Children making sandbags to conceal and protect the demonstrators (Shehab Facebook page, April 27, 2018)
Palestinian rioters pulling and then cutting the barbed wire fence east of Khan Yunis (PALINFO, April 27, 2018).
Cartoon by Omayya Joha, affiliated with Hamas, urging her audience to cut the border fence with Israel. The Arabic reads: “Friday of cutting the fence #Marches_of_Return” (PALINFO’s Twitter account, April 29, 2018)
Fire in a wheat field in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, caused by a kite with Molotov cocktail flown from the eastern Gaza Strip (SAFA Facebook page, April 29, 2018)
Cartoon of Alaa al-Luqta, ridiculing the old age of PNC participants (Facebook page of Alaa al-Luqta, April 24, 2018)
Official reception at the Rafah crossing. Attending on behalf of Hamas: Khalil al-Hayya, Ismail Radwan, and Fathi Hamad. Attending on behalf of the PIJ: Khaled al-Batsh, who spoke on behalf of the family, and Ahmad al-Mudallal. The commander of the security forces in the Gaza Strip, Tawfiq Abu Na’im, also attended the ceremony (Facebook page of the Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip, April 26, 2018).
The coffin of Fadi al-Batsh, and a guard of honor (Facebook page of the Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip, April 26, 2018; PALINFO, April 26, 2018)
- The riots that took place on Friday, April 27, 2018, as part of the “Great Return March” were the most violent since the beginning of the events. During the riots, there were violent provocations, including launching kites with burning objects at the fields of the western Negev; sabotaging the border fence; throwing Molotov cocktails, hand grenades, rocks and stones at IDF soldiers; with the climax being an attempt by a mob (inflamed by senior Hamas figures) to penetrate into Israeli territory (south of the Karni crossing).
- These events were organized and conducted by Hamas, which controls the events. On the other hand, in Judea and Samaria the public continued to show little interest in assenting to the calls by Hamas and other organizations to take part in the events. However, an additional effort to mobilize the public in Judea and Samaria is expected to take place this coming Friday.
“The Great Return March:” increasing violence on the fifth Friday of the demonstrations
- In the demonstrations on Friday, April 27, 2018, the fifth Friday of the demonstrations and violent events of the “Great Return March,” there were riots along the border with Israel. An estimated 10,000 Palestinians participated in these events in five sites along the Gaza Strip border. Last Friday’s events were characterized by many acts of violence and an attempt to break through the fence and penetrate into Israel, culminating in the area of the Karni crossing. In view of the blatant attempt to violate Israel’s sovereignty, the IDF spokesperson announced a new policy of response, in which every violent act against Israel would be met with a violent act against Hamas. As part of this policy, Israel Air Force planes attacked six targets belonging to Hamas’s naval force. A total of four Palestinians were killed in the Friday demonstrations, and a few hundred were wounded.[1]
Referring to the attempt to penetrate into Israel in the area of the Karni crossing, a senior officer in the IDF Southern Command said that the attempt to break through the fence was the most violent the IDF had encountered since the demonstrations began. According to the officer, the demonstrators appeared to be proceeding according to a relatively orderly plan. The mob bypassed the Karni crossing from the south and advanced to the border fence. The rioters at the head of the mob were young people, who used wire clippers and improvised means to dismantle the barbed wire fence that impeded their progress towards the border. He also formed the impression that Hamas was in complete control of the events and that the clashes were planned and managed (article by Amos Harel in the Israeli daily Haaretz, April 30, 2018).
- Based on photos and videos, the IDF Spokesperson determined that the Friday demonstrations were not civil protests but rather planned and organized events led by Hamas. Photos taken by a drone and distributed by the IDF Spokesman’s Office show sandbag positions built in the areas of the riots along with large quantities of tires, creating an “arrowhead” of sorts that directs the rioters to approach the security fence under the cover of the smoke from the burning tires. The photos also show a Hamas forward squad observing Israeli territory and holding a “briefing” before continuing its violent activity. They also show the forward squad damaging the fence under cover of smoke from the burning tires and then calling the mob to join it and damage the fence. One of the photos of the events shows that the distance from the site of the violent demonstration to the Israeli community of Kerem Shalom was only 400 meters (IDF Spokesman’s Office, April 29, 2018).
