News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (July 24 – 30 , 2019)

The return march of July 26, 2019

    
Equipment the Palestinians claim was taken by young Gazans who crossed the security fence east of Khan Yunis (Facebook page of photographer Mazen Qudih, July 27, 2019).

• A spokesman for the ministry of health in the Gaza Strip reported that 56 Palestinians were wounded. Later it was reported that one of the wounded had died^[1] (Ashraf al-Qidra’s Twitter account, July 26, 2019). The Palestinian killed was Ahmed Muhammad Abdallah al-Qara, who was apparently a Hamas operative and a permanent participant in the return marches. In October 2018 he was wounded in the leg during a return march.
• His death led to threats against Israel:
  • Khaled al-Batash, chairman of the Supreme National Authority of the Great Return March, threatened that if the IDF continued shooting at demonstrators it would lead to a new round of escalation. He called on Egypt to exert pressure on Israel {“the occupation”) to stop shooting at the demonstrators (Supreme National Authority Facebook page, July 26, 2019).
  • Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) spokesman Mus’ab al-Brim, speaking at al-Qara’s funeral, said that the “Palestinian resistance” [i.e., terrorist organizations] had to respond to Israel’s actions (al-Manar, July 27, 2019).
• The Miles of Smiles convoys announced a project to distribute first aid kits to paramedics in the Gaza Strip, especially those in the friction areas during the return marches. The project will be named for Razan al-Najjar, a paramedic killed during one of the marches (Safa, July 24, 2019).
• At the end of the activities the Supreme National Authority called on the Palestinian public to participate in the return march next Friday, August 2, 2019. Its theme will be “Friday of the massacre in [the neighborhood of] Wadi al-Hums” as a show of solidarity with the Palestinians whose houses were destroyed in Sur Baher in east Jerusalem (Supreme National Authority Facebook page, July 26, 2019).

Arson terrorism

• This past week no fires were caused by incendiary balloons launched from the Gaza Strip. The units launching incendiary and IED balloons continue their threats to launch more balloons.

Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire

• 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 night of July 27, 2019, the Israeli security forces detained two Palestinians who crossed the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip. They were taken for interrogation (IDF spokesman, July 27, 2019).

Events on the ground

• In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continued throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli security forces and civilian targets (primarily vehicles). Israeli security forces carried out counterterrorism activities throughout Judea and Samaria, detaining Palestinians suspected of terrorist activity, confiscating funds used to finance terrorist activities, and seizing military grade and improvised weapons. The more prominent events were the following:
  • July 29, 2019 – While securing of the entrance of Jewish worshippers to the precinct of the Tomb of Joseph in Nablus Israeli security forces found a pipe bomb. During the prayers Palestinians set tires on fire and threw stones at the IDF forces securing the worshippers (IDF spokesman, July 30, 2019).
  • July 28, 2019 –During an activity against Palestinians throwing stones in the Issawiya neighborhood in east Jerusalem, Israeli police identified the building from which the stones were being thrown. Policemen entered the building and detained a suspect, leading to Palestinians’ gathering around the police. Two policemen and the detainee were injured (Israel Police Force’s media unit, July 28, 2019).
  • July 28, 2019 – Stones were thrown at an Israeli vehicle north of Kokhav Hashahar (northeast of Ramallah). No casualties were reported. The front windshield of the vehicle was damaged (United Hatzalah, July 28, 2019).
  • July 27, 2019 – Stones were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near the village of Azoun (east of Qalqilya). Three children in the vehicle sustained minor injuries. The vehicle was damaged. IDF forces searched the area (IDF spokesman, July 27, 2019).
  • July 25, 2019 – Israeli security forces stopped a vehicle carrying two suspicious Palestinians near a crossing in Samaria. A weapon was found in the vehicle. The Palestinians were taken for interrogation (IDF spokesman, July 25, 2019).
  • July 25, 2019 – Searches for illegal weapons carried out by the Israeli security forces uncovered an M-16 assault rifle, a hand gun, three locally-manufactured ammunition magazines and parts of weapons. The security forces confiscated two lathes for the manufacture of weapons in Nablus (IDF spokesman, July 25, 2019).
  • July 24, 2019 – The Israeli security forces carried out searches in the region of the village of Jama’in (southwest of Nablus), seizing tens of thousands of shekels suspected of being used to fund terrorist activities (IDF spokesman, July 24, 2019).

