News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (March 23-29, 2022)

Shooting attack in Bnei Brak-Ramat Gan

• At around 20:00 on March 29, 2022, there was a shooting attack on the Bnei Brak-Ramat Gan border in central Israel, to the east of Tel Aviv. Five people were killed. According to the initial investigation, a man armed with an assault opened fire at passersby on Shnayim Street in Bnei Brak, mortally wounding them. From there he went to Herzl Street in Ramat Gan where he again opened fire at passersby. He was shot and killed by police (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, March 29, 2022). He may have had accomplices.
• According to the initial security assessment, the terrorist operative was a Palestinian from Ya’bed, a village near Jenin, and in Israel illegally. In the past he was imprisoned in Israel for security felonies. Hamas announced he was Dhia Haramshah. Hamas and the PIJ welcomed the attack and encouraged more attacks during the upcoming month of Ramadan, which begins this coming Friday, April 2, 2022. Cries of joy were heard in the streets of Jenin, where pastries and candy were distributed to passersby.

Shooting attack in Hadera^[1]

• At around 21:00 on March 27, 2022, two terrorists drove to Herbert Samuel Street in the central Israeli city of Hadera. They exited the vehicle armed with hand guns and shot two Border Police fighters standing at a bus stop, taking their weapons and using them to continue shooting. Two other individuals were wounded. Undercover Border Police fighters who happened to be at the scene exchanged fire with the terrorists, killing them. Two of the undercover fighters were wounded in the exchange of fire (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, March 28, 2022). A large quantity of weapons was found in the terrorists’ possession.

   
Right: The terrorists at the scene of the attack (CCTV, March 27, 2022). Left: The weapons found in the terrorists’ possession (Israel Police Force Facebook page, March 28, 2022).

•  The two terrorist operatives were Ayman Ighbariah and Ibrahim Ighbariah (also referred to as Khaled), cousins from the Israeli Arab city of Umm al-Fahm. In 2016 Ibrahim Ighbariah was detained in Gaziantep, southern Turkey, while en route to Syria, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) away from the border (Umm al-Fahm Facebook page, March 27, 2022). The Israeli media reported he was deported to Israel, tried, sentenced, imprisoned and released after confessing and stating he felt remorse for his action and promised he would not join the ranks of ISIS or any other terrorist organization. The two issued a video before leaving for the attack with an improvised ISIS flag in the background. ISIS officially claimed responsibility for the attack through its media outlets.

   
Right: Ayman (left) and Ibrahim Ighbariah, the two terrorist operatives who carried out the shooting attack (Watan, March 27, 2022). Left: A picture from the video issued by the two terrorists before the attack (Telegram, March 27, 2022).

Counterterrorism activities

• The Israeli security forces detained a Palestinian suspect, a man in his 20s from the village of Biddya, who posted a video to TikTok showing himself removing a mezuzah and trying to burn the parchment inside it. He was detained following a police investigation of the video. According to the initial investigation, he vandalized the mezuzah while working in a city in central Israel (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, Jerusalem district, March 25, 2022).
•  Police detectives detained a vehicle near the Yitzhar Junction, south of Nablus. A search of the vehicle revealed two improvised Carlo submachine guns. The suspect, a resident of Hebron, was taken for interrogation (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, March 25, 2022).

• A fifteen year-old Palestinian from Kafr ‘Aqab who arrived at a Temple Mount gate aroused the suspicion of police stationed at the site. An examination of his bag revealed a knife, brass knuckles, a mask and a Palestinian flag. He was detained and taken for interrogation (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, March 23, 2022).

