News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 5 –11, 2019)

The return march of June 7, 2019

• On Friday, June 7, 2019, the weekly return march was not held, apparently because of the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of Ramadan. Mahmoud Khalif, a member of the Supreme National Authority of the Great Return March, said they had decided to cancel the activities, and instead called on the Palestinian public to use the day to visit the families of the shaheeds and wounded. He also said the Authority called on the Palestinians to participate in the Eid al-Fitr prayer on June 5, 2019, which would be held at the return camps (Dunia al-Watan, June 4, 2019).
• Khalil al-Haya, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, gave a sermon at the return camp in eastern Gaza City for the Eid al-Fitr prayer. He said that holding the prayer in the return camps was a challenge to the [Israeli] “occupation.” He said Israel was “weaker than a spider web,” and the [Palestinian] fighters would strike Israel until they put an end to it, even at the cost of millions of dead and wounded (Ma’an, June 5, 2019). 
• Senior PIJ figure Ahmed al-Mudallal gave a sermon in eastern Khan Yunis. He stressed the international interest in Global Jerusalem Day, which was, he claimed, a message to “the terrorist” Trump that the “document” was “born dead” and that Jerusalem would not be the capital of Israel. He also threatened that if Trump did not understand the message of Global Jerusalem Day, the message would reach Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, brought to him by the rockets which the secretary general of the PIJ had warned of (Paltoday, June 5, 2019).

• The Supreme National Authority called on the Palestinian public to participate in the June 14, 2019 return march, whose theme will be “No! to the [Israeli] annexation of the West Bank.” According to the Authority’s notice, participation in the return march is necessary in order to protest the remarks made by the American ambassador to Israel and American foreign policy (alresala.net, June 10, 2019).

Arson Terrorism

• This past week, even after the return march was cancelled, Palestinian terrorists continued launching incendiary balloons into Israeli territory, accompanied by propaganda and psychological warfare. Some of the balloons set about ten fires near the communities close the Gaza Strip. On June 11, 2019, the Sons of al-Zawari unit, which specializes in launching incendiary balloons, issued a video warning that they had developed balloons carrying toxic substances for launching into Israeli territory, (Sons of al-Zawari in the Gaza Strip Facebook page, June 10, 2019). At this stage it is unclear if they really intend to launch such balloons into Israel.

    
Pictures from the video documenting balloons carrying toxic substances (Facebook page of the Sons of al-Zawari in the Gaza Strip, June 10, 2019).

• The more prominent incidences of fires set by incendiary balloons were the following:
  • According to the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, on June 9, 2019, during the Jewish Shavuot (Pentecost) holiday, incendiary balloons from the Gaza Strip set three fires in the western Negev.
  • On June 10, 2019, fire fighters put out four fires in the western Negev, (spokesman’s unit of the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, southern district, June 10, 2019). The Sons of al-Zawari boasted that many fires had been set by incendiary balloons from the Gaza Strip, and that the launchings were continuing (Sons of al-Zawari Facebook page, June 10, 2019).
•   On June 11, 2019, fires broke out in three locations in the Kissufim Forest, set by incendiary balloons.

Threats from senior Hamas and PIJ figures regarding the implementation of the understandings

• Senior Hamas and PIJ continue to threaten that if Israel does not implement the [alleged] understandings, another escalation can be expected. Some of their statements were the following:
  • Senior Hamas figure Suheil al-Hindi said that Israel is delaying implementing the understandings and lifting the [so-called] siege. He said the agreements regarding the fishing zone keep changing, which violates the understandings. He added that given the current situation in which Israel does not meet its commitments, the Palestinians will reexamine their conduct towards Israel (Dunia al-Watan, June 8, 2019).
  • Senior Hamas figure Ghazi Hamed said Israel does not carry out the understandings of the lull, among them increasing the fishing zone and allowing the entrance of double-purpose materials into the Gaza Strip. He added that there are many issues that have yet to be resolved (Dar al-Haya, June 8, 2019).
  • Senior PIJ figure Ahmed al-Mudallal denied the existence of lull understandings with Israel. He said that the “settlers” and their families were leaving the area near the Gaza Strip, and called it the defeat of the “Zionist project” (Filastin al-Yawm, June 10, 2019).
  • A senior PIJ figure threatened that following Israel’s delay in implementing the lull understandings, in the coming days there would be escalation along the Gaza Strip border. He also said that an agreement had recently been reached between Hamas and the PIJ to escalate the return marches and the [scope of the] incendiary balloon launchings (Dar al-Haya, June 8, 2019).
• IDF Chief of Staff General Aviv Kokhavi met with residents of the communities near the Gaza Strip to discuss the process of establishing an arrangement with the Gaza Strip. He said the decrease in the number of incendiary balloons and violence near the border security fence was not a chance occurrence. He added that Israel had reached an equation that would lead to the lessening of violence at the operational level as well (Ynet, June 7, 2019).

