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Terrorist Attacks and Attempted Attacks
- February 1, 2016 – stabbing attack: A Palestinian terrorist crossed the border security fence in the region of the village of Sal'it (northeast of Qalqilya). IDF soldiers discovered him hiding and tried to detain him. He took out a knife, and the soldiers shot and killed him. The Palestinian media reported he was Ahmed Hassan Abd al-Latif Tuba, 19, from Kafr Jamal, south of Tulkarm (Ma'an, February 1, 2016). Hamas issued a death notice for him (Facebook page of Paldf, February 2, 2016). The PA held a military funeral for him. His body was carried by operatives of the Palestinian national security forces (YouTube, February 1, 2016).
Left: The death notice issued by Hamas for Palestinian terrorist Ahmed Hassan Abd al-Latif (Facebook page of Paldf, February 2, 2016). Right: The military funeral held for him by the PA (YouTube, February 1, 2016).
- January 31, 2016 – vehicular attack:
- A Palestinian drove a car with Palestinian license plates to a roadblock near Bayt Ur al-Tahta (west of Ramallah, on Route 443, which links Modi'in with Jerusalem) and tried to run over soldiers engaged in security activities. There were no casualties. The terrorist was shot and wounded by the soldiers (IDF spokesman, January 31, 2016).
- According to the Palestinian media, he was Ahmed Wajia Othman Jadallah, 19 from Bayt Ur al-Tahta (Palinfo, January 31, 2016). The Palestinian media reported that the day before his death, he had attended the funeral of Ibrahim Allan, also a terrorist from Bayt Ur al-Tahta, who carried out the stabbing attack in Beit Horon on January 25, 2016 (Facebook page of Paldf, January 31, 2016).
- January 31, 2016 – shooting attack:[1]
- Three IDF soldiers were wounded, one seriously, in a shooting attack at an IDF roadblock near Beit El (near Ramallah). The roadblock is used exclusively by senior Palestinian Authority (PA) figures. The terrorist drove to the roadblock and when stopped and asked for identification, took out a gun and shot at the soldiers. The soldiers stationed at the roadblock returned fire and killed him.
- The terrorist was Amjad Jaser Sukari (Abu Omar), 34, father of four, from the village of Jama'in, southwest of Nablus. He was a bodyguard for Ahmed Hanoun, the Palestinian attorney general in Ramallah, and a staff sergeant in the Palestinian police. As a policeman, his gun was registered and he could pass through the roadblock without arousing suspicion.
- The PA held a military funeral for Amjad Jaser Sukari. His body was carried by operatives of the Palestinian security forces. The governor of the Nablus district attended the funeral. He was eulogized by Mahmoud al-'Alul, a member of Fatah's Central Committee and in charge of Fatah's organization and enlistment bureau in Judea and Samaria. Al-'Alul said the Fatah movement was proud of "the shaheed Sukari" as it was proud of all the shaheeds. He said, "the occupation does not leave us any choice but to fight against it...The blood of shaheeds is not lost" (Quds Press, February 1, 2016).
Left: Mahmoud al-'Alul, a senior Fatah figure, eulogizes Amjad Jaser Sukari. Next to him, with his back to the camera, is Akram Rajoub, the governor of the Nablus district (Facebook page of Mahmoud al-'Alul, February 1, 2016). Right: The funeral held for Amjad Jaser Sukari. His body was wrapped in the Palestinian and Fatah flags (Facebook page of Quds, February 1, 2016).
- Senior Hamas figures praised the shooting attack and the terrorist who carried it out. Fathi Hamad, former minister of the interior in the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip, said the attack was a message to the other operatives of the Palestinian security forces to follow in Amjad Jaser Sukari's footsteps (Dunia al-Watan, January 31, 2016). Husam Badran, a Hamas spokesman, said that the participation of the [Palestinian] security forces in the intifada was an expression of "the will of the people," and called on all the operatives of the security forces to turn their weapons against Israel (Dunia al-Watan, January 31, 2016). The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also praised the attack (Paltoday, January 31, 2016). A spokesman for Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the Gaza Strip said that the attack was proof of the nationalist sentiments of the [PA] security forces and their refusal to accept security collaboration with Israel (Alresala.net, January 31, 2016).
