News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (November 5 – 12, 2013)

Rocket Fire

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

Violence Continues in Judea and Samaria

• Violence continued in Judea and Samaria, part of the so-called popular resistance. Stones were thrown at Israeli civilians and Israeli security forces, as were Molotov cocktails. In addition, a number of attacks were attempted on the main roads in Judea and Samaria. The most prominent incidents follow.

Palestinians holding Molotov cocktails and stones confront IDF forces at the weekly riot at Kafr Qadoum in the Qalqiliya district. The rioter at the extreme right is holding a Fatah flag (Wafa News Agency, November 8, 2013).

Stabbing Attacks Prevented

• This past week two attempted stabbings were prevented:

• On November 11, 2013, a Palestinian woman went to the Tapuah junction (north of Ariel), took out a knife and tried to stab an IDF soldier. The soldier followed the procedure for detaining a suspect and the woman was taken for questioning (IDF spokesman, November 11, 2013).
• On November 7, 2013, a young Palestinian was shot to death after he tried to stab an Israel Border Police soldier at a roadblock near Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem. During the night a vehicle arrived at the roadblock and the soldiers, suspecting it was carrying drugs, conducted a search. During the search another vehicle arrived and a Palestinian got out. Holding a knife, he ran toward one of the soldiers. Another soldier saw him and called out for him to halt. When he did not, the soldier opened fire, wounding him; he later died of his wounds (Facebook page of the Israel Police, November 7, 2013).

• The terrorist operative killed was Anas al-Atrash, 23, from Hebron, where he was buried. After the massively-attended funeral, confrontations broke out between Palestinian youths and the Israeli security forces near Bab al-Zawiya, Hebron (Wafa News Agency and Al-Watan TV in Ramallah, November 8, 2013).

Molotov Cocktails

• Molotov cocktails continue to be thrown at Israeli civilian vehicles on roads in Judea and Samaria.

• On November 8, 2013, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the vehicle of a couple from Jerusalem near Tekoa in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem. The two escaped from the burning car, which was destroyed in the fire. The woman was severely injured and her husband sustained minor injuries. Both were treated at the scene and then evacuated to a hospital in Jerusalem (Tazpit News Agency, November 8, 2013).

Shooting Attacks

• On November 7, 2013, a Palestinian terrorist operative at the bus stop at the Tapuah junction in Judea and Samaria opened fire with an improvised weapon at IDF and Border Police soldiers stationed there.^[3] The soldiers shot and killed him (Facebook page of the Israel Border Police, November 7, 2013). He was Bashir Sami Habanin, 28, from the village of Markah, southwest of Jenin. He taught at the Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie in Tulkarm. His funeral was attended by the commander of national security in the Jenin district and Deputy Governor Abdallah Barakat (Dunia Al-Watan, November 8, 2013).
• On the night of November 6, 2013, an IDF force identified a Palestinian vehicle leaving the village of Ni'lin. As it drove along the road the passengers opened fire. There were no casualties and no damage was reported. IDF forces pursued the car. During the search another Palestinian vehicle drove up and tried to run over the commander of the force. He judged himself in mortal danger and fired at the car. The force continued its search of the area, finding the car used in the attack on the commander (IDF spokesman's website, November 7, 2013).

Right: The Palestinian killed at the Tapuah Junction, Bashir Sami Habanin (Al-Quds, November 8, 2013). Left: Palestinian national security forces at Bashir Habanin's funeral (Dunia Al-Watan, November 8, 2013).

Weapons Discovered

• On November 11, 2013, IDF soldiers searched a Palestinian vehicle at a roadblock south of Tulkarm and found a loaded Karl Gustav submachine gun (IDF spokesman's website, November 11, 2013).

• On November 7, 2013, a joint IDF-Israel Police force conducting an action in a Palestinian house in the Kasbah of Hebron uncovered a cache of weapons. They included a pistol, an improvised rifle, various parts of weapon, a telescopic sight and a large quantity of ammunition. The forces detained three suspects, who were taken for questioning (IDF spokesman's website, November 8, 2013).

Two Offices Used by Hamas Closed in Jerusalem

• On November 7, 2013, the Israel Security Agency (ISA) and the Israel Police Force closed two offices in Jerusalem used by Hamas. The offices belonged to Al-Quds Development and Amara Al-Aqsa, affiliated with the Islamic Movement in Israel based in the north of the country (Nazareth and Umm al-Fahm). The offices were used as a base of operations by Hamas in Jerusalem, and its operatives were involved in violence against Israeli visitors and the Israeli security forces on the Temple Mount (ISA website, November 11, 2013).

The Fuel Shortage and Power Outages

• The continuing shortage of fuel has led to an increasing number of power outages and a reduction in the hours when electricity is available. The fuel shortage has been caused by the continuing campaign of the Egyptian army against smuggling through the tunnels under the Egyptian-Gazan border at Rafah. In addition, there is a customs tax dispute between Hamas and the PA over the fuel the PA buys from Israeli companies. The de-facto Hamas administration is coping with the current crisis by distributing fuel to vital sectors such as hospitals, local authorities and bakeries. It is also attempting to import fuel with help from Qatar (Filastin Al-'Aan, November 9 and 11, 2013).
• For the media, the Hamas administration is exaggerating the fuel shortage and the difficulties in supplying the Gaza Strip with electricity, while its spokesmen warn of a "humanitarian catastrophe." The new Hamas administration English-language spokeswoman, Asraa al-Mudallal, appeared on TV for the first time at a press conference dealing with the problems of supplying electricity to the Gaza Strip (Filastin Al-'Aan, November 10, 2013).

