News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (August 4-10 , 2021)

Stabbing attack prevented

• On the evening of August 9, 2021, IDF fighters identified Palestinian woman near the Yitzhar Junction (south of Nablus) as suspicious. She had a knife and tried to stab one of the soldiers stationed at the site. The soldiers initiated procedure for detaining a suspect, which included shooting at her legs and wounding her (IDF spokesman, August 10, 2021).
• The Palestinian media reported the woman was Fairouz Fayiz Mahmoud Albaw, 23, from Abu Dis in east Jerusalem (al-Boaba website, August 10, 2021, Twitter account of Alaa Shath, August 10, 2021). Under her Facebook page profile picture she wrote, “Bayta – heartbreak! A new occupation begins. There is nothing that depresses me except the condition of our people. Let us die, as long as your can live, our country! Our souls are [dedicated to] the homeland” (Facebook page of Fairouz Albaw, August 9, 2021).

• On August 7, 2021, she posted the following: “Jabal Sabih in the town of Bayta south of Nablus is no less holy than Sheikh Jarrah or Batin al-Hawa^[1] or other sites…The occupation exploited the igniting of the global media explosion expressing solidary with Sheikh Jarrah, Batin al-Hawa or Gaza, and carried out their plot to take over the lands of Bayta and Jabal Sabih…Bayta needs you. Standing up for the town is the least you can do” (Facebook page of Fairouz Albaw, August 7, 2021).

Demonstrations and clashes with Israeli security forces

 This past week the clashes between Palestinian rioters and Israeli security forces continued in the village of Bayta (south of Nablus). The Palestinians have been protesting the Eviatar outpost. The violence peaked on Friday, August 6, 2021, when about 700 Palestinians threw rocks and rolled burning tires at the Israeli security forces (IDF spokesman, August 6, 2021). One Palestinian rioter was killed and several dozen were wounded. The ministry of health in Ramallah reported that Imad Ali Muhammad Dweikat, 38 [37, according to Wafa], from Bayta, had been killed (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, August 6, 2021). The Fatah movement in Bayta issued a mourning notice for him, stating he was a movement member (Fatah branch in Nablus Facebook page, August 6, 2021).

 
Palestinians riot in Bayta (Wafa, August 6, 2021).

 
Right: Mourning notice issued by Fatah (Facebook page of the Fatah branch in Nablus, August 6, 2021). Left: Fatah flags waved at the funeral (Wafa, August 6, 2021).

• On August 5, 2021, a delegation of thirty consuls and representatives of EU countries and international institutions visited Bayta for a first-hand look at the situation. Mousa Hameil [apparently the deputy head of the Bayta municipality, who often expresses himself to the media] reviewed the situation for the delegation and elaborated on the Palestinians killed and wounded while rioting against the Israeli security forces. Those present called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to evacuate the site (Facebook page of the Bayta municipality, August 5, 2021). The British consulate in Jerusalem reported that the heads of the diplomatic legations and representatives of the European countries visited Bayta in response to growing concerns of more violence from the settlers [sic]. All the participants stressed their objection to Israel’s settlement policies and the steps taken to implement them. They also noted that Israel, as an occupying power, was duty-bound to protect the Palestinians and their property (Britain’s official website, August 5, 2021).

   
The European delegation at Bayta
(Twitter account of the British consulate in Jerusalem, August 5, 2021).

• Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, condemned his death, calling it a “revolting crime” and part of the series of Israel’s daily crimes against the Palestinian people. He called on the international community to protect the Palestinians, and said that in Mahmoud Abbas’ next speech before the UN General Assembly he would present a new initiative that would prevent Israel from harming the Palestinians and provide international protection for them against Israel. Taysir Abdallah, a member of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council, said the Revolutionary Council planned to hold its next meeting in Bayta (Wafa, August 7, 2021).

Responses to the death of Imad Ali Muhammad Dweikat

• The PA foreign ministry said in an announcement that Dweikat’s death was a response to the visit of the EU delegation and assigned responsibility for the alleged “crime” to the government of Israel. The ministry called on eye witnesses from legal and humanitarian organizations to document the events in preparation for presenting them to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN agencies dealing with the issue (Wafa, August 6, 2021).
• Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanua condemned Israel, saying Israel was responsible for Dweikat’s death. He called on the Palestinian people to escalation their “struggle” against Israel (Shehab, August 6, 2021).