- After the attack the IDF imposed a closure on Ramallah, the first time since the outbreak of the current terrorist campaign, possibly out of concern for another terrorist attack. Residents of Ramallah were forbidden to leave the city, with the exception of Palestinians who had work permits for Israel, humanitarian cases and senior PA figures. Anyone who was not a resident of Ramallah was not allowed to enter. After 24 hours and a reevaluation of the situation on the ground, the IDF lifted the closure (Haaretz, February 2, 2016).
- January 30, 2016 – stabbing attack: Three Palestinian youths carried out a stabbing attack near the Nablus Gate in Jerusalem. They attacked two young men who had just left the plaza in front of the Western Wall, inflicting minor wounds on one. The three terrorists fled, leaving a knife behind. Several hours later one of the attackers turned himself in; he was 16, from east Jerusalem. Later another attacker was detained, a minor less than 12 years old. The following day the stabber turned himself in; he was 15, from the Shuafat refugee camp.
- January 27, 2016 – stabbing attack: An Israeli was stabbed and seriously wounded by a Palestinian in the Givat Ze'ev neighborhood northwest of Jerusalem. The terrorist went to a gas station near the neighborhood and followed a man and woman he saw there. Before they entered a nearby store the terrorist stabbed the man and ran away. Civilians who saw the attack chased him. As he ran he threw a knife on the ground. After about 200 yards the civilians caught up with and overcame him. Another knife was found at the scene, apparently also belonging to the terrorist.[2]
Riots, Clashes and Popular Terrorism
- In the meantime, demonstrations, protest marches, riots, and the throwing of stones, Molotov cocktails and pipe bombs continue in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem. Many of the riots throughout Judea and Samaria were held in support of Muhammad al-Qiq, a Palestinian administrative detainee who has been on a hunger strike for more than 60 days. The more prominent events were the following (including terrorist attacks that were prevented):
- February 1, 2016 – A Palestinian was detained by the Israeli security forces in Bayt A'innon (near Hebron). A knife was found in his possession. He was taken for questioning (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 1, 2016).
- February 1, 2016 – Policemen on Hagai Street in Jerusalem noticed a 14 year-old Palestinian boy who aroused their suspicions. He was found to have hidden a knife on his body. He was detained and taken for questioning (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 1, 2016).
- January 29, 2016 – Palestinians threw stones at a bus near Bayt Ummar on the Gush Etzion-Hebron road. There were no casualties. The bus was damaged (Facebook page of Red Alert, January 29, 2016).
- January 29, 2016 – Fifteen Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli security forces during an activity in Issawiya. There were no casualties (Facebook page of Red Alert, January 29, 2016).
- January 28, 2016 – Palestinian terrorists threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at cars and buses on the road between Bayt Ummar and Karmei Tzur. There were no casualties. A bus window was damaged (Facebook page of Red Alert, January 28, 2016).
- January 28, 2016 – Palestinians threw Molotov cocktails at a car on the Gush Etzion-Jerusalem road. There were no casualties and no damage was reported. Palestinians also threw stones at a car on the Gush Etzion-Hebron road south of Karmei Tzur (Facebook page of Red Alert, January 28, 2016).
- January 28, 2016 – An IDF force examined a Palestinian who aroused suspicion at a junction near Tel Romeida (Hebron). He was found to be carrying a knife (Facebook page of Red Alert, January 28, 2016).
- January 28, 2016 – Palestinians opened fire at an IDF force engaged in operational activities in the village of Aqab (Ramallah region). The force returned fire (Facebook page of Red Alert, January 28, 2016).
Results of the Investigation of the Shooting Attack in Tel Aviv
- The results of the Israel Security Agency investigation shed new light on the shooting attack at the Simta Pub on Dizengoff Street, a main street in Tel Aviv, on January 1, 2016 (Israel Security Agency website, January 27, 2016):
- Nash'at Muhammad Ali Milhem, who carried out the attack, planned and carried it out alone.
- After the attack he took a taxi on Ibn Gevirol Street, another main street, and went north to the Mandarin Hotel in northern Tel Aviv, where he shot and killed the taxi driver. He abandoned the taxi on the Haifa-Tel Aviv main road after he had difficulty operating it. He continued to his home village in Wadi Ara with public transportation.
