News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (April 14 – 20, 2021)

The Gaza Strip

The overall situation

• Dr. Majdi Dheir, director of preventive medicine in the ministry of health in Gaza, said the second wave of coronavirus had not yet begun to wane. He said they were considering the possibility of enforcing stricter preventive measures to halt the spread of the virus (al-Ra’i news agency website, April 20, 2021).

        
Preventive measures, including a ban on vehicular traffic, instituted throughout the Gaza Strip to halt the spread of the coronavirus (Palinfo Twitter account, April 16, 2021).

The situation in the hospitals

• There are 382 Gazans in ICUs, 267 of them in serious or critical condition. This past week 96 people died, an indication of a high rate of infection and the burden on the hospitals. A new oxygen station in the Shifaa hospital in Gaza City began providing an additional supply of oxygen for coronavirus patients (ministry of health in Gaza Facebook page, April 19, 2021).

   
Right: The new oxygen station in the Shifaa hospital (ministry of health in Gaza Facebook page, April 19, 2021). Left: Testing for the coronavirus in Gaza’s central laboratory (Palinfo Twitter account, April 15, 2021).

Judea and Samaria

The increase in coronavirus infection in Judea and Samaria
(According to the ministry of health in Ramallah)

Number of coronavirus-related death
(According to the ministry of health in Ramallah)

The overall situation

• Dr. Kamal al-Shakhra, spokesman for the ministry of health in Ramallah, said the decrease in the extent of the virus does not reflect an overall improvement in the situation. He said the decrease was for the most part due to the strike waged by the medical professionals, which influenced the number of tests administered. He said what correctly reflected the situation was the number of coronavirus-related deaths recorded in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. He said the number of hospitalized Palestinians was also high, as was the percentage of positive test results (35% in the Gaza Strip, 21% in the PA) (Ma’an, April 18, 2021).
•  The ministry of health in Ramallah posted an appeal to the Palestinian public on its Facebook page, asking them to continue following public health guidelines and directives during Ramadan. Palestinians are asked to maintain social distancing, wash their hands frequently and wear masks (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, April 18, 2021).

• Many Palestinians who post to the ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page have criticized statements made by PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh and Mai al-Kayla, PA minister of health, regarding the flattening of the Covid-19 curve. They claim the situation today is very serious, the level of coronavirus-related deaths is high, the public does not follow public health guidelines and the rate of vaccination is slow: with the current rate of vaccination it will take the PA two years to inoculate the entire population (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, April 18, 2021).

Vaccines

• On April 19, 2021, the ministry of health reported the delivery of the second installment of vaccines from COVAX: 72,000 doses, 43,200 for the PA and 28,800 for the Gaza Strip (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, April 20, 2021).

 
The second installment of coronavirus vaccines delivered by COVAX (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, April 19, 2021).

• Mai al-Kayla said in an interview that the PA had purchased 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer and Sputnik vaccines at a cost of $27.5 million. She said the PA would coordinate delivery dates with the companies, adding she hoped the vaccines would arrive as soon as possible. She said they were worried about the situation in the Gaza Strip because Gazans avoided being vaccinated, and only 2.2% had received the vaccine, compared with 7.1% in the PA territories (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, April 20, 2021).
• Marwan Awartani, the Palestinian minister of education, reported on the ongoing campaign to vaccinate the elementary school staffs. He said that so far 15,000 of the PA’s 24,000 elementary school teachers had been vaccinated. After the elementary school staffs they will begin vaccinating junior high and high school teachers (al-Hayat al-Jadeeda, April 18, 2021).

Blaming Israel

• During an online conference held to mark World Health Day, the PA minister of health again called for a more equal distribution of the coronavirus vaccines and medical services. She again alleged Israel (“the occupation”) was the main obstacle to the PA’s providing medical services in the villages, towns and refugee camps, especially in Area C. She claimed that despite the difficulties, her ministry was making the best effort possible to provide medical services to the entire Palestinian population. She thanked the W.H.O. for its aid and support (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, April 14, 2021).

Foreign aid for the PA

• The ministry of health in Ramallah received a shipment of medical assistance from Saudi Arabia, donated by the King Salman Centre. The shipment included medical equipment, drugs and 38 ventilators (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, April 18, 2021).

