News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (October 16 – 22, 2013)

IDF Uncovers an IED on the Gaza Strip Border

• On October 21, 2013, an IDF force carrying out a routine patrol along the Gaza Strip border in the region of Kissufim in the central Gaza Strip uncovered a large IED near the security fence. It was defused by the IDF. There were no casualties and no damage was reported (IDF spokesman, October 21, 2013).

Rocket Fire

• This past week no rocket hits were identified in Israeli territory.

Vehicular Attack Attempted in an IDF Base

• On the evening of October 17, 2013, a Palestinian named Younes Radeidehtried to drive a tractor into an IDF base near Al-Ram (south of Ramallah). He drove at high speed toward the base fence, crossed it, and tried to run over IDF soldiers and turn over a parked jeep. He was shot and killed by an IDF force. One IDF soldier sustained minor injuries (IDF spokesman and Ynet, October 17, 2013).
• So far the Palestinian Authority (PA) has not responded to the attack; Fatah and Hamas praised it. The official Facebook page of the Fatah office for enlistment and organization praised the attack, saying "May Allah have mercy on him, may Allah have mercy on him and situate him next to the shaheeds in paradise, may Allah have mercy on them, [for they] have written history and [gained] honor for Palestine" (Official Facebook page of Fatah's office for enlistment and organization, October 17, 2013). The official Facebook page of Hamas in Judea and Samaria wrote "Congratulations to the heroes of the [West] Bank who teach the enemy a lesson, one after another" (Ajnad Facebook page, October 20, 2013).
• On October 21, 2013, the funeral of the terrorist operative was held in the village of Ubeidiya (east of Bethlehem). Participants waved Fatah flags, called for his death to be avenged and carried pictures of him and of his brother, who was also killed in 2009 while carrying out a vehicular attack. His body was draped with the Palestinian flag (Al-Aqsa TV and the new Bethlehem Facebook page, October 21, 2013).

Left: The terrorist's funeral in the village of Ubeidiya. Participants wave yellow Fatah flags (New Bethlehem Facebook page, October 21, 2013). Right: The flag of Fatah in the Jerusalem region, carried at the funeral (Official Facebook page of Fatah's office for enlistment and organization, October 21, 2013)

• Vehicular attacks are carried out from time to time within the popular resistance. In 2008 and 2009 there were several prominent attacks:

• On March 5, 2009, a Palestinian driving a front loader near the Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem deliberately rammed into a police patrol car. He lowered the blade onto the roof of the car, which had been summoned to deal with a traffic accident and was parked at the side of the road. Two policemen were in the car at the time and sustained minor injuries. The driver of the tractor, Mari' al-Radeideh from Beit Hanina north of Jerusalem (brother of the terrorist operative who carried out the attack at Al-Ram), was shot by three policemen and a taxi driver. He was fatally wounded and died on the way to the hospital.  
• On July 22, 2008, a Palestinian took a front loader from a construction site near the Jerusalem neighborhood of Yemin Moshe and drove at high speed along the main street. On the way he rammed into a number of vehicles and injured 28 people. After 250 meters, or about 275 yards, he was shot by a Border Policeman.
• On July 2, 2008, a Palestinian terrorist took a tractor from a construction site and drove at high speed along streets in Jerusalem, targeting every person and vehicle he came across. Three people were killed in the terrorist attack and approximately forty wounded. A security guard and an IDF soldier on leave shot and killed him.^[3]

Right: A notice posted on the Hamas forum calling for another attack. Top: "After the second tractor attack, we promise you, children of the Zionists, a bigger attack soon, the steamroller attack." Bottom: "May Allah have mercy on the shaheed Younes al-Radeideh, who carried out the second tractor attack on October 17, 2013, brother of shaheed Mari' Radeideh, who carried out the first tractor attack in 2009 (Hamas forum website, October 19, 2013). Right: A notice posted on the Hamas forum on March 7, 2009, encouraging vehicular attacks.

Threatened Stabbing Attack

• On October 20, 2013, a Palestinian got on an intercity civilian bus and asked to get off near the Beitar roadblock (northwest of Bethlehem). When the driver refused, the Palestinian took out a knife and threatened the driver with it. He later escaped from the bus. There were no casualties. IDF forces searched the area for the Palestinian (IDF spokesman, October 20, 2013).

Easing Restrictions for the Feast of the Sacrifice

• Between October 14 and 18 Muslims around the world marked the Feast of the Sacrifice, which comes during the season of pilgrimages to Mecca. Israel authorized a series of measures to make life easier for the Palestinian residents of Judea and Samaria, among them the following (Website of the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories – COGAT):

• Easier receipt of permission for family visits
• Easing of restrictions at crossings and roadblocks
• Longer opening hours for [security fence] gates
• Opening additional roads around Jerusalem
• Opening a crossing [into Israel] in the [northern] Jordan Valley

Hamas Confirmed Constructing the Tunnel Recently Exposed by the IDF Hamas Confirmed Constructing the Tunnel Recently Exposed by the IDF

• Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas' military-terrorist wing, confirmed in an interview that the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades were behind the construction of the tunnel recently exposed by Israel. He said that if Hamas succeeded in abducting soldiers and Israel started a new war against the Gaza Strip, they were prepared to put a stop to Israel's aggression (Sawt Al-Aqsa, October 20, 2013).
• An article posted on the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades website called "The Al-Qassam tunnel, a fabulous effort and a new hope," claimed that the tunnel was new proof of the preparations being made by Hamas above and below ground to release the Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. It also said that the tunnel showed Hamas' ability to strike Israel in unexpected places (Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades website, October 21, 2013).
• The tunnel in question uncovered by the IDF originated in the southern Gaza Strip. It was dug to a depth of 15 meters, or about 16.5 yards, and was 2.5 kilometers, or about a mile and a half long. It was dug in the Gaza Strip near the town of Abasan al-Saghir (east of Khan Yunis) and its opening in Israeli territory was near the Israeli village of Ein Hashelosha. According to Israeli security assessment the tunnel would have served to infiltrate terrorist operatives into Israeli territory and/or abduct Israeli soldiers into the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesman, October 13, 2013).

Representatives of international organizations visit the tunnel (COGAT website, October 16, 2013).

The Crossings

• After the Feast of the Sacrifice the Rafah crossing opened to pedestrian traffic but closed again shortly thereafter because of what was described as a computer problem. Ihab al-Ghussin, head of the Hamas administration's information bureau, complained about the frequent difficulties, calling them "feeble excuses," and saying that in his opinion it was deliberate [Egyptian] policy (Alresala.net website, October 20, 2013).
• Jamal al-Khudari, head of the popular committee to lift the "siege" on the Gaza Strip, called for all the crossings to be opened and for every kind of commodity to enter the Gaza Strip freely, especially building materials. He said not allowing building materials into the Gaza Strip was causing serious economic damage because it led to the unemployment of thousands and the suspension of building projects (Filastin al-Yawm, October 20, 2013). As noted, following the discovery of Hamas' tunnel, whose construction involved the use of large quantities of concrete imported into the Gaza Strip. Therefore, the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories ordered the suspension of the delivery of building materials into the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing until the situation could be reevaluated.

Speech Delivered by Ismail Haniya

• Ismail Haniya, head of the de-facto Hamas administration, gave a speech marking the second anniversary of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal. He repeated the accusation that Israel intended to take control of Al-Aqsa mosque and Judaize Jerusalem, and urged the residents of Judea and Samaria to rise up in an " intifada of the masses." He also devoted much of his speech to the internal Palestinian reconciliation.
• The following were some of the themes discussed in the speech (Al-Aqsa TV, October 19, 2013):

• Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque: Haniya condemned what he called "the Israeli violations" in Jerusalem and its so-called attempts to Judaize Al-Aqsa mosque. He said the events at the mosque were institutionalized by an Israeli political decision and not the initiatives of private individuals.
• Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque: Haniya condemned what he called "the Israeli violations" in Jerusalem and its so-called attempts to Judaize Al-Aqsa mosque. He said the events at the mosque were institutionalized by an Israeli political decision and not the initiatives of private individuals.
• The negotiations with Israel: Haniya criticized the Palestinian Authority (PA) for negotiating with Israel, saying that its objective was to improve Israel's image in the international arena. He attacked the Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation and called for the formation of "a national Palestinian strategy that would include every option and all means available, including armed resistance and popular resistance, and political, diplomatic, media, popular and legal confrontations, as well as an academic and diplomatic boycott" (Al-Aqsa TV, October 19, 2013).

Mahmoud Abbas Visits Europe

• Mahmoud Abbas toured Europe, visiting Rome, Italy, and Germany. He headed a delegation that included Riyadh al-Maliki, the PA's foreign minister Nabil Abu Rudeina, presidential spokesman, and Majdi al-Khaldi, his advisor. Mahmoud Abbas met with senior figures in the Italian government and with the Pope. From Rome he went to Germany where he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Wafa News Agency, October 16, 2013).
• While in Italy he presented a Star of Jerusalem medal to Archbishop Hilarion Capucci,^[4] who was formerly head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem. He was tried and convicted by Israel for supporting terrorism, imprisoned and later deported to Rome. He was given the medal in recognition of "his role in the historic struggle of the Palestinian people, his love for Palestine and his defense of the rights of the Palestinian people" (Wafa News Agency, October 16, 2013).

The Intifada Youth Coalition Plans to Mark the Anniversary of the Balfour Declaration

• For the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration (November 2) the so-called Intifada Youth Coalition issued a call on its Facebook page for a variety of activities, including:

• Demonstrations at all the friction points in Jerusalem and a demonstration in the Gaza Strip near the security fence in the region of Nahal Oz.
• Closing all the international institutions in the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria for two hours and preventing the employees from doing their jobs. The list of institutions will be issued on October 31, 2013.

Fatah Website Encourages Stone Throwing

• On October 21, 2013, Fatah's official Facebook page posted the picture of a woman holding a stone and carrying a box of stones on her head. The caption read "You have the honor, mother" (Official Facebook page of the Fatah office for enlistment and organization, October 21, 2013). It was an example of the encouragement given by Fatah spokesmen and media to the violent actions of the popular resistance.