- On his cell phone, which he lost while in Ramat Aviv on the morning of the attack, there were videos he took of himself. They indicated he used drugs and alcohol. In addition to the videos there were Islamic religious materials used for psychological self-preparation before an attack. He used terminology similar to that used by ISIS.
- After the attack and until he was located, he hid in a number of locations in his village, and was helped by a member of the family. A limited number of his relatives knew he was in the village and some of them also helped him. He asked them to get ammunition for him because he was planning more attacks.
Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire Attacking Israel
- This past week no rocket or mortar shell hits were identified in Israeli territory .
Riots and Terrorist Attacks near the Border Security Fence
- This past week Gazans continued rioting near the border security fence in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem. According to various estimates, several hundred Palestinians rioted. On January 29, 2016, clashes developed between Gazans and IDF forces near the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip (Facebook page of Shihab, January 29, 2016).
Seven Hamas Operatives Killed in Tunnel Collapse
- On January 27, 2016, the headquarters of the Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military-terrorist wing, said it had lost contact with a squad of operatives from its tunnel unit after a tunnel collapsed (Al-Aqsa, January 27, 2016). The following day a formal announcement was issued for the deaths of seven Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades operatives in a tunnel collapse in the northern part of Gaza City. According to the announcement, they were part of a group of 11 operatives who were repairing an old tunnel. The the collapse was caused by weather conditions. Four operatives managed to escape and seven were killed. Three of them belonged to the nukhba unit, the Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades' elite unit (Al-Aqsa, January 28, 2016).
The announcements issued by Hamas' military-terrorist wing. Left: The announcement of the death of the seven operatives, with their names, ages and functions(Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades website, January 28, 2016). Right: The announcement issued the day the tunnel collapsed and contact was lost with the operatives (Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades website, January 27, 2016).
- On January 29, 2016, funerals were held for the seven terrorist operatives who had died. The following day Hamas held a memorial service for them. A delegation of senior Hamas figures headed by Ismail Haniyeh paid condolence calls to the families of the seven operatives. Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas' political bureau, contacted the families and sent his condolences (Hamas website, January 30, 2016).
- The death of the seven terrorist operatives and the ceremonies held in their honor provided Hamas with opportunities to boast about its military buildup in the Gaza Strip and to glorify the role played by the tunnels in fighting against Israel. They also provided opportunities to praise the terrorist campaign in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem:
- Ismail Haniyeh, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, noted the issue during his Friday sermon, delivered during the funerals. He claimed that in the eastern Gaza Strip "heroes" were at work underground digging tunnels, and in the western Gaza Strip they were at work above ground, test-firing rockets. He claimed Hamas' military-terrorist wing would continue deploying above and below ground, on land and at sea, and would not stop until "the liberation of the holy sites" (Paltoday, January 29d, 2016).
- Abu Obeida, Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades spokesman, claimed the military wing continued planning, developing and training. He claimed they would continue an ongoing campaign not influenced by the "siege." He added, if Israel did something "stupid," the "resistance" would make the ground shake under its feet. He also claimed the stabbing, vehicular and Molotov cocktail attacks were no less heroic than the actions of the men of the tunnels (Dunia al-Watan, January 31, 2016).
Left: Abu Obeida speaks at the memorial service held for the seven terrorist operatives (Facebook page of Paldf, January 31, 2016). Right: Ismail Haniyeh gives a Friday sermon at the memorial service (Facebook page of Gaza al-An, January 29, 2016).
- Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman, said that in light of the deaths of the seven operatives, Hamas stressed it would continue its path and continue planning for Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip. He said the seven who had been killed represented the anonymous Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades fighters working day and night to defend the Gaza Strip from Israeli aggression (Qudsnet, January 28, 2016).
- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was concerned about recent statements made by Hamas leaders regarding their intention to continue constructing tunnels and launching rockets at Israel (UN website, January 31, 2016). In response, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Hamas condemned the statements made by the UN secretary general about the tunnels. He claimed the statements contradicted international law and supported Israel, because the tunnels were intended to "defend the Gaza Strip" (Hamas website, January 31, 2016).