Children making sandbags to conceal and protect the demonstrators (Shehab Facebook page, April 27, 2018)
Right: Palestinian rioters pulling and then cutting the barbed wire fence east of Khan Yunis (PALINFO, April 27, 2018). Confrontations with an IDF force near the fence east of Jabalia (PALINFO’s Twitter account, April 27, 2018)
Cartoon by Omayya Joha, affiliated with Hamas, urging her audience to cut the border fence with Israel. The Arabic reads: “Friday of cutting the fence #Marches_of_Return” (PALINFO’s Twitter account, April 29, 2018)
- Senior Hamas figure Ismail Radwan said at a rally held in eastern Gaza that the Palestinians would not give up and would continue to carry out “Return Marches” and “resistance” (i.e., terrorism) until their goals are achieved: breaking the “siege” and exercising the “right of return” (Al-Aqsa, April 27, 2018).
Demonstrations, clashes and riots in Judea and Samaria
- During the week, demonstrations and riots continued in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem. Several hundred Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces in several locations. The events of the “Great Return March” in the Gaza Strip so far did not affect the events in Judea and Samaria. In light of the poor response by the public in Judea and Samaria to take part in the events, there were calls from the Gaza Strip to the public in Judea and Samaria to participate in events this Friday after Friday prayers in all the friction points with Israel (PALINFO, April 29, 2018). In the Bethlehem area, the National and Islamic Forces Committee announced its decision to mark Nakba Day by setting up camps for the “Great Return March” in the hills overlooking Jerusalem, opposite the Jewish Har Homa neighborhood (Al-Ikhbariya 48 website, April 20, 2018).
- At the same time, incidents of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at security forces and civilian targets continued. Several noteworthy incidents:
- April 29, 2018 – Border Police combatants engaged in routine activity on Highway 465 near Deir Nizam (northwest of Ramallah) stopped a vehicle for inspection. In the vehicle they found a knife and a club under the driver’s seat. The driver, a 20-year-old resident of Ramallah, was detained (Red Alert Facebook page, August 28, 2018).
- April 28, 2018 – Border Police combatants were carrying out an operational activity at the entrance to the Shuafat refugee camp (East Jerusalem). During the activity, Palestinians threw stones and Molotov cocktails at them. The combatants detained a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of throwing a Molotov cocktail (Red Alert Facebook page, August 28, 2018).
- April 27, 2018 – In an operation by Border Police combatants at the Ein Yael checkpoint (in the area surrounding Jerusalem), a suspicious vehicle on its way to Israel was stopped. An initial search of the vehicle, in which two Palestinian residents of Hebron and Beit Jala were traveling, revealed a pipe bomb, a knife, and wooden clubs (Red Alert Facebook page, August 27, 2018).
- April 27, 2018 – Palestinians planted two burning tires containing pipe bombs on the northern route leading to the community of Ofra (northeast of Ramallah). An examination revealed that the pipe bombs were dummies. In addition, Molotov cocktails were thrown at the road (Red Alert Facebook page, August 27, 2018).
- April 26, 2018 – Shots were fired at the community of Beit El (north of Ramallah). There were no casualties (Red Alert Facebook page, April 26, 2018).
- April 26, 2018 – Stones were thrown at Israeli vehicles near Tekoa (southeast of Bethlehem). There were no casualties. Their windshields were damaged (Red Alert Facebook page, April 26, 2018).
- April 26, 2018 – A number of Molotov cocktails were thrown at a house in Silwan (southeast Jerusalem). There were no casualties and no damage was caused (Red Alert Facebook page, April 26, 2018).
Significant attacks carried out in the past year[2]
The exposure of Hamas terrorist activity in Sur Baher
- In recent weeks, the Israeli security forces detained a number of residents of the Sur Baher neighborhood (southeast Jerusalem). They had carried out terrorist attacks in the past and planned to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel following the instructions of Hamas operatives in the Gaza Strip. Their interrogation revealed that the squad members had planned to carry out an attack against the Israeli security forces at the bus stop near the village of Oranit (near Rosh Ha’ayin). To this end, they recruited another operative, attempted to purchase weapons, and observed the area where they planned to carry out the attack. Two of the squad operatives visited Turkey a year ago, where they met with two Hamas operatives released in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal and currently staying in Turkey. During the visit they received money from the Hamas operatives (Israel Today Israeli daily, May 1, 2018).