Rocks, Molotov cocktails and other events

• In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continued throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles driving on the roads, IDF posts and Israeli communities The more prominent events were the following:^[2]
  • March 28, 2022: Molotov cocktails were thrown at a guard post in the Israeli settlement of Psagot, east of Ramallah. No casualties were reported.
  • March 28, 2022: An IED was thrown at an IDF post located between the settlements of Itamar and Alon Moreh, south of Nablus. No casualties were reported.
  • March 28, 2022: A pipe bomb was thrown at an IDF force near Hawwara, south of Nablus. No casualties were reported.
  • March 28, 2022: Rocks were thrown from a passing car to the north of Ramallah. No casualties were reported.
  • March 28, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle to the east of Qalqilya. No casualties were reported.
  • March 28, 2022: Bottles of pain and rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus and other vehicles near the Ma’aleh Amos Junction northeast of Hebron. No casualties were reported. The vehicles were damaged.
  • March 28, 2022: A Molotov cocktail was thrown at a guard post at a junction north of Hebron. No casualties were reported.
  • March 27 2022: A Molotov cocktail was thrown at an Israeli vehicle on the Husan bypass road, west of Bethlehem. No casualties were reported.
  • March 27 2022: Three Molotov cocktails were thrown in the Ofra area, northeast of Ramallah. No casualties were reported.
  • March 27 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle between the settlements of Homesh and Shavei Shomron, northwest of Nablus. Two passengers were injured.
  • March 27 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus near Bayt Ummar, north of Hebron. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • March 24 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus on the Nabi Ilyas bypass road, east of Qalqilya. No casualties were reported; the bus was damaged.
  • March 24 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle in the Sinjil area, northeast of Ramallah. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • March 24 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus carrying school children in the region of Hawwara, south of Nablus. No casualties or damage were reported.
  • March 24 2022: A paint bottle was thrown at an Israeli bus south of the Karmei Tzur Junction, north of Hebron. No casualties were reported; the bus was damaged.
  • March 23 2022: A Molotov cocktail was thrown at an Israeli bus near Shuqba, northeast of Ramallah. No casualties were reported.
  • March 23 2022: Four Molotov cocktails were thrown at vehicles south of Karmei Tzur, north of Hebron. No casualties were reported.
  • March 23 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near Umm Sava, northwest of Ramallah. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • March 22 2022: A Molotov cocktail was thrown at an Israeli vehicle near Ariel No casualties were reported.
  • March 22 2022:Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle in the Sinjil area, northeast of Ramallah. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  •  March 22 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near Ni’lin, west of Ramallah. A passenger was injured by flying glass.

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

Rocket and mortar shell fire into Israel

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

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire since January 2020

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

Rally marking Land Day

• On March 26, 2022, following a call in the Gaza Strip from the national authority for the support of Arabs “inside the 1948 territories,” a rally was held to mark Land Day. Attended by several hundred people, it was held near the “return camp” close to the Karni Crossing east of Gaza City. Those attending did not approach the fence or confront IDF soldiers. The head of the authority, Muhsen Abu Ramadan, called for the continuation of “armed resistance,” adherence to the land and a firm stance in the struggle against Israel. He stressed the unity of the Palestinian people and land in their joint struggle against “the Israeli occupation.” Senior PIJ figures Khaled al-Batash said they had come to tell the Arabs “inside the 1948 territories” that they stood with them and that the “sword of Jerusalem” would “not return to its scabbard.” He also said the “resistance” [i.e., the Palestinian terrorist organizations] would have their say if Israel took “aggressive measures” against Jerusalem or the residents of [the] Sheikh Jarrah [neighborhood of east Jerusalem] (Filastin al-A’an, March 26, 2022).
•   During the rally a speech was made by Muhammad Barakeh, chairman of the monitoring committee of Israeli Arabs, who attacked Israel for its activities in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, alleging they were “crimes” against the land, history and holy sites. He also referred to the “barbaric siege of the Gaza Strip” and the continuing expansion of the settlements (“cancerous growths”) in the West Bank (Shehab website, March 26, 2022). He gave a similar speech at an event in the Negev.

   
The Land Day rally held east of Gaza City (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, March 26, 2022).

• PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah called Land Day a “historic day” and an expression of the Palestinians’ desire to preserve their rights. He said Iran stood side by side with the Palestinian people, supported it and paid a high price for its support (al-Ahed, March 26, 2022). Saleh al-‘Arouri, deputy chairman of Hamas’ political bureau, called for Israeli Arabs and the public in the Gaza Strip and West Bank to mark Land Day (al-Mayadeen, March 28, 2022).

Preparing for Ramadan

•   The Palestinian media reported that for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic two years ago, Israel will allow the families of prisoners from the Gaza Strip to visit relatives in Israeli prisons. According to a Red Cross representative in the Gaza Strip, on March 29, 2022, 35 Gazans would visit relatives in the Nafha Prison in southern Israel (Ma’an, March 29, 2022).