Rocket and mortar shell fire into Israel

• After a period of relative quiet, during the past week two rocket were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. No casualties or damage were reported. No terrorist organization claimed responsibility. The last time a rocket was fired was on March 23, 2021, Israel’s election day, targeting the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.
• On the evening of April 15, 2021 (Israel’s Independence Day) a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip at the southern Israeli town of Sderot. It exploded in an open area outside the town, close to the border security fence. No casualties or damage were reported (Sderot municipality spokesman’s unit, April 15, 2021). In response the IDF attacked a number of Hamas terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, including a site for the manufacture of weapons, a tunnel used for smuggling weapons and a military-terrorist post (IDF spokesman, April 16, 2021).
• The Palestinian media reported that IDF artillery attacked two posts of Hamas’ restraint force and UAVs launched two missiles at an “agricultural area” in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City and at an open area in the Rafah region. A restraint force post in northeastern al-Bureij was also attacked (Shehab, April 16, 2021). Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem condemned Israel’s attacks, which he claimed were carried out during Ramadan fast-breaking meals (Dunia al-Watan, April 16, 2021). The president of Turkey also condemned Israel’s attack during Ramadan, calling it proof of Israel’s position towards Muslims. He also said that as long as Israel continued its policies, relations between Turkey and Israel would not reach the desired level (al-Andalou News, April 16, 2021).
• On the evening of April 16, 2021, another rocket was fired at Israel, landing in an open area in the western Negev. No casualties or damage were reported. In response IDF aircraft attacked a series of terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, including a training facility, a position for firing anti-aircraft missiles (still under construction), a site for the manufacture of concrete and foundations for a Hamas terrorist attack tunnel (IDF spokesman, April 17, 2021).
• The Palestinian media reported that the IDF had attacked a post of Hamas’ military wing in northwestern Rafah, an open area in eastern al-Bureij and a post in the southern part of Gaza City (Shehab, April 17, 2021). Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said it was the second day the Gaza Strip found itself attacked by the “Zionists” during Ramadan (Dunia al-Watan, April 17, 2021). In addition, according to reports one Gazan was seriously injured during the attack on western Rafah (Paldf, April 17, 2021).

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

Violence at the Nablus Gate in east Jerusalem

• Friday, April 16, 2021, was the first Friday of the Muslim religious month of Ramadan and several thousand Palestinians came to the Temple Mount for the Friday prayers. Several thousand also went to the Cave of the Patriarchs. On April 13, 2021, the first day of Ramadan, before the end of the night prayer, Palestinians rioted at the Nablus Gate in east Jerusalem. The reason was allegedly the Israeli police decision, in view of the coronavirus situation, to place barricades to keep people from sitting on the steps to the Temple Mount compound during the month. The Palestinians threw rocks, Molotov cocktails and small explosive devices at a police position nearby and at buses driving past. The windows of a bus were shattered and a policeman was wounded by flying glass; two drivers and three passengers were also injured. Five Palestinians were detained (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, Jerusalem, April 13, 2021).
• Confrontations continued throughout the week. On April 18, 2021, a bus was attacked near the Nablus Gate by rock-throwing Palestinians. No casualties were reported (United Hatzalah, April 18, 2021). On April 19, 2021, a crowd of about 50 Palestinians threw rocks and attacked Israeli passersby near the Jaffa Gate in east Jerusalem. The police detained six suspects who were involved in the attack, and they were taken for interrogation (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, Jerusalem, April 19, 2021).
• On April 15, 2021, al-Hayat al-Jadeeda, the official PA newspaper, condemned the so-called “Israeli aggression” against al-Aqsa mosque during Ramadan, publishing the following cartoon:

Rock- and Molotov cocktail-throwing, and other events

• In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continued throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at vehicles driving on the roads. The more prominent events were the following:^[1]
  • April 20, 2021: Three Molotov cocktails were thrown at the trans-Benjamin road north of Jerusalem, causing a fire.
  • April 19, 2021: A vehicle carrying five Israelis took a short cut and entered the village of Ein Yabrud northeast of Ramallah. A Palestinian vehicle pursued them and the Israeli vehicle, in an attempt to escape, overturned. Several dozen Palestinians gathered around the overturned vehicle and threw rocks. The Israelis were slightly injured and successfully escaped (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, Judea and Samaria, April 19, 2021).
  • April 19, 2021: The Israeli security forces detained a wanted Palestinian terrorist operative in Tulkarm. Local residents rioted, throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at the forces, who defended themselves by firing their weapons. No casualties were reported. The detained operative was taken for interrogation (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, April 19, 2021).
  • April 17, 2021: Palestinians threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at a vehicle north of Jerusalem. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • April 17, 2021: Palestinians rioted at the Nablus Gate in east Jerusalem, throwing rocks and shooting fireworks at police. One suspect was detained and taken for interrogation (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, Jerusalem, April 17, 2021).
  • April 14, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle southwest of Hebron. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • April 14, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle on the Gush Etzion-Jerusalem highway. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • April 13, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus northeast of Hebron. No casualties or damage were reported. An IDF force ambushed and caught a suspect, who was taken for interrogation.
  • April 13, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. No casualties or damage were reported.