Military-style funeral for Palestinian whose body was returned by Israel

•   On August 3, 2021, Israel transferred the body of Muhammad Farid Ali Hassan to the PA. He came from Qusra, southeast of Nablus, and was killed on July 3, 2021, during a riot against settlers in the Esh Kodesh outpost near Nablus. He threw an IED from the roof of one of the houses and was shot and killed by IDF fire. A military-style funeral was held for him.

   
Military-style ceremony at the Rafidia hospital in Nablus begins the funeral
(Facebook page of the Fatah branch in Nablus, August 4, 2021).

Rocks, Molotov cocktails and other events

• In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continued throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli civilians, security forces and vehicles driving on the roads. The more prominent events were the following:^[2]
  • August 9, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle northeast of Jerusalem. Apparently its passengers were Palestinians. A woman was injured by flying glass and the front windshield was damaged.
  • August 8, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an IDF post near the Casbah in Hebron. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • August 7, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli ambulance northeast of Jerusalem. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • August 6, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle south of Jerusalem. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • August 5, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle west of Ramallah. No casualties were reported. The vehicle was damaged.
  • August 4, 2021: A Molotov cocktail was thrown, apparently from a passing car, at an Israeli vehicle on Route 465 northwest of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported. The vehicle was damaged.
  • August 4, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle south of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported. The front windshield was damaged.
  • August 4, 2021: Several Molotov cocktails were thrown at vehicles on the road northwest of Ramallah. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • August 3, 2021: Two Molotov cocktails were thrown at an Israeli bus south of Nablus. No casualties or damage were reported.

Significant Terrorist Attacks in Judea and Samaria since January 2020^[3]

Rocket and mortar shell fire into Israel

• Since the ceasefire that ended Operation Guardian of the Walls on May 22, 2021, no rocket or mortar shell attacks from the Gaza Strip have been identified in Israeli territory.

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire since January 2020

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

Arson terrorism – incendiary balloons

•  On the afternoon of August 6, 2021, four fires broke out in the western Negev near the border, three in the Kissufim Forest and one in the Be’eri Forest. An investigator from the Israeli Fire and Rescue Services determined they had been caused by incendiary balloons launched from the Gaza Strip. Palestinian eye witnesses reported that operatives had launched the incendiary balloons into the western Negev from the eastern part of the central and southern Gaza Strip. The operatives did not officially announce the balloon launches (al-Araby al-Jadeed, August 6, 2021).
• In response to the incendiary balloons, on the night of August 6, 2021, IDF aircraft attacked a Hamas military camp in the Jabalia region and a nearby Hamas launching position (IDF spokesman, August 6, 2021). The Palestinian media reported an attack on the Ahmed Jaabari post and the civilian administration in eastern Jabalia, which are next to one another. They also claimed “agricultural fields” in eastern Jabalia and eastern Beit Hanoun had been attacked (Amad, August 7, 2021, al-Jazeera Mubasher, August 7, 2021; al-Ayam, August 8, 2021). According to reports from the Gaza Strip, the “resistance” [i.e., the Palestinian terrorist organizations] had launched anti-aircraft missiles to attack the IDF planes (Shehab, August 7, 2021).

   
IDF targets (IDF spokesman, August 7, 2021).

     
Aftermath of the attack. (Right: Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, August 7, 2021; left: Twitter account of Masdar News, August 7, 2021).

• In response to the IDF attack, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the determination of the young people of the Gaza Strip who were rising up to launch incendiary balloons proved they would not surrender to the dictates of Israel and its attempts to enforce “equations” on the Gaza Strip (Sawa, August 7, 2018). According to an article in al-Akhbar, the pressure on the Gaza Strip, exemplified by the incendiary balloon launches, was an attempt to influence the talks in Egypt about rebuilding the Gaza Strip in light of Israel’s [so-called alleged] “false promises” regarding the delivery of building materials (al-Akhbar, August 7, 2021).