   
Families of Palestinian prisoners en route to the Erez Crossing and from there to visit relatives in the Nafha Prison, in coordination with the Red Cross (Wafa, March 29, 2022).

• The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced that for Ramadan, and in accordance with an Israeli government decision, Israel had increased the number of Gazans entering Israel for work from 12,000 to 20,000. The workers will be employed in construction and agriculture (COGAT Facebook page, March 27, 2022).
• Abd al-Fatah al-Zari’, deputy minister of the economy in the Gaza Strip, said the goods and products necessary for Ramadan were available in the markets and stores in the Gaza Strip at reasonable prices and in sufficient quantities. He said the ministry of the economy in the Gaza Strip was supervising the supplies, quality and prices of goods (Shehab Facebook page, March 23, 2022).

  
Right: Abd al-Fatah al-Zari’, interviewed by the Shehab channel (Shehab Facebook page, March 23, 2022). Left: A market ready for Ramadan in the Gaza Strip (Palinfo Twitter account, March 28, 2022).

Aid from Qatar for the Gaza Strip

• Mohammed al-Emadi, chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, visiting in the Gaza Strip since March 23, 2022, said Qatar had renewed its donation of $360 million to the Gaza Strip for fuel, aid to needy families and the salaries of Hamas officials for another year. He added that six months ago an agreement with Israel had been reached according to the number of Gazans who could work in Israel would be raised to 30,000. He said that at the present time there were problems at the Erez Crossing regarding the processing of large numbers of workers (al-Quds, March 24, 2022).

Interview with Saleh al-‘Arouri

• Saleh al-‘Arouri, deputy chairman of Hamas’ political bureau, was interviewed by the Hezbollah-affiliated al-Mayadeen TV channel. He threatened Israel, saying that any “aggression” against Muslims worshipping in al-Aqsa mosque during Ramadan or acts preventing them from praying would “open the gates of hell and lead to another escalation.” He said Israel was currently “undergoing examination” in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa, and the time had come for Israel to learn that Jerusalem, the holy sites and al-Aqsa mosque were red lines for the Palestinians. As to the possibility of another confrontation with Israel, he said all the [Palestinian terrorist] organizations were deployed at all times and that the war that had lasted for 11 days (Operation Guardian of the Walls) in the Gaza Strip was only a preview of the long war they were prepared for, if Israel “forces us into it.” Regarding the most recent terrorist attacks, he said they were examples of the “real resistance” to the denial of the Palestinians’ right to exist and to their identity. He added that Hamas had good relations with Hezbollah, and its leader [Hassan Nasrallah] and Hamas held regular consultations (al-Mayadeen, March 28, 2022).

Senior Hamas and PIJ figures meet

• Senior Hamas and PIJ figures, including representatives of the organizations’ military terrorist wings, met in the Gaza Strip on March 28, 2022. They issued a joint statement saying they had discussed ways to strengthen the “resistance” and develop bilateral relations (Hamas website, March 28, 2022).

Reaction to the foreign ministers’ conference in the Negev

• Senior Hamas and PIJ figures condemned the foreign ministers’ conference in the Negev. According to Hamas, the meetings serve only Israel by making its ongoing aggression permanent and are contrary to the interests of the Arab nation and Arab populations which oppose normalization [of relations with Israel] (Hamas Telegram channel, March 27, 2022). PIJ spokesman Da’ud Shehab said regional residents had to ask why the foreign ministers ignored the conflict in the Negev and met at a time and place where Palestinian residents [sic] were being attacked (Shehab, March 27, 2022).

Mahmoud Abbas meets with Antony Blinken, the American Secretary of State

• Mahmoud Abbas met with Antony Blinken, the American Secretary of State, who had come for the foreign ministers’ conference in the Negev. Also present at the meeting were Hussein al-Sheikh, chairman of the authority of civilian affairs and a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, and Majed Faraj, head of Palestinian general intelligence. According to Palestinian reports they discussed renewing the peace process, the reopening of the American consulate in east Jerusalem, and renewing American economic aid to the PA. Mahmoud Abbas said what President Biden believed in and promised had to be implemented, that is, the two-state solution, ending construction in the settlements and settler violence, preserving al-Aqsa mosque’s historic status quo, reopening the American consulate in east Jerusalem and revoking the laws designating the PLO as a terrorist organization (Wafa, March 27, 2022).

