Operation “Shield and Arrow” In the Gaza Strip – Summary

Overview

• After five days of fighting, at 10 p.m. on May 13, 2023, Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) declared a ceasefire. During the next hour PIJ terrorist operatives continued firing rockets and mortar shells at Israel and the IDF responded with aerial attacks on PIJ military-terrorist targets; quiet was restored at 11 p.m. During the five days of fighting six PIJ high-ranking operatives died in targeted killings and 422 terrorist targets were attacked.
• Over the five days of the operation, terrorist operatives in the Gaza Strip, primarily from the PIJ, fired 1,469 rockets and mortar shells at Israel, 1,131 of which landed inside Israeli territory; 291 fell inside the Gaza Strip and 39 into the sea. The Iron Dome aerial defense system intercepted 437 rockets, and two long-range rockets were intercepted by the David’s Sling aerial defense system (IDF spokesman, May 14, 2023). Two people were killed in Israel and dozens were wounded; there was considerable property damage.
• Despite the destruction and loss of life, according to the narrative of the terrorist organizations, especially the PIJ and Hamas, the round of fighting was a Palestinian success. The PIJ and the joint operations room in the Gaza Strip explained that Israel had been “surprised to discover” that the Palestinian reaction was united under the direction of the joint operations room. They claimed Israel was also surprised by the “tactic of delayed reaction,” which “created confusion and anxiety” in Israel.
• In reality, it was another round of IDF-PIJ fighting in which Hamas did not activate its military capabilities. However, the Hamas leadership did issue a notice supporting the PIJ, threatening it would enter and expand the combat, and other notices from which it was possible to understand that Hamas was active in the joint operations room. However, in effect, this time Hamas also did not fire rockets or mortar shells.

IDF Attacks in the Gaza Strip

• Targeted IDF attacks killed the six PIJ terrorists who formed the backbone of the organization’s military-terrorist wing in the Gaza Strip. In the first strike three of the most high-ranking operatives were killed, and later, three more.
• In addition to targeted killings, over the five days of fighting Israeli aircraft attacked PIJ military targets in the Gaza Strip in 422 aerial attacks. Among the targets were underground rocket pits, terrorist operatives who were en route to firing rockets, anti-tank squads, buildings which served as headquarters, military-terrorist posts and positions, facilities for the production of weapons and apartments used as hideouts by operatives of the organization’s military wing.
• Initially, about 36 hours after the targeted killings of the three commanders and when the PIJ began firing rockets, the terrorist organizations named the events “The free men’s revenge.” As the fighting progressed and it became obvious that there would be no ceasefire in the immediate future, in various announcements and declarations from the PIJ, Hamas and the joint operations room, the name was changed to “The free men’s revenge campaign.”

    
Right: House of a PIJ commander after the IDF aerial attack (QudsN Twitter account, May 13, 2023). Left: The attack on Iyad al-Husni’s apartment in the Nasr neighborhood in Gaza City (QudsN Twitter account, May 12, 2023).

Rocket Fire

• In the meantime, rocket and mortar fire at Israel continued. Most of the rockets and mortar shells targeted the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip, with only a limited number of long-range rockets fired. As the fighting progressed the intervals between rockets barrages became longer, apparently because the PIJ did not want to empty its storehouses.
• Most of the rockets were fired by the PIJ. A total of 1,469 were fired, 1,131 of which landed in Israel, 291 falling inside the Gaza Strip and 39 falling into the sea. The Iron Dome intercepted 437 rockets, and two long-range rockets were intercepted by the David’s Sling system (IDF spokesman, May 14, 2023). The more prominent attacks were the following:
• May 11, 2023
  • At approximately 6 p.m. a barrage of long-range rockets was fired at Rehovot, Ramla and Be’er Yaakov. One hit an apartment house in Rehovot. One resident, a woman, was killed, and about ten others were wounded. Extensive damage was done to the building. The event was widely covered in the Palestinian media, with many pictures of the damaged building. Commentators in the Gaza Strip praised the “ability of the rockets from Gaza to penetrate the Iron Dome’s defenses and strike a direct, painful hit in Tel Aviv [sic],” causing death and destruction.

   
Results of the rocket hit in Rehovot
(Twitter account of photojournalist Hassan Aslih, May 12, 2023).