Significant Terrorist Attacks in Judea and Samaria since January 2020^[2]

Hamas-Iran relations

• The Hezbollah-affiliated al-Mayadeen TV station broadcast a three-part mini series called “Qassem Soleimani, shaheed of al-Quds.” It dealt with Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Qods Force, and his support for the Palestinian struggle. According to the program, Soleimani was responsible for the coordination between the Qods Force and the Palestinian [terrorist] organizations. In addition, Iran helped the Palestinians ignite the first intifada by issuing videos showing how to manufacture explosive devices. During the program interviews were held with senior Palestinian figures, who praised Iran’s help for the Palestinian struggle. Among them were Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau; senior Hamas figure Musa Abu Marzouq; senior Fatah figure Abbas Zaki; Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah; Akram al-Ajouri, also a senior PIJ figure, and others (al-Mayadeen, April 16, 2021).

 
Pictures commemorating the “shaheed of al-Quds,” Qassem Soleimani. Left: Ziyad al-Nakhalah, PIJ secretary general, during an al-Mayadeen TV interview (al-Mayadeen TV, April 16, 2021). Right: Qassem Soleimani and Ali Khamenei.

• A few days after the broadcast, Mohammad Hijazi, deputy Qods Force commander, died of a heart attack. Isma’il Haniyeh contacted Esmail Ghaani, commander of the IRGC’s Qods Force, and offered his condolences. Haniyeh told Ghaani that Hamas valued the role played by Iran in supporting the Palestinian people and their “resistance” (al-Mayadeen, April 19, 2021).

Ongoing preparations for the elections

• The PA continues its preparations for the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections, set for May 22, 2021. The election court announced that all the objections lodged against candidates running for office in the PLC had been rejected (Quds, April 18, 2021). The Central Elections Committee’s director general confirmed that the elections would be held simultaneously to ensure they were properly conducted (Wafa, April 19, 2021).
• The Committee also began holding training sessions for 200 local election observers. According to the Committee, 8,800 local and 300 foreign observers will participate, and election propaganda will begin at the end of April 2021 (al-Hayat al-Jadeeda, April 18, 2021).

Possible delay of elections

• Despite formal election preparations and Mahmoud Abbas’ announcement (at the beginning of a PLO Executive Committee conference) that they were determined to hold them on time (Wafa, April 18, 2021), concerns apparently arose in Fatah and the PA regarding the possible outcome, especially a Hamas victory after the Fatah movement divided into three parties. According to sources in Fatah and the PA, internal deliberations have been held in recent days regarding the issue. There are also Palestinian claims that Israel’s lack of response to allowing Palestinians to vote in east Jerusalem will be used as an excuse to cancel the elections (al-Akhbar, April 19, 2021). Senior Fatah figures imprisoned in Israeli jails issued a call not to hold the elections without their being held in Jerusale
• At a press conference held by the civilian social institutions, warnings were issued that the elections would be cancelled Israel refused to allow Palestinians to vote in east Jerusalem, noting that cancelling the elections would have consequences for Palestinian politics (al-Quds, April 13, 2021).
• In addition, a “knowledgeable source in the United States administration” reported the administration would understand a postponement of the PLC elections because of the challenges facing the Palestinians. According to the source, the United States had not yet received a formal request to exert pressure on Israel regarding the elections in east Jerusalem (al-Quds, April 15, 2021).

Israel’s position and the issue of voting in east Jerusalem

• In the meantime, the Palestinians continue their efforts to exert pressure on Israel, including through the international community, to allow the elections to be held in east Jerusalem. Many spokesmen noted that if the elections were not held in east Jerusalem they would not be held at all. Calls were also heard at Palestinian Prisoners Day events in a number of cities for Israel to allow Palestinians to vote in east Jerusalem (Wafa, April 18, 2021).
• Fatah’s Central Committee, which met in Ramallah on April 19, 2021, stressed the necessity for having the international community, including the UN, the EU, Russia and China, exert pressure on the Israeli government to honor its commitments to agreements signed with the PLO, which include elections in the PA territories, east Jerusalem among them. According to the Central Committee, the Palestinian people will not accept any kind of Israeli veto of the Palestinian elections, stressing that “Jerusalem and its inhabitants are a red line that cannot be crossed or toyed with” (QudsN website, April 19, 2021).
• Jibril Rajoub, secretary of Fatah’s Central Committee, said the Palestinian leadership was trying to exert international and regional pressure on Israel to allow elections to be held throughout “occupied Palestine,” especially in Jerusalem. He said all the Palestinian organizations agreed on three principles: the elections were the way to end the internal schism, the elections were part of the struggle against Israel and they would be held in all the Palestinian territories within the 1967 borders, especially in east Jerusalem (Wafa, April 13, 2021).
• Mahmoud Abbas spoke on the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and called on the countries of the International Quartet and others to exert pressure on Israel to agree to elections’ being held in east Jerusalem in accordance with signed agreements (Wafa, April 15, 2021).
• Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki went to Europe to hold discussions with leaders regarding the responsibility of the international community for the PA elections and to have them exert pressure on Israel to allow Palestinians to vote in east Jerusalem (Wafa, April 19, 2021). His first stop was Belgium, where he met with André Flahaut, a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. Riyad al-Maliki asked him to exert pressure on Israel to honor the agreements it had signed and to allow elections to be held in Jerusalem (Wafa, April 19, 2021).