Rocket fire
- This past week, no rocket hits were identified in Israeli territory. So far, the events of the “Great Return March” were not accompanied by rocket or mortar shell fire.
Monthly Distribution of Rocket Hits in Israel since January 2016
Notes:
* The statistics do not include mortar shell fire or rockets which misfired and fell inside the Gaza Strip.
** Six of the rockets fired in February 2017 were launched from the Sinai Peninsula at Israeli territory, apparently by ISIS’s Sinai Province. In April, a rocket was launched from the Sinai Peninsula by ISIS’s Sinai Province. In October 2017, two rockets were fired from the northern Sinai Peninsula by ISIS’s Sinai Province. They fell in an open area in the western Negev.
Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits
Events along the Gaza Strip border
- After the Friday demonstrations, Palestinians continued to gather near the security fence and attempt to damage it. Rioters continued to send kites with Molotov cocktails attached to them to Israeli territory, setting fire to fields and causing substantial damage to Israeli agricultural communities.
- Under the cover of the return marches, there has been an increase in the number of Palestinian attempts to cross the fence and penetrate into Israeli territory. On the evening of April 29, 2018, three attempts to sabotage the security fence were detected within the space of two hours. Three Palestinians were killed in those incidents. Following are the details (according to Israeli media, April 30, 2018):
- At 21:00, two Palestinians tried to penetrate into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip in the Kerem Shalom area. The two damaged the security fence. An IDF force shot at them and killed one of them. The other was caught and brought for interrogation.
- At 22:00, another attempt was made by two Palestinians to cross the fence in the area of Kissufim, in the central Gaza Strip. The two crossed the border fence, entered into Israeli territory and threw IEDs at an IDF force. The force shot and killed them.
- At 22:40, to Palestinians crossed the fence south of Kissufim. They were caught. The soldiers found in their possession knives and tools to cut the fence.
- On the morning of April 29, 2018, an IDF force carrying out operational activity saw a Palestinian damaging a security device under cover of the fog in the area of the Karni crossing. He was detained (IDF Spokesperson’s Office, April 29, 2018).
The humanitarian situation
- Egypt opened the Rafah crossing in both directions. The crossing is open as of April 28, 2018, for three days, for entry and exit of passengers (Ma’an, April 30, 2018).
- According to the Israel Electric Corporation’s announcement, electricity is supplied for four hours, followed by a 16-hour outage (SAMA, April 30, 2018).
Rehabilitating the Gaza Strip
- The Infrastructure and Housing Minister in the Gaza Strip Mufeed al-Hasayneh said that the Palestinian government had so far managed to rebuild 80% of the buildings damaged and destroyed in the Gaza Strip (i.e., in Operation Protective Edge). As part of this effort, he said, 8,000 housing units were completely rebuilt and 90,000 were partially rebuilt. He noted that so far, the donating countries had delivered to the Gaza Strip only 38% of the amount that they had promised (Dunya Al-Watan, April 29, 2018).
UNRWA’s financial situation
- UNRWA’s commissioner-general said that US President Donald Trump had transferred USD 60 million out of USD 365 million which he had undertaken to transfer to the agency. He noted that this could affect the amount of food that the organization can provide to the Gaza Strip residents, as well as the funding of schools in the Gaza Strip. He further said that the Gulf States, Norway and Canada donated about USD 200 million, aiding the budget, which amounts to USD 465 million. According to him, there is still an extensive deficit, and it could lead to schools not opening during the next school year (Daily Sabah, April 26, 2018).
The funeral ceremony of Fadi al-Batsh
- On April 26, 2018, Fadi al-Batsh was buried in the cemetery of the Jabalia refugee camp, after his body had been transferred to the Gaza Strip from Malaysia via Egypt.[3] His body was received at the Rafah crossing, in an official military ceremony, by Hamas senior figures Khalil al-Hayya, Ismail Radwan and Fathi Hamad. The ceremony was also attended by PIJ senior leaders Ahmad Mudallal and Khaled al-Batsh (who is also his relative).
- At the ceremony, Hamas leaders promised to avenge his death. Ismail Haniya pointed out that “the criminal hands which killed Al-Batsh shall be cut off” (website of the Hamas movement, April 26, 2018; Anatolia News Agency, April 26, 2018). Fathi Hamad, member of Hamas’s Political Bureau, said that the Palestinians would continue their struggle and would take revenge on the perpetrators of the assassination, in their “special ways” and in the right timing. He also noted that they would develop a new weapon based on the patents invented by Al-Batsh (Al-Aqsa, April 27, 2018). Hamas senior leader Ismail Radwan said, turning to Israel, that the killing of Al-Batsh will not go unpunished. He called on the international community to restrain “Israel’s crimes” (Al-Aqsa, April 29, 2018).