• • At 6:30 p.m. the Jerusalem Brigades (the PIJ’s military-terrorist wing) and the al-Ansar Salah al-Din Battalions jointly claimed joint responsibility from the operations room for rocket fire targeting Ashdod and Ashqelon in response to “the targeted killings and continued aggression” (Telegram channels of the PIJ and the al-Ansar Salah al-Din Battalions, May 11, 2023). It was the PIJ’s first claim of responsibility. According to another announcement, “our people raise their heads for the blessed response, rockets are the most effective way to destroy the enemy’s targets and humiliate him” (PIJ’s political bureau Telegram channel, May 11, 2023).
  • At approximately 9 p.m., another barrage of long-range rockets was fired into Israel, targeting Rishon LeTzion, Holon and the Greater Tel Aviv area. No casualties or damage were reported. The attack was preceded by announcements and declarations on the social media in Gaza that rocket fire could be expected at 9 p.m.
• May 12, 2023
  • At approximately 12 noon sirens sounded in the regions of Beit Shemesh, Beitar Illit, Efrat, Alon Shvut, Tsur Hadassah, Aminadav and other locations south and west of Jerusalem. At least two rockets were intercepted.
  • The PIJ and Hamas boasted about firing rockets at Jerusalem. PIJ spokesman Da’ud Shehab called the attack on “occupied Jerusalem” a “message” indicating the “resistance” [Palestinian terrorist organizations] was watching Jerusalem and could see everything that occurred there. The battle, he claimed, was approaching the date of the Flag March,^[1] which encouraged them to continue fighting (al-Quds, May 12, 2023). Hamas and its military-terrorist wing also boasted about the rocket fire at the Jerusalem region claiming the “resistance” was meeting its commitment, especially by defending the Palestinian people through the joint operations room.
  • “Palestinian sources” revealed that the rockets had been fired at the Jerusalem region after joint operations room consultations and with the intention of advancing the fighting “in response to the targeted killings and to defend Jerusalem [sic].” It was also reported that they were considering the possibility of continuing the fighting until May 18, 2023, the day of the Flag March in Jerusalem. Should that happen, the “confrontation” would focus on Jerusalem and the second phase would be called “Defending the holy city” (al-Akhbar, May 12, 2023).
• May 13, 2023
  • On Saturday most of the rockets and mortar shells were fired at the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip and the southern Israeli cities of Ashqelon, Ashdod and Netivot. A barrage was fired, for the first time, at Ofakim. One man was killed and two were wounded when a rocket hit an open area in the western Negev. The victim and one of the wounded were workers from the Gaza Strip who had not been able to return to their homes because the crossings were closed when the operation began.
  • After a ceasefire was declared at 9:15 p.m., barrages of rockets were fired at the communities near the Gaza Strip. At 9:41 p.m. rockets were fired at Rishon LeTzion and Holon. Two rockets were intercepted in the skies over Rishon LeTzion, with parts of a rocket falling on Route 4, a major north-south highway near the coast. Rocket fire at the communities near the Gaza Strip continued until 10 p.m. and there was another barrage at 11:07 p.m. The PIJ fired a total of 45 rockets and mortar shells after the ceasefire had been declared and accepted. In response the IDF attacked military-terrorist posts near the Gaza Strip border.

     
The final rocket fire before the ceasefire (QudsN Twitter account, May 13, 2023).

• PIJ spokesman Tareq Salami said the rocket fire after the ceasefire declaration was a message to Israel that the “resistance” would not “lay down its arms.” He also noted that the “resistance” would respond if Israel carried out more targeted killings or attacked more buildings (al-Jazeera, May 13, 2023).

    
Right: Cartoon by Alaa’ al-Laqta (Alaa’ al-Laqta’s Facebook page, May 12, 2023). Left: Cartoon mocking Israel because the Iron Dome aerial defense system did not intercept one rocket. The Arabic reads, “Israel and the Iron Dome…” (al-Quds al-Arabi, May 12, 2023).

    
Right: Rocket fire targeting Tel Aviv (Muhammad Sabaana’s Facebook page, May 11, 2023). Left: Cartoon bearing the joint operations room’s logo showing operatives of various organizations, including Hamas [green headbands] participating in firing rockets (Shehab Telegram channel, May 13, 2023).

