Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (June 1 – 7, 2022)

Attacks and attempted attacks

Attempted stabbing attack

• On June 1, 2022, a Palestinian woman armed with a knife approached a group of IDF soldiers securing route 90 near the al-Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. She walked up to them brandishing the knife. She was shot and killed (IDF spokesman, June 1, 2022).

• The Palestinian media reported she was Ghafran Haroun Hamad Warasna, 31, from the al-Aroub refugee camp. A released prisoner, she was incarcerated in Israel for three months. In 2014 she received a BA in communications from Hebron University and worked as a reporter for the local Hebron radio station (al-Jazeera, al-Watan News, June 1, 2022). Her body was wrapped for burial in a Palestinian flag (Wafa, June 1, 2022).

    
Right: Ghafran Warasna (al-Watan News, June 1, 2022). Left: Ghafran Warasna at work (Shehab Twitter account, June 1, 2022).

• PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh condemned what he referred to as her “execution” by Israel, and said Israel would be fully responsible for the consequences. He demanded the international community implement international resolutions for boycotting and punishing Israel. He claimed that not punishing Israel meant it would commit further crimes. He noted that during the past few months the International Criminal Court (ICC) had sent 40 investigators to Ukraine, as opposed to “Palestine,” where, he claimed, the ICC has done nothing for the past decade. He sent his condolences to Ghafran Warasna’s family (Wafa, June 1, 2022).
• Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem also claimed she was a released prisoner who had been “executed” (alresala.net, June 1, 2022).

Stabbing attack prevented

• On June 2, 2022, during an activity of Israeli police from the Temple Mount Unit of the Jerusalem district, the police noticed a man who aroused their suspicions. He was examined and found to have a knife. He was detained and taken for interrogation, where he said that because of the events on Jerusalem Day he planned to go to the Temple Mount and carry out a stabbing attack (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, June 2, 2022).

Significant Terrorist Attacks in Judea and Samaria since January 2020^[1]

Jerusalem and the Temple Mount compound

• On June 5, 2022, the eve of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, several hundred Jews entered the Temple Mount compound. Their presence enraged the Palestinians at the site, who threw rocks at them. Senior Hamas sources noted that what happened in Jerusalem demanded a response, but one the “resistance” [i.e., the terrorist organizations] considered correct. Spokesmen for the PA foreign ministry and Hamas again objected to the presence of Jews in the Temple Mount compound. A Hamas spokesman called on the Palestinian people to go to al-Aqsa mosque and confront the Israeli security forces at the site (Hamas Telegram channel, June 5, 2022).
• Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanua said the “forced entries” of settlers were part of the ongoing Zionist plan to divide prayer times and places in al-Aqsa mosque between Jews and Muslims and to take control of the site. He called on the Palestinian people to continue clashing and repelling the settlers “forcing their way” into al-Aqsa mosque. He said the “struggle” for al-Aqsa was the struggle of all Palestinians. He added that they would not be silent regarding Israel’s “crimes” in the mosque, and would make Israel pay a price (Hamas website, June 5, 2022).
• Muhammad Hamada, Hamas spokesman for east Jerusalem affairs, said the Hamas-led “resistance” would not allow the events at al-Aqsa mosque to pass without a suitable response. He claimed that Israel’s actions for the so-called “Jewish holidays” were in fact crude aggression against al-Aqsa mosque. He said the “resistance’s” stated position was that al-Aqsa mosque was a red line and what Israel was doing crossed red lines (Felesteen, June 5, 2022).
• Senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) figure Khaled al-Batash said the joint operations room would not sit idly by without responding to Israel’s actions. He claimed the organization’s military wings in Jenin, Tulkarm and Nablus pushed back Israeli forces on a daily basis. He said the way to stop Israel was to repel its forces by means [of the activities carried out by] tens of thousands of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria residents, and by blocking roads (Dunia al-Watan, June 5, 2022).