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

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire since January 2018

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

Other events on the ground

• On June 5, 2019, IDF forces detained a Palestinian armed with a knife who crossed the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip and entered Israeli territory. He was taken for interrogation (IDF spokesman, June 5, 2019)
• On June 10, 2019, IDF forces identified a number of Palestinians who tried to sabotage the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip. The soldiers fired flares at the Palestinians, and they fled (Red Alert Facebook page, June 11, 2019).

Preventing the smuggling of weapons to the Gaza Strip

• On June 11, 2019, two Palestinian boats entered a forbidden area in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli naval forces detained the four suspicious Palestinians on board and they were taken for interrogation. Interrogation revealed that they were Hamas operatives en route from the Gaza Strip to the coast of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt who were planning to smuggle barrels of fiberglass into the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesman, June 7, 2019). Note: Fiberglass is used in the manufacture of rockets, and it is forbidden to bring it into the Gaza Strip.

Other events on the ground

• In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continued throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli security forces and civilian targets. Israeli security forces carried out counterterrorism activities throughout Judea and Samaria, detaining Palestinians suspected of terrorist activity, confiscating seizing military grade and improvised weapons as well as funds used to finance terrorist activities.

Exceptional clash in Nablus between the IDF and the PA preventive security service

• On June 10, 2019, an exceptional event occurred in Nablus when during an IDF activity to detain terrorist operatives. A firefight developed between IDF soldiers and Palestinians they mistakenly identified as suspected terrorists. It later proved that the Palestinians were in fact operatives of the PA preventive security service. The event is under investigation by the IDF (IDF spokesman, June 11, 2019). Following the clash talks were held by representatives of the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and representatives of the PA security service. According to a “security source,” the event will not influence Israel’s security coordination with the PA (Israel TV Channel 13, June 11, 2019).
• According to Burhan Mashafi, spokesman for the PA preventive security service in Nablus, their operatives prevented an IDF raid on the headquarters of the security service in Nablus (QudsN Facebook page, June 11, 2019). Ibrahim Ramadan, governor of the Nablus district, went to the site of the clash, where he condemned the IDF forces for shooting at “an official PA facility in the heart of Nablus.” He called it a unique, serious precedent (al-Najah News TV, June 11, 2019). He also said the Palestinians had rejected the Israeli suggestion of holding a joint investigation into the incident (Ma’an, June 11, 2019).

    
Right: The damage done to the headquarters of the Palestinian preventive security forces in Nablus (Wafa, June 11, 2019). Left: The governor of the Nablus district interviewed near the scene of the clash (al-Najah News TV, June 11, 2019).

• Other prominent events were the following:
  • June 11, 2019 – A stone wrapped in a flaming rag was thrown at an Israel vehicle in the Hebron region. No casualties or damage were reported (Rescue Without Borders, June 11, 2019).
  • June 11, 2019 – Stones were thrown at a vehicle in Sinjil (northeast of Ramallah). No casualties were reported. The front windshield was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, June 11, 2019).
  • June 10, 2019 – Border Police fighters stationed at the entrance to the military court in Salem, Samaria, detained a Palestinian who tried to enter the court with a pipe bomb (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, June 10, 2019).
  • June 10, 2019 – During searches carried out by the Israeli security forces in the village of Immatain (west of Nablus) tens of thousands of shekels intended to finance terrorist activities were seized (IDF spokesman, June 10, 2019).
  • June 10, 2019 – During searches carried out by the Israeli security forces in the villages of Bayt Awa (west of Hebron) and al-Khader (west of Bethlehem) a number of weapons and a quantity of ammunition were seized (IDF spokesman, June 10, 2019).
  • June 9, 2019 – After civilians reported the presence of a suspicious person in the Ein Yael area of Jerusalem, policemen arrived at the scene and found a 17-year-old Palestinian from Hebron who was in the country illegally. A knife was found in his possession (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, June 9, 2019).
  • June 6, 2019 – The Israeli security forces detained members of a terrorist squad that threw Molotov cocktails at the community of Migdal Oz (southwest of Bethlehem) on June 4, 2019 (IDF spokesman, June 6, 2019).

Significant terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria since June 2017^[1]

Medical support for the Gaza Strip

• On June 2, 2019, the second “Miles of Smiles” shipment of medical support entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing. Issam Yusuf, a British activist who chairs the “Miles of Smiles” campaign, said that the shipment included 100,000 IV infusions, which would last the medical sector in the Gaza Strip more than three months. He promised that in the coming days other important medicines would reach the Gaza Strip (Issam Yusuf’s Twitter account, June 2,. 2019).

Hamas rocket and mortar fire during the most recent round of escalation

• Hamas’ military-terrorist wing posted a video to its website in which the commander of its artillery unit gave information about the most recent round of escalation (May 4-6, 2019). He said the rate of rocket fire was the highest in the history of the military wing’s confrontations with Israel. He claimed hundreds of rockets had been fired in only 30 hours. The rockets were fired using the tactic of concentrated fire to overcome the Israeli Iron Dome aerial defense system. He claimed that had caused “many Israeli losses” (Hamas military-terrorist wing website, June 6, 2019).

