News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (April 1 – 6, 2020)

Rocket and mortar shell fire into Israel

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

Monthly Distribution of Rocket and Mortar Shell Fire

Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

Threats from PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah

• PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah warned that Israel had to choose between [massively entering crowded] bomb shelters on the one hand and ending the [so-called] “siege” and releasing the Palestinian [terrorist] prisoners [in Israeli jails] on the other. He said the Palestinians would not die alone, and Israel’s leaders had to understand that continuing the “siege” of the Gaza Strip and illusion that Israel could not be harmed would not be effective (al-Aqsa, April 5, 2020).

Events

• Despite the lockdown in Judea and Samaria because of the spread of COVID-19, Palestinians continued throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles, although there was a noticeable decrease in the number of attacks. On April 1, 2020, Border Police fighters operating in Issawiya in east Jerusalem detained two Palestinians suspected of rioting and attempting to attack Israeli police forces (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, April 1, 2020).
• Other prominent events were the following:
  • April 5, 2020 – Stones were thrown at an Israel civilian vehicle east of Ramallah. No casualties were reported. The front windshield of the vehicle was damaged (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, April 5, 2020).
  • April 5, 2020 – Stones were thrown at an Israel civilian vehicle northeast of Hebron. No casualties were reported. (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, April 5, 2020).
  • April 4, 2020 – Molotov cocktails were thrown at an Israeli civilian vehicle northeast of Ramallah. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, April 4, 2020).
  • April 1, 2020 – Stones were thrown at an Israel civilian vehicle north of Bethlehem. No casualties were reported. (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, April 1, 2020).
  • April 1, 2020 – Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli civilian vehicles twice within one hour southwest of Bethlehem. No casualties were reported (Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria, April 1, 2020).

Significant terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria since January 2019^[2]

Financial influence of COVID-19 on the Gaza Strip

• Jamal al-Khudeiri, a member of the Legislative Council and chairman of the popular committee for the struggle against the “siege,” said that the economic losses in the Gaza Strip resulting from fighting the spread of COVID-19 in March and from the “siege” of the Gaza Strip, are estimated at $200 million. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the international community was currently facing a new challenge and had to end the “siege” of the Gaza Strip immediately (Hamas website, April 3, 2020).
• An Internet campaign with the hashtag “#the_siege_is_a_pandemic” was launched to exert pressure on Israel to lift the “siege” on the Gaza Strip because of COVID-19 and its consequences for the Gaza Strip in terms of health, the economy, the environment, etc. The campaign is described as an international, humanitarian, political information campaign initiated by several Arab and international human rights institutions (Sawa, April 2, 2020).

Statements from Isma’il Haniyeh

• Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, spoke with a number of Arab leaders, senior figures from various countries and UN personnel. He stressed the need to unify the efforts of the Palestinian people in the war on COVID-19 in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and “abroad.” He also mentioned the situation of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, stressing that the issue had to be monitored and serious effort had to be invested to protect their lives and release them (Hamas website, April 4, 2020).
• Isma’il Haniyeh also spoke to Ali Larijani, speaker of the Iranian parliament, and inquired after his health, since Larijani has been infected with the coronavirus. Haniyeh wished him a full recovery (Hamas website, April 4, 2020).

Speech given by Mahmoud Abbas

• On April 4, 2020, Mahmoud Abbas gave a short speech, the first speech he has given in a month, to announce a 30-day extension of the state of emergency in the PA territories. He called on the Palestinian workers in Israel to return, and as a show of national responsibility to remain in isolation for two weeks and not come into contact with anyone. After the speech PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh held a press conference where he formally announced the extension of the emergency measures. According to the announcement, educational institutions and the border crossings from Israel to the Palestinian territories will remain closed and the ban on passage between the PA cities and districts will remain in place (Palestinian TV, April 4, 2020).