Counterterrorism activities

• This past week the Israeli security forces continued detaining wanted Palestinians suspected of terrorist activities in a number of locations in Judea and Samaria. Several dozen Palestinian suspects were detained and weapons were seized. In some instances, local residents rioted against the security forces (IDF spokesman). During the activities, three Palestinians were killed (see below).

•   On June 2, 2022, during an Israeli security force activity in the Dheisheh refugee camp, near Bethlehem, a Palestinian who threw an IED at the forces was killed. The Palestinian media reported the death of Ayman Muheisen, 29, from the Dheisheh refugee camp. The military-terrorist wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) announced he was one of its operatives, and called for “resistance” [i.e., terrorist attacks] against Israel to continue and escalate (PFLP military-terrorist wing Telegram channel, June 2, 2022). According to reports, Muheisen was a released prisoners who had been incarcerated in Israel for three years for PFLP membership. He was buried in the Dheisheh refugee camp dressed in a uniform and wrapped in a PFLP flag. PFLP flags were waved at his funeral.

   
Right: Ayman Muheisen wrapped for burial in a PFLP flag (Shehab, June 2, 2022). Left: PFLP flags carried at his funeral (Ma’an, June 2, 2022).

• The PA condemned his death and claimed the silence of the international community and United States administration protected Israel from bearing responsibility and prevented Israel from getting the punishment it deserved (Wafa, June 2, 2022). Hamas and the PIJ claimed the “blood of the martyrs” fueled the Palestinians’ continued “resistance”” and that the “crimes of the occupation” would not break their spirit or defeat them (Hamas Telegram channel, PIJ propaganda unit Telegram channel, June 2, 2022).
• On June 2, 2022, a Palestinian threw a Molotov cocktail at an IDF force near Ramallah. In response the soldiers shot and killed him (IDF spokesman’s Twitter account, June 2, 2022). The Palestinian media reported he was Awda Muhammad Awda, 17, from the village of Midya. The Palestinian media also reported he was part of a group that had gathered near the border security fence and had been shot in the chest (Wafa, Palinfo Twitter account, June 2, 2022). On June 3, 2022, his funeral was held in the village of Midya. His body was wrapped for burial in the Palestinian flag (Palinfo Twitter account, June 2, 2022).

  
Right: Awda Muhammad Awda. Left: The funeral held for Awda Muhammad Awda in village of al-Midya (Paldf Twitter account, June 3, 2022).

• On June 5, 2022, two Palestinians riding a motorcycle threw an IED at an IDF force engaged in operational activities near Nablus. The soldiers shot and wounded the Palestinians. No Israeli casualties were reported (IDF spokesman, June 5, 2022).
• In south Tel Aviv on June 6, 2022, Israeli security forces detained two Palestinians from Nablus, suspecting them having entered Israel illegally to carry out a terrorist attack. They were detained, found to be unarmed and taken for interrogation to determine the circumstances of their entrance into Israel (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit’s Twitter account, June 6, 2022).

Home of terrorist operative demolished in Ya’bad

• In the village of Ya’bad on June 2, 2022, after the Israeli Supreme Court rejected the family’s appeal, the IDF destroyed the house of Diya Hamarsheh, the Palestinian terrorist who carried out the shooting attack in Bnei Brak on March 29, 2022, killing five Israelis. A large IDF force entered Ya’bad to demolish the house. Local residents rioted, throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at the soldiers and burning tires. The terrorist operative’s father was detained during the activity.

   
Right: The explosion demolishing the terrorist operative’s house in Ya’bad (Paldf Twitter account, June 2, 2022). Left: The ruins of the house (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, June 2, 2022).

• Armed Palestinians shot at the soldiers, who returned fire, killing one of them (IDF spokesman, June 2, 2022). Following the riots and exchanges of fire, local storeowners and owners of private houses were called on to dismantle security cameras and erase footage to protect the Palestinians who had exchanged fire with the Israeli security forces (Paldf Twitter account, June 2, 2022).
•  The Palestinian media reported the Palestinian who had been killed was Bilal Awad Qabha, 24, from Ya’bad. Hamas issued a mourning notice for the shaheed, the “fighter,” Bilal Qabha (Paldf Twitter account, June 2, 2022). He was wearing a Fatah headband and Fatah flags were carried at his funeral (QudsN Twitter account, June 2, 2022).