Delivery of the money from Qatar

• Efforts are still being made to find a mechanism for delivering the money from Qatar to the Gaza Strip. In the past Qatar brought cash into the Gaza Strip every month. At the weekly PA government meeting PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh discussed the importance of the money from Qatar for the Palestinian people, noting that the PA ministry of welfare was prepared to distribute the funds according to a list of names provided by Qatar (Wafa, August 2, 2021).
• Ahmed Majdalani, PA minister of social development, confirmed that his ministry had signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza regarding the delivery of the funds. According to the memorandum, the ministry of social development will issue instructions to the relevant agencies and allow the banks authorized by the Palestinian financial commission to receive the funds from the Qatari committee and transfer them to the beneficiaries according to a list provided to the ministry. Payment will be made through credit cards issued by the bank specifically for the purpose of withdrawing the funds from Qatar. Forty-eight hours before every installment the Qatari committee will send a list of beneficiaries to the banks that will make the payments. According to the agreement, there are 167,085 families entitled to receive money and every month 100,000 families will receive funds (Masdar News, August 4, 2021). The memorandum also related to paying the salaries of 27,695 employees of the Hamas administration. However, according to al-Akhbar, that issue has not yet been resolved, since the agreement signed with Qatar does not allow the PA to interfere with the names and agencies that will profit from the funds (al-Akhbar, August 5, 2021).
• Ahmed Majdalani noted that Israel had no objection to the PA’s taking responsibility for the distribution of the money. He said the Qataris had settled all the topics relating to the issue with Israel, adding that the PA expected to solve all the related problems. As a result the money would be paid to those entitled to it during the coming week (Sputnik News Agency in Arabic, August 6, 2021). According to Louay al-Madhoun, in charge of the ministry of social development in the Gaza Strip, payment will not be made this week because issuing the cards and constructing the new mechanism for payment will require more time (Shams News, August 8, 2021).
• Hamas had reservations about a number of issues related to the new mechanism, especially the involvement of the PA in distributing the money. Hamas is concerned the PA could manipulate the process or sabotage it as a way of exerting pressure on the Gaza Strip. Hamas continues demanding the payment be made in cash, regardless of how it is delivered, whether in suitcases or through banks subordinate to the monetary commission (al-Akhbar in Lebanon, August 5, 2021).

Senior Hamas and PIJ figures attend the inauguration of the Iranian president

• On August 5, 2021, an inauguration ceremony was held in Tehran for Ibrahim Raisi, the new Iranian president. Dozens of foreign delegations attended and Palestinians were also in attendance. They included Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau and his deputy Saleh al-‘Arouri, and Khalil al-Haya, a Hamas political bureau member and second in command to Yahya al-Sinwar. Also present were PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah (Hamas website, Filastin al-Yawm, August 5, 2021) and representatives from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) (Filastin al-Yawm, August 6, 2021).

  Ibrahim Raisi gave a speech dealing mainly with internal Iranian affairs, but he also noted that Iran would support all the “oppressed” wherever they were, in Syria, “Palestine,” Africa or Yemen, hinting he would continue Iran’s support for groups and organizations around the world.

 
Right: Isma’il Haniyeh, Ziyad al-Nakhalah and Na’im Qassem, deputy head of Hezbollah, sit in the front row during the inauguration of Iranian President Raisi (Shehab Twitter account, August 5, 2021). Left: Isma’il Haniyeh and Ziyad al-Nakhalah speak with Hossein Salami, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, and with Mohammad Bagheri, head of the Iranian armed forces’ general headquarters. Next to them, at the right, is Esmail Ghaani, commander of the Qods Force (Tasnim, August 5, 2021).

• The Palestinians exploited the visit to meet with senior Iranian government officials. After the inauguration the Iranian president met with Isma’il Haniyeh and the Hamas delegation. Haniyeh told him that the Palestinian people would continue their struggle against Israel until they achieved their national rights, which were universally recognized. Raisi said Iran supported the Palestinian people and the “resistance” [i.e., terrorist organizations] (Sawa, August 6, 2021). Ziyad al-Nakhalah also met with Raisi (Filastin al-Yawm, August 6, 2021). Isma’il Haniyeh and Ziyad al-Nakhalah met (separately) with Hossein Salami, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. Salami congratulated them on the “victories of the Palestinian resistance” during “Sword of Jerusalem” [Operation Guardian of the Walls], claiming the end of Israel was near. Al-Nakhalah and Haniyeh claimed the balance of power had changed in favor of the Palestinian “resistance” and that constructing the local forces kept Israel constantly tense (Filastin al-Yawm, August 9, 2021). The Iranian news agencies quoted Hossein Salami as saying that only force could contain the “intractable Zionists” and strengthening “Palestine” was a strategy and mode of action which had to be continued. He also said they were waiting for the Israelis to trip, and when that happened the response [of the “resistance axis”] would be the eradication of Israel (al-Mayadeen, August 9, 2021).
• Isma’il Haniyeh also met with Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security; Ziyad al-Nakhalah was also present at the meeting. Haniyeh met with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament (majlis).