Significant terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria since June 2017^[2]

Exposure of Iranian network

• The Israeli security forces exposed an Iranian network that recruited residents of Israel, Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip to the ranks of Iranian intelligence. The network operated from Syria under Iranian direction and was headed by a Syrian operative aka “Abu Jihad.” The first contact was made through fake Facebook profiles and later though message apps.
• The recruits were asked, among other things, to collect information about IDF bases, sensitive security facilities, important people, police stations, hospitals, etc. Their activity was exposed by the Israeli security forces. From the beginning of April 2019, they began detaining operatives in Israel, Judea and Samaria. Their interrogations revealed that the contacts with the handler from Syria had developed to the level of transferring information and even intentions for carrying out terrorist attacks against civilian and military Israeli targets (Israel Security Agency, July 24, 2019).

The Rafah Crossing

• Between July 25 and 28, 2019, pilgrims left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing en route to Mecca (website of the ministry of the interior in the Gaza Strip, July 24, 2019; website of the Hamas administration information office, July 30, 2019).

   
Pilgrims leave the Gaza Strip for Egypt and from there to Saudi Arabia
(ministry of the interior in the Gaza Strip’s Facebook page, July 25, 2019).

Water in the Gaza Strip

• Mazen Ghoneim, chairman of the Palestinian water authority, announced the completion of a water desalination plant in Gaza City. It was under construction for three years. He said the plant could desalinate 10,000 cubic meters of water a day (about 2,640,000 gallons). He said that during the trial period the plant would provide water for more than 200,000 Palestinians in the Gaza City and northern Gaza Strip districts (Dunia al-Watan, July 24, 2019). Mazen Ghoneim also signed a memorandum of understanding to construct another desalination plant at a cost of £9 million, in collaboration with the British department for international development (al-Quds, July 23, 2019).

Electricity in the Gaza Strip

• On July 26, 2019, the electric company in the Gaza Strip announced it was taking one of the electric lines (line 8) out of service. The line provides electricity to the Khan Yunis region. The line is being taken out of service because one of its cables is near the security fence (Amad, July 26, 2019). On July 28, 2019, the electric company announced that electricity would be supplied for eight hours a day (Shehab, July 28, 2019).

Hamas-Iran relations

• The Hamas delegation headed by Saleh al-‘Arouri, deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, visiting Iran continued meeting with senior Iranian officials.

    
Right: The Hamas delegation meets with Ali-Akbar Velayati, advisor to the supreme leader for international affairs (ANA News in Parsi, July 23, 2019). Left: The delegation meets with Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the supreme national security council (Mehr News Agency in English, July 23, 2019).

• The Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar reported that Hamas had expressed satisfaction with the meeting with the senior Iranian officials and with the strengthening of the movement’s relations with Iran. During the meeting Saleh al-‘Arouri gave the Iranians a letter from Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, thanking Iran for the additional support it gave Hamas in coping with the “siege” Israel had imposed on the Gaza Strip. He expressed Hamas’ solidarity with Iran against American and Israeli policies (al-Akhbar, July 24, 2019).
• The main themes expressed by senior Hamas figures about the visit and its outcome:
  • Saleh al-‘Arouri, deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, called the visit “historic and strategic.” He said that without a doubt the visit would have [positive] results. He said Khamenei was giving the Palestinian people unlimited support, and Iran could and would provide every kind of aid despite the fact that it was itself under siege. He said Iran had never asked Hamas to exploit the relations between them to harm an Arab or Islamic state, which, he said, Hamas would find unacceptable (al-Aqsa, July 25, 2019).
  • Interviewed from Iran by telephone, Musa Abu Marzouq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said Iran was supporting Hamas with weapons, exercises, training and in other fields. He said Iran spared nothing [in helping] the Gaza Strip. He added that although the support from Iran faced difficulties, Iranian aid was “preferable to the empty words” of those who offered support but never provided it (al-Aqsa, July 24, 2019).
  • Interviewed from Tehran, senior Hamas figure Isma’il Radwan said that in every scenario of a confrontation against Israel, Hamas and the “resistance” would be at the heart of the battle, especially if a war broke out between Israel and Iran (al-Mayadeen, July 22, 2019).
• The visit of the Hamas delegation in Iran was criticized by social network users in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. Most of the criticism dealt with concern over the consequences of the visit for support for the Palestinians from the Arab states and Europe. Those who were critical argued that the Khamenei’s statement about arming the Gaza Strip with precision weapons was liable to lead to “a step up in Israel’s aggression” towards the Gaza Strip.