Right: Official reception at the Rafah crossing. Attending on behalf of Hamas: Khalil al-Hayya, Ismail Radwan, and Fathi Hamad. Attending on behalf of the PIJ: Khaled al-Batsh, who spoke on behalf of the family, and Ahmad al-Mudallal. The commander of the security forces in the Gaza Strip, Tawfiq Abu Na’im, also attended the ceremony (Facebook page of the Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip, April 26, 2018). Left: The coffin of Fadi al-Batsh, and a guard of honor (Facebook page of the Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip, April 26, 2018; PALINFO, April 26, 2018)
The Palestinian National Council convenes in Ramallah
- The deliberations of the 23rd session of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) started on April 30, 2018, in Ramallah. The session was entitled, “Jerusalem and the Protection of Palestinian Legitimacy.” Representatives of the Palestinian organizations and Arab and international delegations take part in the four-day convention (WAFA, April 30, 2018). At the end of the convention, a new Executive Committee will be elected. The last session of the PNC, which is the parliament of the PLO and consists of 765 delegates, was held in 2009 (although, according to its regulations, it should be convened once a year).
- In his speech at the opening ceremony, Mahmoud Abbas stressed the importance of the convention and criticized the organizations that chose not to participate (i.e., Hamas and several other organizations). He denounced the American policy, emphasizing that the PA opposes the US decisions and that they would not accept any solution that will not include Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Furthermore, he noted that a Palestinian state would not be established in Gaza and that no state would be established without Gaza.
- Mahmoud Abbas praised the shaheeds who were killed for Jerusalem and in the “Great March of Return”, and the wounded. According to him, “popular resistance” is the only option possible at the moment, by which Gazans can express their position and try to exercise their right. However, Mahmoud Abbas called for the removal of children from the confrontation zones near the fence. According to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinians intend soon to promote steps in the international arena, including an appeal to the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the “crimes of Israel” and an appeal to the UN, demanding full membership and international protection (Palestinian TV, April 30, 2018).
Right: PNC convention in Ramallah (WAFA, April 30, 2018). Left: Mahmoud Abbas delivers a speech at the opening ceremony (Mahmoud Abbas’s Facebook page, April 30, 2018)
- Hamas, the PIJ and other organizations refrained from taking part in the PNC convention. On April 29, 2018, Hamas held an alternative conference in the Gaza Strip entitled “the Palestinian Popular National Conference”, attended by Ismail Haniya and other senior Hamas figures. Speakers expressed their opposition to the convention of the PNC and announced that they would object to any decision published during the convention (Al-Aqsa, April 29, 2018). In a speech delivered by Ismail Haniya, he pointed out that the convention of the PNC was detrimental to Palestinian unity. Furthermore, he questioned the PLO’s right to represent the Palestinian people (Al-Aqsa Channel, April 30, 2018).
Criticism of the marches of return
- In a sermon delivered by Mahmoud al-Habash, Mahmoud Abbas’s advisor for religious affairs, on Friday, April 27, 2018, in a mosque in Ramallah, he criticized the Gaza Strip leadership for sending the population to the protest demonstrations. According to Al-Habash, sending women and children to the border area with Israel means playing with their lives and sending them to die in front of the IDF soldiers (Dunya Al-Watan, April 27, 2018).
Mahmoud al-Habash in his Friday sermon, attacking Hamas for sending children to be killed in the Gaza marches (Palestinian TV, April 27, 2018)
[1] For further information, see the ITIC’s Information Bulletin from April 29, 2018: “The Great Return March: Demonstrations of April 27, 2018, and continuation to be expected.” ↑
[2] “Significant terrorist attacks” are defined by the ITIC as shooting attacks, stabbing attacks, ramming attacks, the planting of IEDs or combined attacks. They do not include incidents in which stones or Molotov cocktails are thrown. ↑
[3] On the circumstances of the death of Fadi al-Batsh, see the ITIC's Information Bulletin from April 23, 2018: “Hamas activist Fadi al-Batsh killed in Malaysia.” ↑