   
Right: Isma’il Haniyeh (left) meets with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi (IRNA in Arabic, August 7, 2021). Left: Isma’il Haniyeh and the Hamas delegation meet with Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security (IRNA in Arabic, August 8, 2018).

 
Right: Isma’il Haniyeh (left) with the Hossein Salami, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. Left: Ziyad al-Nakhalah (right) with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps commander (IRNA in Persian, August 9, 2021).

• Ziyad al-Nakhalah gave an interview where he related to the support Iran gives the Palestinian [terrorist] organizations. He said that if Iran gives the PIJ one penny, it gives Hamas ten. He denied that his organization belonged to Iran. He said Iran was a strong Muslim country that could stand up to the United States and it made no difference to him if the Palestinian people received aid from a Sunni country or a Shi’ite country. He criticized the Sunni countries for not supporting the Palestinians economically or politically (Arabi 21, August 2, 2021).

Hamas’ military-terrorist wing opens military training course

• The Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military-terrorist wing, announced the opening of a military training course entitled “Sword of Jerusalem” [the name the Palestinians gave to Operation Guardian of the Walls] on August 7, 2021. The course will be held in a number of districts in the Gaza Strip and is open to high school and university graduates, as well as to adult men. Below are pictures from the course (Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades website, July 30, 2021).

    
Military training course activities

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) summer camps

• On August 7, 2021, the PFLP and its military-terrorist wing, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, announced the opening of their summer camps, whose theme would be “Pioneers of the return (Sword of Jerusalem).” About 1,000 campers between the ages of 14 and 17 will participate. Marwan Abu al-Nasser, a member of the PFLP’s Central Committee, said the campers would be divided into five training camps spread throughout the Gaza Strip, and would undergo military and sports training, as well as having enrichment lessons in security and ideology (Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades website, August 7, 2021).

   
Summer camp activities (Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades website, August 7, 2021).

Hamas operatives sentenced to prison in Saudi Arabia

• On August 8, 2021, a court for terrorist activities in Saudi Arabia sentenced 64 Palestinians and Jordanians to prison for Hamas activities. The operatives were detained in February 2019 and convicted of membership in and raising funds for a terrorist organization. They received sentences of between six months and 22 years. Muhammad al-Khudri, Hamas representative in Saudi Arabia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Five detainees were acquitted (Jerusalem Post, August 8, 2018).
• In response to the sentences Hamas issued a statement expressing its shock and claiming the accused had done nothing that warranted such severe punishment. All they had done, claimed Hamas, was help the Palestinian people and had done not harm to Saudi Arabia. Hamas called on the Saudi Arabian leadership to release them as fast as possible and to end their suffering and the suffering of their families, which had lasted for more than two years (Hamas website, August 8, 2021).
• “External” Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal criticized the sentences and said he hoped the Saudi Arabians would pardon the accused. He said they believed there was still a chance for a pardon, and promised the families Hamas would make every effort to have them released (Palinfo, August 8, 2018).
• Senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahar claimed the money collected by the accused had been turned over to the families of the shaheeds and the wounded, to those whose houses had been destroyed and to humanitarian institutions. He claimed they had acted with the knowledge of the Saudi Arabian authorities. He said money had been collected in Saudi Arabia for the Palestinian people before Hamas had been founded and the Saudi Arabian king, Salman bin Abd al-Aziz, while he was still a prince, had himself overseen the committee that collected the money and sent it to the PLO. The claim that the money was for the “[Palestinian] resistance to the [Israeli] occupation,” which would anger the Americans, was false. Al-Zahar said the money was not used for the purchase or manufacture of weapons but rather it went to needy families in the Gaza Strip (Shehab, August 9, 2021). On another occasion he said the sentencing reflected the Saudi Arabian political position whose objective was to satisfy Israel and cause the Arab states and their people not to support the Palestinians (Dar al-Hayat, August 9, 2021; Tabnak News Agency, August 9, 2021).
• The PIJ strongly condemned the sentencing, claiming it was inconsistent with Sharia law and the Arab ideology of defending al-Aqsa mosque and the Palestinian people “groaning under the Zionist occupation” (PIJ website, August 8, 2021). Senior PIJ figure Khader Habib said the sentences damaged the historic ties between Saudi Arabia and the Palestinians, and were good only for Israel (al-Mayadeen TV website, August 8, 2021).