The Hamas Administration Promotes International Projects in the Gaza Strip

• Ismail Haniya, head of the de-facto Hamas administration, and Hamas members of the Palestinian Legislative Council in the northern Gaza Strip (among them Musheir al-Masri and Fathi Hamad) inaugurated a number of infrastructure projects in the town of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. One of them was construction work and development of a road, financed by the German government-owned development bank (KfW) and carried out by the UN's UNDP agency (Filastin Al-'Aan, November 6, 2013).

Ismail Haniya, head of the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip, along with Hamas members of the Palestinian Legislative Council in the Gaza Strip, inaugurates a project financed by the German development bank KfW and carried out by the UN's UNDP (Filastin Al-'Aan, November 6, 2013).

The Gaza Strip Marks the First Anniversary of Operation Pillar of Defense

• For the first anniversary of Operation Pillar of Defense, on November 8, 2013, operatives of Hamas' military-terrorist wing held a military display in the refugee camp of Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip. The operatives marched through the streets holding pictures of Ahmed al-Jaabari and Ahmed Yassin, as well as insignia of the Muslim Brotherhood (Filastin Al-'Aan, November 8, 2013).

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Stresses Iranian Military Support

• Abu Ahmed, the official spokesman of the Jerusalem Brigades, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) military-terrorist wing, interviewed by the Qudsnet website, stressed the importance of Iran in supporting the terrorist organizations and the "resistance." He said that "without Iran Gaza would not be able to stand firm against Israel." He claimed that "without Iranian aid Tel Aviv would not have been bombed and Gaza would not have stood firm, and the Israeli tanks entering the Gaza Strip would not have been stopped by the Kornet missiles given to us by Iran" (Qudsnet website, November, 2013).

The Palestinians Attack Israel and Criticize the Role of the US in the Negotiations

• On November 6, 2013, American Secretary of State John Kerry began hopscotching between Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas to alleviate the tension in the peace talks. First he met in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and from there went to Bethlehem to meet with Mahmoud Abbas (Haaretz, November 6, 2013). While in Bethlehem Kerry said that the United States would give the PA $75 million for infrastructure projects. On November 7, 2013, he met with Mahmoud Abbas again, this time in Jordan (Wafa News Agency, November 8, 2013). Before their meeting in Bethlehem demonstrations were held in Bethlehem and the Gaza Strip to protest Kerry's visit and his meeting with Mahmoud Abbas (Qudsnet website, Al-Watan TV in Ramallah and the Ma'an News Agency, November 6, 2013).
• Nimer Hamad, Mahmoud Abbas' political advisor, said that if no progress was made in the negotiations and no solution was found, the Palestinians would appeal to the UN. He criticized what he called America's negative role as nothing more than an observer (PalPress website, November 6, 2013). Nabil Shaath, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, attacked Israel, saying that it did not want peace but had reasons for wanting the negotiations to fail. He said the continued construction in the settlements and Israel's activities to "Judaize" Jerusalem confirmed his claim. In addition, he claimed that the United States was not exerting sufficiently hard pressure on Israel to force it to adhere to the principles of peace (Qudsnet website, November 7, 2013).
• Sultan Abu Einein, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, gave a belligerent speech at a rally in Nablus on November 11, 2013, in which he attacked the negotiations. The speech was given to mark the ninth anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat. Sultan Abu Einein said that "the negotiations with Israel are zero squared," and that "the time has come that we not receive condolences for our shaheeds." He added that "every people living under an occupation has the right to wage every kind of resistance (muqawama), including an armed resistance" (Ma'an News Agency, November 11, 2013).

Left: March in Bethlehem held by Palestinian leftist elements to protest the Kerry-Abbas meeting (Al-Watan TV in Ramallah, November 6, 2013). Right: March in Gaza City held by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine calling for the Palestinians to withdraw from the negotiations (Qudsnet website, November 6, 2013).

The PA Exploits Annual UNESCO Conference for Anti-Israeli Political Activity

• This year for the first time the PA, now a full UNESCO member, participated in the agency's 37th annual conference. The conference is being held in Paris between November 5 and 20, 2013, and the PA is represented by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyadh al-Maliki and Yahya Yakhlef, chairman of the PA's national committee for education and culture.
• The Palestinians are planning to raise the following issues for discussion at the conference: Israel's activities in Jerusalem, including excavations on the Temple Mount; the destruction of homes in Jerusalem, Israel's activities to change the Islamic nature of Jerusalem; and the renovation of the Mugrabi bridge (Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda, November 7, 2013). On November 11, 2013, Riyadh al-Maliki met on the sidelines of the conference with UNESCO Director Irina Bokova and demanded she implement the agency's decision to send a delegation of experts to the Old City in Jerusalem (Ma'an News Agency, November 11, 2013).

PIJ Rally at Abu Dis University

• On November 6, 2013, the PIJ held a rally of students at Abu Dis University whose theme was "Jerusalem unites us." The rally was attended by the family of terrorist operative Muhammad 'Asi, the PIJ terrorist operative responsible for the bombing attack on the bus in Tel Aviv in November 2012, who was recently killed in an exchange of fire with the IDF near Bil'in. During the rally a festive reception was held for the members of 'Asi's family, and a carpet simulating the flag of the State of Israel was laid on the ground for people to walk on as they mounted the stage (Paltoday website, November 6, 2013).

Right: Festive reception for members of the family of PIJ terrorist operative Muhammad 'Asi, recently killed in an exchange of fire with the IDF near Bil'in. He was responsible for placing a bomb on a bus in Tel Aviv in November 2012. Left: PIJ terrorist operatives put on a display portraying the killing of Marwah Kamil, formerly the commander of the PIJ's military-terrorist wing in Jenin, killed in a firefight with IDF forces in May 2005 (Paltoday website and Al-Quds forum, November 6, 2013).