Casualties in Israel

• Magen David Adom reported that during the five days of fighting two people were killed in Israel, a woman in Rehovot and a worker from the Gaza Strip in the western Negev. A total of 77 Israelis received medical treatment. Seven were wounded by shrapnel, concussion and flying glass, one critically (a worker from the Gaza Strip, the brother of the man who was killed). Twenty-three were injured while running to protected areas.

Contacts for a ceasefire

• Even before the PIJ began firing rockets, and throughout the fighting, the Egyptian mediator was making attempts to reach a ceasefire. The PIJ’s conditions for a ceasefire were that Israel had to commit itself, “in front of the mediators,” to stop carrying out targeted killings and stop attacking the Gaza Strip, and would turn over the body of Khader Adnan, who died in a hunger strike in an Israeli jail. Muhammad al Hindi, a high-ranking figure in the PIJ’s “external” leadership, arrived in Cairo, having been invited by Egypt. On the evening of May 12, 2023, the Egyptian mediator reportedly offered a new proposal for a ceasefire: an unconditional, temporary ceasefire of between 24 and 48 hours, which would begin at midnight. The Egyptians said the ceasefire would be defined as “a humanitarian lull,” during which the crossings would be opened and vital equipment would be delivered to the Gaza Strip, including medical equipment, and the wounded could be transferred to hospitals outside the Gaza Strip. In the meantime, Egypt would try to achieve a permanent ceasefire. According to reports, the sides were asked to respond (al-‘Ahad, May 12, 2023).
• On the evening of May 13, 2023, according to reports, a ceasefire had been achieved which would go into effect at 10 p.m. (al-Jazeera, May 13, 2023). Muhammad al-Hindi, who represented the organization in the contacts for a ceasefire, claimed the agreement included a halt to attacks on civilians, the destruction of buildings and attacks on operatives. He added that they would uphold the ceasefire as long as Israel did. He thanked Egypt for its mediation and claimed the joint operations room of the Palestinian organizations had been “a support during the most recent confrontation” (al-Jazeera, May 13, 2023).
• A short time later the joint operations room said in an announcement that the round of fighting had ended and “the free men’s revenge campaign” was over. The announcement also noted that the “the flags had not been lowered and would not be lowered, and the fighting spirit had not faded and would not fade, and the desire to fight could not be daunted.” It added that the “resistance” had come out of the fighting “strong and united” and warned Israel not to carry out more targeted killings, because “our sword was unsheathed and our finger is on the trigger” (joint operations room of the Palestinian organizations Telegram channel, May 13, 2023).

• Ziyad al-Nakhalah, PIJ secretary general, officially announced the end of “the free men’s revenge campaign,” the most recent round in the conflict with the “Zionist project.” He said that despite the pain, the Palestinian people always held their “heads high”, claiming they suffered so that their position would remain “united, strong and stable.” He claimed that during the operation the organization’s military wing had been “the spearhead of the resistance” and the “resistance” [terrorist] organizations were the “mighty wall” on which the organizations’ fighters relied. He thanked all those who had stood with them, especially Iran, Hezbollah, Qatar and Egypt, and invested efforts to stop the “aggression” (Jerusalem Brigades’ Telegram channel, May 14, 2023). The PIJ would be committed to the ceasefire on condition that the “occupation” did not attack civilians, and if it did, they would not regard themselves as released from the agreement.
• Ali Abu Shahin, a member of the PIJ’s “political bureau,” said they would be committed to the ceasefire on the condition that the “occupation” did not attack civilians, and if it did, they would not regard themselves as committed to the agreement. He stressed they were talking about the end of a round of fighting with the enemy and not a compromise. He added that the PIJ’s military wing had led the fighting on the ground and fired the rockets, but the other organizations had supported all their actions. He also claimed that there had been no schism between the organizations, as Israel wanted (Filastin al-Yawm, May 14, 2023).
• As soon as the ceasefire went into effect Palestinians in the Gaza Strip began holding marches and celebrations, waving PIJ flags and pictures of the commanders who had been killed (Shehab website, May 13, 2023).

    
Palestinians celebrate the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip (Shehab website, May 14, 2023).