   
Mahmoud Abbas meets with Antony Blinken (al-Hayat al-Jadeeda Facebook page, March 27, 2022).

Mahmoud Abbas meets with King Abdallah of Jordan

• King Abdallah of Jordan, accompanied by his son the crown prince, arrived in Ramallah to meet with Mahmoud Abbas. Mahmoud Abbas told him that Jordan and the Palestinians were one, and shared one interest and one pain. He called the meeting “important” and said the Palestinians did not forget Jordan’s position on the Palestinian cause, which was actually the Palestinian position. King Abdallah said the region could not enjoy security without a full, fair solution for the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution, which would ensure [the founding of] an independent Palestinian state with the 1967 borders and east Jerusalem as its capital. The king also said that Jordan continued its efforts to preserve the status quo in Jerusalem (Wafa, March 28, 2022).

   
Mahmoud Abbas meets with King Abdallah of Jordan (Wafa Facebook page, March 28, 2022).

EU representative meets with the PA leadership

• Olivér Várhelyi, EU commissioner for neighborhood and enlargement, arrived in Ramallah for meetings with the PA leadership, including PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh and Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki. They discussed the progress of implementing the EU’s regional program, which included the establishment of a desalination plant for the Gaza Strip and piping gas into Gaza (Sawa, March 25, 2022). Muhammad Shtayyeh thanked the EU for its support and noted the importance of its financial aid. He said they opposed imposing conditions on the financial aid and that a delay in receipt of the aid would influence the PA’s capability to fulfill its obligations to the Palestinian public (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, March 24, 2022).

• The EU recently decided to delay authorization of its annual donation to the PA following the demand of the Hungarian representative the aid be conditioned on reforms in the PA’s curriculum. The representative objected because the textbooks used in Palestinian schools include elements of anti-Semitism and incitement.

Muhammad Shtayyeh participates in an international conference in Qatar

• On March 25, 2022, Muhammad Shtayyeh arrived in Doha to participate in the Doha Forum, a conference attended by world leaders to discuss economy, climate, cyber issues, etc. The conference was held under the aegis of Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, the ruler of Qatar (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, March 25, 2022).
•   During the visit Shtayyeh met with al-Thani. Shtayyeh updated him on the political and economic challenges facing the Palestinians, especially Israel’s deduction of funds from the tax revenues it collects for the PA, which is particularly difficult for the Palestinians. Shtayyeh told the conference that the war in Ukraine had brought the Palestinian issue to the fore again and exposed the double standard of international law and human rights. He said the Palestinians expected a genuine, serious political effort that would replace the current political vacuum and expected the plan and objective would be the end of the [Israeli] “occupation” (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, March 26, 2022).

   
Right: Muhammad Shtayyeh (second from right) in Doha. Left: Muhammad Shtayyeh with the ruler of Qatar (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, March 26, 2022).

Local elections in the PA

• On March 26, 2022, the second round of local elections was held in the PA. Hana Nasser, chairman of the elections committee, said that 53% of people eligible to vote exercised their right, somewhat fewer than the elections held in 2017, when 55% voted. Fewer people voted in the large cities than in the smaller cities and villages. Hamas officially boycotted the elections but had affiliated candidates in several other parties, such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
•   On March 27, 2022, Hana Nasser issued the election results. He said Fatah won by a landslide in the large cities, include Nablus, Ramallah, Jericho and Salfit. Hamas had achievements in Hebron, Tulkarm and al-Bireh. There was no clear winner in Tubas, Bethlehem and Qalqilya. Fatah regarded the results as a “national triumph” (Wafa, March 27, 2022).

   
Mahmoud Abbas casts his vote in al-Bireh (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, March 26, 2022). Left: Counting the votes in Dura (Wafa, March 26, 2022).

Reception held in Hebron for released Hamas terrorist prisoner

• On March 23, 2022, a reception was held for Jihad Abu Qabita, a Hamas security prisoner released from an Israeli jail after having served a term of ten years. His reception included a caravan of vehicles waving Hamas flags and driving drove through the center of Hebron (Shehab Twitter account, March 23, 2022).

Prisoners call off strike

• The Palestinian prisoners’ movement in Israeli jails said in an official statement that the extensive, unlimited hunger strike planned for March 25, 2022, had been called off. According to the statement, agreements had been reached with the Israeli prison service regarding some of the restrictions imposed on the prisoners several months ago, following the escape of six prisoners from the Gilboa Prison in September 2021.