Criticism of Hamas

• Ahmed Yusuf, a senior Hamas figure who lives in Palestinian Authority (PA) territory, wrote an article criticizing the conduct of the Hamas administration, and proposing ways to improve it (Dunia al-Watan, July 28 2019). He wrote that since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip [2006] it had not managed to forge ties with countries in the region and did not have political achievements for lifting the “siege” on the Gaza Strip. He also wrote that the “conspiracy” of Israel and the West to make Hamas fail did not justify its failure to formulate an effective model for governing. According to Ahmed Yusuf, the public in the Gaza Strip welcomed the rise of Hamas to power and expected a new and better era. However, after more than a decade Hamas rule was a disappointment and had become “a burden and a disaster.” He said the failure was the result of wrong choices, lack of professionality and the appointment of untrained people to unsuitable duties.
• He suggested a number of ways he thought the situation could be improved. They included:
• To avoid the use of “extremist,” “belligerent” language, which presents Hamas and the Gaza Strip as “a power” despite the fact that it has very few capabilities.
• To promote a political agenda appropriate for Hamas. The Hamas political document [published on May 1, 2017] is a good basis for a political party.
• To make the internal Palestinian reconciliation the top priority and to prepare the ground for implementing it.
• To adopt democratic methods and initiate elections without a connection to the reconciliation with the PA.

Summer camps in the Gaza Strip

Hamas

• On July 25, 2019, pictures were published of the last day of the first session of the Pioneers of Liberation camps in the various Gaza Strip districts. A video documented the activities of the Pioneers of Liberation camps in Hamas’ Rafah Brigade, showing participants emerging from a tunnel, storming an IDF tank and abducting an IDF soldier. The second session began on July 27, 2019 (Pioneers of Liberation Facebook page, July 25 and 27, 2019).

   
Pictures from the video: practicing taking control of an IDF tank and abducting an IDF soldier, at the Pioneers of Liberation camp of the Rafah Brigade (Muqawama Twitter account, July 22, 2019).

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)

• The PIJ in Rafah began another round of summer activities. Ahmed Abd al-‘Aal, director of the camps, said activities would begin on July 27, 2019, and last for five days. The activities will take place in ten mosques and there will be 1,500 participants between the ages of 13 and 18. He said they would participate in a variety of activities, the most prominent of which would be raising awareness of the security situation, the Palestinian cause and the challenges it faces (Filastin al-Yawm, July 27, 2019). As opposed to the previous round of summer camps, this time the PIJ did not relate to the military activities that take place in its summer camps.

     
Right: Participants in PIJ summer camps in Rafah. In the top row, center (white shirt) is PIJ senior operator al-Gadhafi al-Qutati (Abu Jihad) (al-Qutati’s Facebook page, July 27, 2019). Left: A summer camp activity held in a mosque (PIJ in Rafah Facebook page, July 28, 2019).