The situation in the Gaza Strip

• The ministry of health in Gaza reported 33 Palestinians had been killed in the operation, including six children and three women. At least four were killed by PIJ rocket malfunctions. One hundred and forty-seven Palestinians were wounded, 20 buildings were destroying and 940 dwelling units were damaged, 49 of them designated as “unfit for human habitation.” The initial estimation of the overall damage was about $50 million.
• Following the declaration of a ceasefire, IDF General Ghassan Alian, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), announced the gradual, partial opening of the Erez and Kerem Shalom Crossings, beginning on May 14, 2023, and the opening of the maritime space off the Gazan coast during the morning. He said the crossings would be fully opened in accordance with an assessment of the situation (COGAT website, May 13, 2023).

   
Activity at the Kerem Shalom Crossing renewed after the declaration of a ceasefire
(Shehab Twitter account, May 14, 2023).

  
Right: Palestinians pick melons in the northern Gaza Strip (QudsN Twitter account, May 14, 2023). Left: The markets open (Twitter account of photojournalist Hassan Aslih, May 14, 2023).

   
The fishermen go back to work (Twitter account of photojournalist Hassan Aslih, May 14, 2023).

• As soon as the ceasefire was announced routine life returned to the Gaza Strip. The educational institutions reopened, the fishermen went back to work and the Kerem Shalom Crossing reopened for the delivery of merchandise. On the morning of May 14, 2023, trucks began delivering merchandise and fuel for the Gaza Strip power station (Alam24 News Agency, May 14, 2023).

• On May 14, 2023, Essam al-Dalis, chairman of the government monitoring committee in the Gaza Strip, held a meeting of the government emergency committee to assess the situation. He asked the government ministries to provide help for those who had been affected and to monitor damages (government media information office, Gaza, May 14, 2023).

• The ministry of the economy in the Gaza Strip announced that the economic damage of the “Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip” was about $10 million daily, the result of the “disruption of production.” According to the ministry, losses were incurred by the production, export and import sectors, and by workers and retail stores (Palestinian ministry of the economy website, May 14, 2023). Alaa al-Skafi, executive director of the al-Dameer Foundation for Human Rights, held a press conference where he said Israel had completely destroyed 151 dwelling units and partially destroyed 891. He also said that closing the crossings had led to a shortage of medicines and fuel. He called on the International Criminal Court’s general prosecutor to begin an investigation into the “crimes of the Israeli occupation” (Sabaq24, May 14, 2023).

Reactions

Palestinians

• Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary of the PLO’s Executive Committee, said they welcomed the ceasefire and the “halting of the aggression against the Gaza Strip.” He thanked Egypt for its role and the efforts it invested in reaching the [ceasefire] agreement, and also thanked all the “brothers” and international organizations contributing to its realization (Hussein al-Sheikh’s Twitter account, May 13, 2023).
• The Hamas movement thanked Egypt, Qatar and the UN for their efforts to reach a ceasefire and for their support (Hamas Telegram channel, May 14, 2023). Hamas also noted the cooperation among the organizations participating in the joint operations room, despite Hamas’ relatively minor participation. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the joint operations room of the Palestinian organizations had directed the operation “in a unified fashion.” He claimed the “unity of the arenas” had prevented all Israeli attempts to divide them. He also expressed Hamas’ esteem for the great popular mobilization of all the arenas around the “resistance,” which created genuine support for its actions (Hamas Telegram channel, May 14, 2023).
• Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanua said the “battle in which the joint operations room had participated ended with a victory for the resistance.” He added that the Palestinian people had chalked up “another victory” on the path to “liberation” and that the “occupation” understood that prolonging the battled would lead to the entrance into the conflict of “new fronts” (al-Mayadeen, May 13, 2023).

Activity in the Palestinian Authority (PA) territories

• Demonstrations were held in Nablus and Ramallah in support and solidarity with the residents of the Gaza Strip. Demonstrators waved signs condemning Israel’s actions (QudsN Twitter account, May 13, 2023).

   
Demonstrations in Ramallah (left) and Nablus (right) (QudsN Twitter account, May 13, 2023).