Ziyad al-Nakhalah’s visit to Damascus

• During Eid al-Fitr Ziyad al-Nakhalah, PIJ secretary general, visited Damascus, where he met with members of the political bureau and PIJ operatives in Syria (Paltoday Twitter account, June 6, 2019).

    
Ziyad al-Nakhalah at a meeting in Syria (Facebook page of Isma’il al-Sindawi (Abu Mujahed), PIJ figure responsible for the Syrian arena, June 6, 2019).

Discussions about Hamas’ relations with Syria

• Regarding Syria’s relations with Hamas, on June 3, 2019, the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar published an article quoting senior Hamas figures. They said that in recent months there had been “private and unofficial” contacts to reach a reconciliation between Hamas and the Syrian regime. Reportedly, a meeting was held by Saleh al-‘Arouri, deputy chairman of Hamas’ political bureau, and General Ali Mamlouk, head of the Syrian national security bureau. Another meeting was held by senior Hamas figures with Bouthaina Shaaban, the political and media adviser to the president of Syria. The meeting managed to effect “a pause in the hostility” between Hamas and the Syrian regime. It was also reported that the meetings were the result of direct mediation efforts of the Syrian president with Qassem Soleimani and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. According to the newspaper article, Syria agreed that a future visit of Isma’il Haniyeh to countries in the region would also include a visit to Damascus (al-Akhbar, June 3, 2019).
• In response to the article, the official Syrian news agency reported that there was no truth to the information about a renewal of relations between Syria and Hamas. According to the response, Syria’s position is a matter of principle. While Hamas is a “resistance” organization that operates against Israel, it became evident that Hamas supported the terrorists in Syria and advanced the same plot as Israel is interested in. Therefore, there is no change in Syria’s position (Sana, June 7, 2019).

Statement from Muhammad Shtayyeh

• PA prime minister Muhammad Shtayyeh was interviewed by the New York Times. He said the PA had again declined, for the fourth time, to accept tax revenues from Israel. He said the PA is going through a terrible economic crisis, and if no solution is found the PA is liable to collapse. He issued a veiled threat to Israel, saying that without pay the policemen would have to go “on furlough.” Shtayyeh made it clear that PA acceptance of tax funds after Israel deducts the money the PA gives the families of the shaheeds and wounded is liable to be interpreted as providing support for funding terrorism. That could lead to lawsuits against the PA in both Israel and the United States.

Protests in Judea and Samaria against the economic workshop in Bahrain

• On June 8, 2019, Wasel Abu Yusuf, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, announced that a series of measures would be taken in the coming days and weeks to protest the “deal of the century” and the economic workshop in Bahrain. He said that contacts were being made between the [Palestinian terrorist] organizations, social civilian organizations and activists to formulate a uniform response. He said during the workshop in Bahrain (June 25, 2019) popular marches and other activities would be held in Judea, Samaria and abroad to express the Palestinian consensus against American foreign policy in the Middle East, especially regarding the Palestinian issue (Voice of Palestine Radio’s website, June 8, 2019).

• Abu Yusuf said the activities would take place at the confrontation lines [with the IDF] and not the [Palestinian] city centers. The activities will be carried out in coordination with the Israeli Arab monitoring committee, and will be held in the refugee camps and where there are concentrations of Palestinians around the globe. So far, an activity is planned for June 14, 2019, to be held in the village of Jibia, north of Ramallah (whose lands Israel threatens to annex). In addition, on June 25, 2019, the day of the workshop in Bahrain, an activity is planned for the center of Ramallah (Wafa, June 9, 2019).

     
Notices posted to the Facebook page of Marouf al-Rifa’i on June 2, 2019.

Palestinian response to remarks made by the American ambassador to Israel

• David Friedman, the American ambassador to Israel, was interviewed by the New York Times. He said that under certain circumstances, Israel has the right to annex parts to Judea and Samaria. However, he refused to say what the position of the United States would be if Israel did take such a step. He also expressed criticism of the PA, which, he said, has exerted “massive pressure” on Palestinian businessmen not to attend the economic workshop organized by the United States in Bahrain.
• Despite the fact that the American administration made it clear that its position regarding the settlements had not changed, Friedman’s remarks were met with rage and severe criticism by the Palestinians. At its weekly meeting, the Palestinian government expressed its objections to his statements (Wafa, June 10, 2019). The PA foreign ministry said it was considering lodging a complaint in the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the American ambassador on the grounds that he was endangering the peace and security of the region (Wafa, June 9, 2019).
• Fatah’s information and culture commission issued an announcement condemning Friedman’s remarks. It wondered whether the ambassador represented the official American position or the position of the extremist settlers in Israel. The announcement stressed that the Palestinians would not agree to any solution or deal that did not respect their elementary rights or not lead in principle to the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital. Any other solution would not bring security or stability to the region or to the world, according to the announcement (Wafa, June 8, 2019).