Mahmoud Abbas accuses Israel of the theft of Palestinian water sources

• On March 22, 2022, the Palestinians marked World Water Day. Mahmoud Abbas exploited the day to harshly criticize Israel which, he alleged, steals water sources from the Palestinians. He said the world had to recognize the danger of the “water struggle” which Israel had been waging against the Palestinians for years, adding that they would not be silent in the face of Israel’s theft of their water sources. He also said that despite the difficult circumstances and obstacles Israel poses before the Palestinians they would continue to develop the Palestinian water infrastructure (Mahmoud Abbas’ Facebook page, March 23, 2022).

Public opinion poll

• On March 22, 2022, Khalil Shqaqi’s Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) issued the results of the quarterly public opinion poll held between March 16 and 20, 2022. Some of the results follow (PCPSR website, March 22, 2022).^[4]
  • Fatah-Hamas: “The results of the first quarter of 2022 indicate a return to the internal balance of power between Fatah and Hamas, as the case was before the May 2021 Israel-Hamas war. The popularity of Fatah in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip stands at 37%, compared with 29% during the last poll, and a slight rise in satisfaction with Mahmoud Abbas’ performance. However, Isma’il Haniyeh would still win the election if the only two candidates were he and Mahmoud Abbas, and would receive54% overview the votes.
  • Israel-PA relations: “A majority of 60% believes that the two-state solution is no longer practical or feasible due to the expansion of Israeli settlements.” The poll showed a rise in support for confrontations and “popular resistance” [i.e., popular terrorism] and a decline in the belief that negotiations were effective. Asked if the Qur’an held a prophecy for the destruction of Israel, 73% said it did, but only a few believed it would occur during a specific year.
  • The war in Ukraine: “The largest percentage of the public (43%) blames Russia for starting the war with Ukraine…An overwhelming majority (71%) wants the PA to stay neutral in the conflict… A majority of 57% says the war show the double standard of US and Europe when the conflict is about the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories compared to that of Russia-Ukraine conflict…An overwhelming majority of 76% thinks there is a difference in the manner in which Europe treats refugees from Ukraine compared to its treatment of refugees from the Middle East; refugees from Arab and Islamic countries are treated badly and in a discriminatory manner.”
  • Israel as an apartheid state: “Two-thirds of the public (65%) approve…of the assessment that Israel is an apartheid state. Moreover, 48% agree…that Amnesty International’s report on Israel’s racism is an indication of a shift in Western public opinion in favor of Palestinians and against Israel, as it has previously did regarding apartheid in South Africa.”

Report from the UN’s Human Rights Council (HRC)

• Michael Lynk UN special rapporteur for the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories, issued a report, the last of his term in office, to the UN’s HRC. The report surveyed the human rights situation in the PA territories and dealt with the question of whether the situation could be called apartheid. The report concluded that Israel’s control of the territories meets the evidential standard for the existence of apartheid. Among the report’s recommendations were formulating a list of tools for making Israel responsible for ending the “occupation” and for the support of the international community in the International Criminal Court’s investigation of Israel. The UN report was issued a few weeks after the Amnesty report issued on February 1, 2022, on the same issue. The Amnesty report also determined that a policy of apartheid exists in the PA territories (UN website, March 25, 2022).

Judea and Samaria

• According to data from the ministry of health in Ramallah, on March 27, 2022, there was a decrease in the number of active cases, 199 down from 301 on March 20, 2022. There were 173 Palestinians in ICUs, seven of them on ventilators. So far 3,373 Palestinians have died of coronavirus-related causes; 62.6% of Palestinians have been vaccinated (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, march 27 27, 2022).

The Gaza Strip

• On March 27, 2022, the ministry of health in Gaza reported 853 active cases in the Gaza Strip, down from 1,242 on March 22, 2022. So far 1,978 Gazans have died of coronavirus-related causes, up from 1,976 on March 22, 2022.. So far 677,624 Gazans have been vaccinated, up from 675,711 on March 22, 2022 (ministry of health in Gaza Facebook page, December 21, 2022). Given the decline in the number of active cases, the ministry of health in Gaza will issue reports on the extent of coronavirus infection once a week.