Hezbollah and Iran

• During the fighting the Palestinians briefed Iran about events. Ziyad al-Nakhalah, PIJ secretary general, spoke on the phone with Hossein-Amir Abdollahian, the Iranian foreign minister, to discuss developments. Al-Nakhalah told him that the “resistance” on the ground [the Palestinian terrorists firing rockets] was in excellent condition and would continue to stand firm against Israel’s aggression until Israel accepted the PIJ’s conditions. Abdollahian condemned the aggression and the killing of the PIJ commanders and innocent bystanders, and claiming they clearly violated human rights. He praised the “heroic resistance of the Palestinian people and the resistance organizations” (PIJ Telegram channel, May 12, 2023).
• Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, spoke on the phone with Abdollahian about the escalation in the Gaza Strip. Abdollahian, speaking on behalf of Iranian President Raisi, expressed Iran’s support for the Palestinian people and for their “brave resistance.” He also praised the Gaza Strip’s “firm stance” and the “resistance’s heroism in the ongoing confrontation with the enemy” (Hamas website, May 12, 2023).
• Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech for the seventh anniversary of the death of Mustafa Badr al-Din.^[2] He began by praising the Palestinian people, the leaders of the “resistance” and the PIJ. He claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had begun the current round of escalation by ordering the targeted killings of the heads of the PIJ’s military wing, their wives and children. He said Netanyahu had several motives: to rehabilitate and restore Israel’s deterrence, to escape from Israel’s internal stalemate, to cope with the dissolution of the coalition he headed and to improve his political standing. Nasrallah said the PIJ leadership had acted wisely after the killing of its military commanders and contacted the leadership of Hamas’ military wing so their positions would be unified (al-‘Ahad, May 12, 2023).
• As to the rocket fire, Nasrallah said firing rockets at Tel Aviv and the Jerusalem area had “confused” Israel. He claimed the killing of the “resistance” commanders had not weakened its capabilities in the Gaza Strip and it was powerful, firm and not expected to surrender. He said any future targeted killing would not pass without a response, but would lead to an extensive confrontation. He praised the Palestinian organizations’ unity and the cleverness with which they conducted the battle, claiming it was important because its influence was not limited to the Gaza Strip but reached the entire Middle East. He also said that Hezbollah maintained continuous contact with the heads of the “organizations” and was monitoring the situation and developments, and providing all the support it could, and if it had to “take measures,” it would not hesitate to do so (al-‘Ahad, May 12, 2023).

Other

• The White House press secretary said the United States welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and the “militias” in the Gaza Strip mediated by the Egyptian government after almost five days of fighting. It was also reported that the United States had worked with regional partners to achieve a solution and that the White House thanked Egyptian President Abd el-Fattah el-Sisi for Egypt’s critical diplomatic efforts, and the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (Reuters, May 14, 2023).
• Tor Wennesland, special UN envoy to the Middle East peace process, said he welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza Strip. He expressed sorrow for the loss of life and for the wounded, including women and children, in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and by the indiscriminate rocket attacks of the PIJ and other organizations. He also praised Egypt for its efforts to restore quiet, and called on all parties to preserve the ceasefire (Tor Wennesland’s Twitter account, May 14, 2023).

Appendix

Palestinian fatalities

• The ministry of health in Gaza updated the death toll of Operation Shield and Arrow to 33 (ministry of health in Gaza Twitter account, May 13, 2023), as follows:^[3]
  • Ahmed Muhammad Hamdan Abu Daqa: Killed in an Israeli attack on a building in the town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, at 4 p.m., May 11, 2023 (al-Mezan Center for Human Rights).^[4] Abu Daqa (Abu Hamza), 43 years old, was deputy commander of the PIJ’s rocket force. He was responsible for firing rockets at Israel, especially at Sderot. He also directed the force’s daily activities. He was very active in promoting, planning and carrying out rocket attacks against Israel. In addition, he participated in the PIJ’s rocket attacks during Operation Guardian of the Walls and Operation Breaking Dawn (IDF website, May 11, 2023). The PIJ’s military-terrorist wing issued a mourning notice for him describing him as a Jerusalem Brigades commander (Jerusalem Brigades website, May 11, 2023).^[5]

• Hussein Yussuf Abdallah Dalloul: 23 years old. Killed by IDF artillery fire targeting the eastern area of Shejaiya in eastern Gaza City at 5 p.m. on May 11, 2023 (al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, May 12, 2023). The Mujahedeen Battalions issued a mourning notice for him^[7] (Mujahedeen Battalions Telegram channel, May 11, 2023).^[8]
• Muhammad Suleiman Khalil Dadr: 31 years old. Killed by IDF artillery fire targeting the eastern area of Shejaiya in eastern Gaza City at 5 p.m. on May 11, 2023 (al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, May 12, 2023). The Mujahedeen Battalions issued a mourning notice for him calling him one of its field commanders (Mujahedeen Battalions Telegram channel, May 11, 2023).