The PA’s financial situation

• The PA’s financial continues to deteriorate. “A knowledgeable source” reported that the PA’s ministry of the treasury is holding consultations with the banking system to ensure the receipt of loans that will enable it to pay its employees (Sawa, August 8, 2021). Taysir Nasrallah, a member of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council, said that during a meeting of the council with PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh, Shtayyeh said the government would borrow money from the banks to pay salaries (Sawa, August 9, 2021).
• Regarding the payments made every month to prisoners and the families of shaheeds, Khaled Zahed, financial director of the ministry of communications, said that payments would be made to the prisoners and the families of shaheeds on August 10, 2021. He said payment in the northern districts would be made through the post office bank and the post office ATMs. In the Gaza Strip payment would be made through the Bseiso company and the wounded and the families of shaheeds would be paid through the Murtaja company (see below). He said payment would not be made through the banks because they refused to distribute the funds, fearing reprisals from Israel if they continued maintaining ties with the families of shaheeds and prisoners. The ministry of welfare in the Gaza Strip announced that salaries would be paid through the post office bank (Filastin al-Yawm, August 9, 2021).^[4]
• The Bseiso Exchange Company is located in Gaza City. It is not the first time the PA has used it to pay the families of the wounded and shaheeds (Sama, April 10, 2021; Sabaq24, June 2, 2021). The Jehad Ghazi Bseiso and Partners Exchange has two branches in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. They made it clear in the past they not pay money to the wounded, that was done by a different company called the Bseiso Exchange Company (company Facebook page, April 6, 2021).
• The Ziyad Murtaja Bros. Company is located in the Gaza Strip and represents itself as the main distributor of Palestinian media and communications companies, the electric company and the Gaza City municipality, and as the exclusive distributor of Huawei cellular phones in the Gaza Strip. It was founded in Gaza City in 1979 and has branches throughout the Gaza Strip. Its Facebook page lists the branches where funds will be paid to the families of shaheeds and the wounded (Ziyad Murtaja company Facebook page, August 9, 2021).

Sheikh Jarrah

• Despite the ruling of Israel’s Supreme Court, tension continues around the issue of evicting the Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in east Jerusalem. In the meantime, according to reports, Jordan sent the Palestinian families living in the neighborhood new documents proving the Jordanian authorities had begun transferring ownership of the land and houses in Sheikh Jarrah to the Palestinian families, but the process had stopped because of the Six Day War (al-Ghad, October 3, 2021).
• According to reports, the Palestinian terrorist organizations sent a message to Egypt stating that if Israel decided to evict the Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah and crossed red lines the organizations would the rocket fire and the situation would become volatile (al-Akhbar, August 3, 2021). The Hamas-affiliated Sons of al-Zawari incendiary balloon launching unit issued a video warning Israel not to rule against the residents of Sheikh Jarrah because they would not remain quiet in the face of such a ruling (Sons of al-Zawari Telegram channel, August 8, 2021).

PA reaction to the increase in the settlements’ budget

• Given the authorization of the Israeli government’s new budget and the 50% increase in the settlement budget, Sabri Siyam, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, called for a “popular resistance.” He also called for local and international institutions to act by taking control of agricultural areas to expand the Palestinian territories in Judea and Samaria (Nahar al-Jadeed, August 4, 2018).

Palestinian coronavirus infections

• In recent weeks there was a rise in coronavirus infection in Judea and Samaria. This past week dozens of new active cases were diagnosed every day, and several hundred during the week. In Judea and Samaria there are currently about 400 active cases, most of them not serious. There are 12 serious or critical cases and two people on ventilators. About half of the cases are from Nablus, Tulkarm and Jenin.
• As if August 9, 2021, there were 1,524 active cases in the Gaza Strip, 59 of them hospitalized, 39 in serious or critical condition. So far 336,300 doses of vaccine have been delivered to the Gaza Strip and 11,561 people have been vaccinated (Filastin al-Yawm, August 9, 2021).