   
Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki’s meetings in Brussels. Right: Riyad al-Maliki with the Belgian foreign minister. Left: Riyad al-Maliki with André Flahaut (PA foreign ministry Facebook page, April 19, 2021).

Hamas’ position

• Sources in Hamas reported that during the visit of the Egyptian General Intelligence delegation to the Gaza Strip on April 12, 2021, senior Hamas figures gave the delegation a communiqué for Israel which contained the threat that they would cause a military-political explosion in the Gaza Strip and use force if Israel prevented elections from being held, especially in Jerusalem. The communiqué was transferred by the Egyptians to Tor Wennesland, the UN envoy to the Middle East peace process, to present to Israel (Sawa, April 13, 2021).
• Saleh al-‘Arouri, deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, said elections had to be held in Jerusalem as they would be held in all Palestinian cities. Therefore, he said, Hamas would oppose [Israel] “with every form of resistance” [i.e., of terrorism]. He also said that Israel (“the occupation”) would not succeed in its attempts to force its will on the Palestinian people and determine how their elections would be held. He added that all the organizations participating in the elections agreed that struggle in east Jerusalem was against the “occupation” and that holding them in Jerusalem was a way of challenging the “occupation.” If Israel refused to allow elections to be held in Jerusalem, he said, it would pay a steep price because an intifada would break out in Jerusalem and in every other location (al-Aqsa, April 19, 2021,)

“Presidential” elections

• Nasser al-Qidwa, a nephew of Yasser Arafat running at the top of a separate ticket, arrived in the Gaza Strip along with Fadwa Barghouti, wife of Marwan Barghouti. Al-Qidwa held a press conference where he said that Marwan Barghouti would run against Mahmoud Abbas in the presidential elections (Dunia al-Watan, April 14, 2021). In the meantime, Dr. Muhammad al-Hadad, a Palestinian doctor living in Saudi Arabia, announced he was also planning to run for president (Dunia al-Watan, April 18, 2021).

PA-United States relations

• Mahmoud Abbas, in recorded statement read at a meeting of the J Street lobby, called on the American administration to ease the limitations put in place by the previous president on PA-American relations. He stated that the PA was committed to democracy and had signed agreements with Israel declaring its desire to reach an arrangement through negotiations, which were the only way to achieve a peace based on international resolutions and agreements signed in the past (al-Quds, April 19, 2021).

Palestinian Prisoners Day

• Palestinian Prisoners Day was marked in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip on April 17, 2021. Rallies and demonstrations were held in support of the prisoners in Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin and Bethlehem. Public participation in the events was relatively low, with only a few dozen Palestinians present, mostly relatives of prisoners in Israeli jails. Speakers from the various Palestinian organizations said the release of the prisoners was currently their top priority and that Israel was responsible for the prisoners’ welfare (Wafa, April 18, 2021).
• Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas abroad, said Israel would only release the prisoners if it were forced to, not though negotiations or bargaining, but by means of all forms of the “resistance,” from “military” [i.e., terrorist] to popular activities (al-Aqsa, April 18, 2021).
• Senior PIJ figure Ahmed al-Mudallal, speaking at a demonstration in Rafah, said the campaign against Israel (“the Zionist enemy”) would continue until the liberation of the prisoners and al-Aqsa mosque. He added that the “resistance” would use all the means at its disposal to achieve an honorable prisoner exchange deal through which it would be able to “clean out” all the jails (Filastin al-Yawm, April 18, 2021).

   
Support for Palestinian Prisoners Day in Bethlehem (right) and Nablus (left) (Wafa, April 18, 2021).

Campaign against Israel’s activities in Jerusalem continues

• Al-Hayat al-Jadeeda’s YouTube channel issued a short video warning of a “new nakba” [“disaster”] in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood which would lead, according to the channel, to the expulsion of many residents. According to the video, since 2009 [Jewish] Israeli residents had taken control of the houses of 30 Arab families, especially members of the al-Kurd clan, leading to their eviction (al-Hayat al-Jadeeda on YouTube, April 20, 2021).

• The Palestinian media reported that the Israeli police had dispersed an election meeting in east Jerusalem and detained three Fatah candidates. Senior Fatah figure Mahmoud al-‘Alul said Israel’s actions in east Jerusalem were intended to change the current [demographic] situation and establish new conditions (al-Hayat al-Jadeeda, April 18, 2021).