The French Initiative for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations
- France is trying to revive its initiative for calling an international conference to renew negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. On January 29, 2016, the French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, declared that if no progress were made in reaching the two-state solution in the coming weeks France would recognize the Palestinian state. On January 30, 2016, he said, "France will engage in the coming weeks in the preparation of an international conference bringing together the parties and their main partners, American, European, Arab, notably to preserve and make happen the two-state solution" (France 24, January 30, 2016).
- In response, at the beginning of the weekly Cabinet meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said the French proposal "will be an incentive for the Palestinians to come and not compromise. The substance of negotiations is compromise and the French initiative, as it has been reported, in effect gives the Palestinians in advance reasons not to do so... our position is very clear: We are prepared to enter into direct negotiations without preconditions and without dictated conditions" (Website of the Israeli prime minister, January 31, 2016; ITIC emphasis).
- The PA praised the initiative:
- Mahmoud Abbas told participants of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa that he praised the French initiative and the efforts of the Arabs and Europeans. He called for an international conference to be held to implement the Arab peace initiative and the two-state solution. He also called for the establishment of a new mechanism and international working groups to discuss the issue. He said a new mechanism had to be formed for an international conference to be held with UN Security Council participation.
- Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, said they praised the efforts France invested in ending the occupation and the declaration that France would recognize the state of Palestine (Wafa, January 29, 2016).
- Yusuf al-Mahmoud, spokesman for the Palestinian national consensus government, praised the French initiative and said it would bring peace to the Middle East and realize the two-state solution. He claimed the initiative was the reward for Mahmoud Abbas's efforts, and a victory for Palestinian policy (Wafa, January 31, 2016).
- Saeb Erekat, secretary of the PLO's Executive Committee, said the PA praised France's call to end the occupation. He said to achieve that goal the PA would continue contacts with France and other international partners (124News website, January 29, 2016).
- The Fatah movement called on the international community to support the French initiative, stating that the French position was a victory for Palestinian policy and a positive response to the efforts of the PA chairman for Palestinian independence (Ma'an, January 30, 2016).
- Hamas rejected the initiative. According to Ismail Radwan, a senior Hamas figure, all the political initiatives seeking to return to negotiations were unacceptable and useless. He said Hamas objected to a return to negotiations of that type and considered them absurd and a waste of time (Al-Kofia Press, January 30, 2016).
Cartoon issued by Fatah's information bureau and published in the London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi. It likens Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to ISIS. The dove whose head Netanyahu is knocking off is the two-state solution, and the "ISIS flag" reads "The Jewish State." The Arabic in the upper right-hand corner reads, "Netanyahu: No new withdrawals from the Palestinian territories" (Website of Fatah's information bureau, January 31, 2016).
Continuing Hunger Strike of Journalist Muhammad al-Qiq
- On the night of November 21, 2015, the Israeli security forces detained journalist Muhammad al-Qiq in Ramallah. He was accused of incitement in the Palestinian media encouraging violence against Israel. A number of days after his detention he began a hunger strike to protest not being brought to trial. After an extended hunger strike it was reported that his health had declined. Senior PA figures met with members of his family (Wafa, January 31, 2014). Ismail Haniyeh, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, spoke with members of his family on the phone (Hamas website, January 26, 2016).
- Al-Qiq's hunger strike and the reports of his failing health led to protests by many Palestinians. Support rallies and demonstrations have been held throughout Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. Palestinian web users created a number of pages on the social networks to support him. Many people praised him, said Israel was responsible for his life, and called on the international community and international institutions and human rights organizations to intervene and exert pressure on Israel to release him (Wafa and Dunia al-Watan, January 26, 2016). Husam Badran, Hamas spokesman, threatened his death would lead to a response (Paltoday, January 25, 2016).
[1] For further information, see the February 2, 2016 bulletin, "The social networks as a source of inspiration and imitation for terrorists: the case study of Amjad Jaser Sukari, the Palestinian policeman who carried out the shooting attack near Beit El."
[2] For further information, see the January 31, 2016 bulletin, "The social networks as a source of inspiration and imitation for terrorists: the case study of Obada Abu Ras, the Palestinian terrorist who carried out the stabbing attack in Givat Ze'ev, Jerusalem."
[3] As of February 2, 2016. The statistics do not include mortar shell fire or rockets which misfired and fell inside the Gaza Strip.
[4] The statistics do not include mortar shell fire or rockets which misfired and fell inside the Gaza Strip.