Palestinian reactions to the statement of the Israeli minister of defense

• The Palestinian foreign ministry strongly condemned the remarks made by Naphtali Bennet, the Israeli foreign minister, in which he conditioned the delivery of COVID-19 medical equipment to the Gaza Strip on the return of missing Israelis held by Hamas. According to the foreign ministry, Bennett’s remarks represent “cheap, unethical blackmail,” especially at a time when all mankind is being tested. In addition, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, Israel also expresses its position by attempting to harm the official Palestinian efforts to fight the pandemic; by the way the Israeli regime and Israeli employers relate to the Palestinian workers; by the deliberate decision of the Israeli Prison Service not to provide safety measures for the Palestinian prisoners; and the “siege” of the Palestinian in the Gaza Strip, which prevents the supply of the basic goods necessary for maintaining health and welfare (Facebook page of the Palestinian foreign ministry, April 2, 2020).
• Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem called Bennett’s statement inhuman and an exploitation of the COVID-19 crisis. He said the issue of the Israeli soldiers held by the Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades is being conducted only on the basis of a prisoner exchange deal (al-Andalou News, April 3, 2020).

Contribution of the World Bank

• The World Bank authorized a donation of $5 million in aid for Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. The money is intended to provide a response for urgent needs related to health. It is meant to support efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, to improve treatment and deal with contagion. The current funding is in addition to the $800,000 the World Bank authorized on March 6, 2020 (World Bank, April 5, 2020).

Contacts between senior PA figures and senior figures in the organizations in the Gaza Strip

• Given the spread of COVID-19, a number of discussions were held by the PA leadership with senior figures in the organizations in the Gaza Strip. For instance:
  • PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh spoke with Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau. They discussed coping with the spread of the virus in the Gaza Strip and the PA territories. Shtayyeh promised Haniyeh that the Palestinian government would provide Gaza with everything it needed. Haniyeh praised the PA for its measures to prevent the spread of the virus (Filastin al-Yawm, April 5, 2020).
  • PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas spoke with PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah. Al-Nakhalah said he felt calm about the situation of the Palestinian people in the face of the spread of the virus. He praised the preventive measures taken by the PA to guard the health of the Palestinians. Mahmoud Abbas said he was prepared to help with the treatment of Ramadan Shelah, the former PIJ leader (Wafa, April 4, 2020).

Concern over the situation of the Palestinian terrorist prisoners

• In addition to activity to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the PA and the Gaza Strip are broadly involved in the issue of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Senior figures in the PA and Gaza demand their release to prevent mass contagion. The Palestinians falsely claim that Israel is not taking the necessary steps to prevent the spread of the virus in the jails and is endangering the prisoners’ lives. Senior PA figures have appealed to international agencies to bring about, as the first phase, the release about 1000 “sick,” elderly, female and underage prisoners, as well as prisoners in administrative detention. In reality, the Israel Prison Service has instituted measures to prevent an outbreak of the pandemic in the prisons, and has stated that so far not one Palestinian prisoners has been found infected with the virus.
• Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip hinted at the possibility of a partial concession if Israel releases elderly sick prisoners and children. He said the issue was on the agenda of Hamas’ political and military leadership, and they were monitoring the medical condition of the Palestinian prisoners. He also threatened that Hamas would take serious measures if Israel fails to guard their health (Shehab, April 2, 2020).

Ban on the entrance of used equipment from Israel

• Khaled al-Asili, the Palestinian minister of the economy, issued instructions banning the entrance of used equipment from Israel to the Palestinian territories in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Wafa, April 5, 2020). The Palestinian security forces began enforcing the instructions by destroying used equipment and furniture smuggled in from Israel (Wafa, April 5, 2020).

    
The Palestinian security forces burn used equipment and furniture in Dura (south of Hebron) (Wafa, April 5, 2020).

Public opinion polls about COVID-19

• On March 31, 2020, the AWRAD institute issued the results of a public opinion poll conducted about “the performance of the Palestinian government against the coronavirus:” 82% of respondents evaluate the overall performance of the government of Dr. Shtayyeh positively. The evaluation of the ministry of health was 7.1 out of 10. 59% said that they are committed to the stay-at-home order, 70% of the women and 51.3% of the men. 40% of the women are afraid of an increase in violence. 10% lost their jobs early in the crisis (AWRAD, March 31, 2020).
• A public opinion poll conducted by the JMCC center among 600 residents of Judea and Samaria found that 96% of respondents expressed trust in the PA’s handling of the crisis, and 96% expressed support for the lockdown