• Abd al-Halim Jawdat Kheir al-Najar: 22 years old. Killed in an attack on a group of Palestinians near the Abu al-Kheir tower at the al-Qaram Junction in eastern Jabalia at 9:20 p.m. on May 11, 2023 (al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, May 12, 2023). According to documentation from his funeral, he was a PIJ operative.

    
Right: Abd al-Halim Jawdat Kheir al-Najar (@Pal_Shaheed Twitter account, May 12, 2023).^[10] Left: His body wrapped for burial in a PIJ flag (al-Ray news agency Twitter account, May 12, 2023).^[11]

• Alian Atta Darwish Abu Wadi: 38 years old from Jabalia. Died before dawn on May 12, 2023, from wounds incurred in an attack on a group of Palestinians near the Abu al-Kheir tower at the al-Qaram Junction in eastern Jabalia at 9:20 p.m. on May 11, 2023 (al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, May 12, 2023). He was a PIJ operative.

  
Right: Alian Abu Wadi wearing a PIJ uniform (Facebook page of his wife, Umm Bahaa, May 14, 2023).^[12] Left: His body wrapped for burial in a PIJ flag (Fady Jad Lafy’s Facebook page, May 12, 2023).^[13]

• Uday Riadh Ahmed al-Louh: 25 years old. Killed by a missile fired at an IDF UAV neat the al-Da’wah Mosque in the northern part of the Nuseirat refugee camp (central Gaza Strip) at 11 p.m. on May 11, 2023 (al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, May 12, 2023). The Abu Ali Mustafa Battalions (AAMBA), the PFLP’s military-terrorist wing, reported he was an operative in its rocket unit (AAMBA Telegram channel, May 12, 2023).^[14]

• Iyad al-Abd al-Husni: Killed in an attack on a fifth-floor apartment located on the northwest side of a building in the al-Nasr neighborhood of Gaza City at 4:20 p.m. on May 12, 2023 (al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, May 13, 2023).^[16] The PIJ’s military-terrorist wing issued a mourning notice for the death of al-Husni (Abu Anas), a member of its Military Council and in charge of the Jerusalem Brigades’ operations unit (Jerusalem Brigades website, May 12, 2023).^[17] According to the mourning notice, he was the Jerusalem Brigades’ commander of operations and in charge of coordinating between headquarters of the Qassam Brigades and the Jerusalem Brigades during Operation Shield and Arrow (Jerusalem Brigades website, May 12, 2023).^[18]
• Iyad al-Husni was born in the al-Shati refugee camp in 1971 and recently lived in the al-Karameh region in northwestern Gaza City. He was a terrorist operative in the first intifada, during which he was wounded, and detained for short periods of time and released. He joined the PIJ in 1988. With the establishment of its first military-terrorist wing, called Qassam,^[19] he participated in establishing some of the squads along with the wing’s founder, Mahmoud al-Khawaja. He participated in dozens of rocket attacks and confrontations with IDF forces between 1992 and 1996 and supervised Ali al-Amawi’s preparation for the terrorist attack in Ashdod in 1994.^[20] In 1995 he had limited involvement in preparing the double terrorist attack at the Beit Lid Junction.^[21] In 1996 he was directly involved in the terrorist attack at the Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv.^[22] He had been on the IDF’s list of wanted terrorists since 1995. He was detained by the PA security services along with Hamas and PIJ leaders when the PA gained control of the Gaza Strip. He participated in the establishment of the Jerusalem Brigades at the beginning of 2000, and established its military judgement unit. He was in charge of its central operations unit and a member of the Military Council in the Gaza Strip. He left Gaza several times and was in direct contact with the Hezbollah leadership. He survived two Israeli attempts on his life. Ramah Fayiz al-Husni, his nephew and one of his aides for several years, was killed by a mysterious explosion in a vehicle in the central Gaza Strip in 2011. Iyad al-Husni’s brother Muhammad was one of the first local PIJ leaders in Gaza City and released in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal after 24 years in Israeli jails (al-Quds, May 12, 2023; Jerusalem Brigades’ Telegram channel, May 13, 2023).^[23]

