Models: Fatah unofficially inaugurated the Dalal al-Magribi Square in Al-Bireh, named after a Fatah terrorist who participated in the mass-murder attack on Israel�s Coastal Road (1978)" at http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/hamas_e098.pdf.

⁵ http://www.israelemb.org/index.php/en/latest-news/405-remarks-on-the-itamar-terrorist-attacks

⁶ For further information about Iranian arms shipments to the terrorist organizations and other factors see the March 15, 2011 ITIC bulletin "In recent months two more Iranian attempts to ship weapons were exposed. Their destinations were Hezbollah (August 2010) and Gambia, West Africa (July 2010). The shipments, camouflaged as "innocent" cargos, were sent by sea using civilian shipping companies, in gross violation of the international sanctions imposed on Iran. Shipping weapons to terrorist organizations, opposition groups and subversive elements, as well as to Syria, is an important factor in Iran’s strategy for achieving regional Islamic hegemony, dominance and influence around the globe. In our assessment, Iran and its allies in the extremist camp intend to continue the shipments by employing fraud and concealment" at http://www.terrorisminfo.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/iran_e106.pdf.

⁷ The statistics do not include the mortar shells fired at IDF soldiers patrolling the border fence which fell inside the Gaza Strip.

 

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