Ongoing protest against the destruction of buildings

• The destruction of the houses in Wadi al-Hums, near Sur Baher in southeast Jerusalem,^[3] continues to provoke rage. At the center of the reactions was Mahmoud Abbas’ decision to stop implementing the provisions of agreements signed with Israel.
• On July 25, 2019, Mahmoud Abbas called an emergency meeting of the Palestinian leadership. He ended the meeting by saying that “in light of Israel’s stubbornness in reneging on all agreements signed with it” the Palestinian leadership decided to stop acting according to the provisions of cooperation agreements signed with Israel. The Palestinian National Council (PNC) supported the decision. According to Salim Zanoun, PNC chairman, the decision signaled the beginning of a new era in the struggle against Israel (Wafa, July 26, 2019).
• In order to suspend the agreements with Israel, Mahmoud Abbas declared he was appointing of a committee of experts which would implement the decision (Palestinian TV, July 25, 2019). On July 28, 2019, the committee met. Its members split according to areas of operation and each group will examine ways to stop cooperation. Reportedly, the agenda agreements relating to security and the recognition of Israel. A senior PLO figure reported that the committee will operate according to schedule and the suspension of agreements will be carried out gradually (al-Quds al-Arabi, July 29, 2019).
• At this point it is unclear if the decision will also include the suspension of security coordination with Israel. Regarding security contacts, Majed al-Fityani, secretary of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council, said security contacts would be conducted at the lowest possible level, so that it would be impossible to claim that security connections existed between the Palestinians and Israel (Sawa, July 29, 2019).
• In the meantime, additional measures were taken, including the following:
• Mahmoud Abbas visited Amman and met with Abdallah, the king of Jordan. They discussed ways to deal with Israeli actions, especially the destruction of the buildings in Wadi al-Hums. Mahmoud Abbas said the destruction of the buildings was a serious blow to the rights of the Palestinian people and that a clear stand had to be taken (Palestinian TV, Wafa, July 24, 2019).

• Fatah activists toured Wadi al-Hums with representatives of the Central Committee, the Revolutionary Council and the heads of the district branches. Jamal Muhsein, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, condemned Israel’s action, which he called a “humanitarian crime” because the buildings were located in Area A (Wafa, July 24, 2019). Muhammad Hussein, the Mufti of Jerusalem, also visited the region with other senior figures (Ma’an, July 25, 2019).
• At the weekly Palestinian government meeting, Muhammad Shtayyeh ordered a legal committee to be appointed, composed of representatives of the relevant ministries. They were to investigate the destruction of the houses in Wadi al-Hums and to present their findings to the Palestinian courts. He said the committee would begin operating in the coming days (Wafa, July 29, 2019).
• Palestinian government spokesman Ibrahim Milhem said the government had formulated two plans to support the residents of Wadi al-Hums. The first, short-term plan, included finding lodging for the residents of the houses that had been demolished. The second, long-term plan, would include constructing houses on the ruins (Sawa, July 24, 2019).

Fatah and PLO members visit Damascus

• Azzam al-Ahmed, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, visited Damascus as head of a PLO delegation. He said that in accordance with a decision made by Mahmoud Abbas and the PLO’s Executive Committee, visits to Damascus would continue and would be used to meet with the Syrian leadership for bilateral coordination. Azzam al-Ahmed said Mahmoud Abbas was in contact with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and would visit Syria in the near future (al-Watan TV, July 25, 2019). Mahmoud al-Habash, Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor for religious affairs, visited Syria and met with senior Syrian officials. During the visit he gave the Syrian president a letter from Mahmoud Abbas (al-Mayadeen, July 28, 2019).

The tax revenue crisis

• On July 28, 2019, Muhammad Shtayyeh, the Palestinian prime minister, held the first meeting devoted to discussing legal avenues to cope with the crisis of the withheld tax revenues. He told the participants, who were both government and non-government figures, that the objective was to form a legal strategy to deal with Israel’s “violations” of international law and of signed economic agreements. Reportedly, at the meeting a number of local and international legal recommendations were made which, said Muhammad Shtayyeh, would be presented to Mahmoud Abbas (Wafa, July 28, 2019).