• Muhammad Walid Muhammad Abd Alal: 33 years old, he was killed along with Iyad al-Husni in an attack on a fifth-floor apartment located on the northwest side of a building in the al-Nasr neighborhood of Gaza City at 4:20 p.m. on May 12, 2023 (al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, May 13, 2023). He was a PIJ operative (Jerusalem Brigades’ Telegram channel, May 13, 2023).^[25]

  
Right: Muhammad Abd Alal (@Pal_Shaheed Twitter account, May 13, 2023).^[26] Left: The funeral held for Iyad al-Husni Muhammad Alal. Both bodies were wrapped for burial in PIJ flags (QudsN Facebook page, May 13, 2023).^[27]

^[1] The Flag March is held every year on Israel's Jerusalem Day, with thousands of largely Orthodox participants. ↑
^[2] A Hezbollah military commander killed in an explosion near the Damascus international airport on May 13, 2016. ↑
^[3] For further information see the May 9 and May 11 reports, " Operation Shield and Arrow in the Gaza Strip – Initial Reactions as of May 9, 4 p.m." and "Operation Shield and Arrow in the Gaza Strip – Updated to 4 p.m., May 11, 2023." ↑
^[4] https://mezan.org/ar/post/45927 ↑
^[5] https://saraya.ps/post/66359 ↑
^[6] https://t.me/sarayaps/14439 ↑
^[7] The Mujahedeen Battalions is a network which splintered from Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (AAMB) and became more radically Islamist. One of its leaders was Assad Ibrahim Abu Sharia from the Gaza Strip, White House was involved in rocket fire at Israel and in placing IEDs near the border security fence. In the past the network operated in the Gaza Strip with the knowledge of and under the aegis of Hamas, from which it received funding, guidance and support. In May 2012 a network squad was exposed which planned to abduct an Israeli civilian to be used as a bargaining chip for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails (Israeli Security Agency website, May 31, 2012). ↑
^[8] https://t.me/darebmojahden/3428 ↑
^[9] https://t.me/darebmojahden/3435 ↑
^[10] https://twitter.com/Pal_Shaheed/status/1656932511786606597 ↑
^[11] https://twitter.com/alrayps/status/1657006055627292679 ↑
^[12] https://www.facebook.com/em.bhaa.161/posts/737501071449758:195613399976557 ↑
^[13] https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02Ge2icnpBePmPCLNRdFC3FmY3GiKiNERgLeM1Yu9Pn6gcwUWWoEoPfpkr1ahpYuPCl&id=100025051373978 ↑
^[14] https://t.me/kataebabuali/9971 ↑
^[15] https://t.me/kataebabuali/9972 ↑
^[16] https://mezan.org/ar/post/45965 ↑
^[17] https://saraya.ps/post/66368/ ↑
^[18] https://www.alqassam.ps/arabic/statements/details/5749 ↑
^[19] "Qassam" was the Arabic acronym for the "Islamic jihad fighters' forces." ↑
^[20] A shooting attack on the Ashdod Junction on April 7, 1994, in which an Israeli was killed and four were wounded. ↑
^[21] A double suicide bombing attack at the Beit Lid Junction on January 22, 1995, which killed 22 Israelis, 19 IDF soldiers and one civilian who died at the scene, and two soldiers who died the following week; 66 people were wounded, including civilians. ↑
^[22] A suicide bombing attack in Dizengoff Center on March 4, 1996, which killed 13 people, including one IDF soldier and five adolescents: 163 people were wounded. ↑
^[23] https://www.alquds.com/ar/posts/71234, https://t.me/sarayaps/14493 ↑
^[24] https://t.me/sarayaps/14477 ↑
^[25] https://t.me/sarayaps/14493 ↑
^[26] https://twitter.com/Pal_Shaheed/status/1657328094322085890 ↑
^[27] https://www.facebook.com/ ↑

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