   
Right: The mourning notice issued by Hamas for Bilal Awad Qabha (Paldf Twitter account, June 2, 2022). Left: Fatah flags carried at his funeral (QudsN Twitter account, June 2, 2022).

• After the events, on June 2, 2022, Mahmoud Abbas’ office said in a statement that they condemned Israel’s “dangerous escalation” and had arrived at a crossroads. It was not enough, according to the statement, to condemn and assign responsibility to Israel, the time had come for the United States “to stop the madness.” Abbas Zaki, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, paid a visit to the family’s house (Wafa, June 2, 2022).

Naksa Day events

• Naksa Day, marked on June 5, the day the Six Day War broke out in 1967, passed with no particularly remarkable events. Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces at a number of locations, including on the Temple Mount, but the events were contained by the Israeli security forces and did not spin out of control.

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

Infiltration into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip prevented

• IDF fighters detained two Palestinians who were trying to cross the border security fence in the central Gaza Strip and enter Israeli territory. An improvised hand grenade was found in their possession (IDF spokesman, June 4, 2022).

Egypt continues exerting pressure on Hamas

• The London-based newspaper al-Araby al-Jadeed reported that Israel recently asked Egypt to exert pressure on Hamas not to attack vital Israeli facilities at sea, especially the gas platform and oil installations. The specific means noted were Hamas’ deployment of its naval commando unit, surface to surface missiles and suicide bombing attacks against Israeli naval targets. The paper also reported Egypt was interested to connect the establishment of the lull with a Hamas commitment not to attack Israel’s naval facilities (al-Araby al-Jadeed, June 3, 2022).

PIJ military-terrorist wing commander dies

• The Jerusalem Brigades, the PIJ’s military-terrorist wing, announced the death of Yasser al-Masri, 41, a field commander who died of wounds incurred in an IDF attack on the central Gaza Strip during Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021.

Isma’il Haniyeh visits Muslim clerics

• Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, paid a visit to the headquarters of General Association of Muslim Scholars in Istanbul. They discussed ways for Hamas to respond to developments in al-Aqsa mosque and Jerusalem, and stressed that Hamas wanted peace for the Palestinian people (Hamas Telegram channel, June 5, 2022).

Hamas condemns Israeli government decision to build in Jerusalem

• Hamas condemned the decision of the Israeli government to construct dwelling units in Jerusalem. Hamas called the decision part of Israel’s attempt to increase its control over Jerusalem and “Judaize” the city. Hamas claimed the plan was a gross violation of international law, adding the widening the circle of clashes with “the occupation” and the ongoing clashes in the cities and refugee camps in the West Bank would deter “the occupation” and cause it to stop its “aggression” against the Palestinian people (Hamas Telegram channel, June 3, 2022).

PIJ-Iranian relations

• PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah gave a speech for the anniversary of Khomeini’s death. He praised him, claiming that the Islamic Revolution had given others the courage to “resist” the “Israeli occupation.” He added that the Palestinian people were the most prominent factor in the “struggle against the spread of Zionism” and that the “struggle” could not exist without the courage of the Palestinian people, the “resistance” [i.e., terrorist organizations} and the political and material support provided by Iran (Paltoday, June 3, 2022).

PA activity in the wake of recent events in Jerusalem

• Mahmoud Abbas spoke on the phone with American Secretary of State Antony Blinken to inform him of the PA’s decision to take steps to deal with “Israeli’s escalation,” following the international community’s inability to force Israel to obey international resolutions and the American administration’s silence in the face of [alleged] “Israeli provocations.” He said the American administration had to do more than condemn Israel’s actions, it had to take the PLO off its list of designated terrorist organizations. Blinken reiterated the administration’s commitment to the two-state solution, stopping the expansion of the settlements and preserving the status quo. He also related to the administration’s commitment to reopen the American consulate in Jerusalem and to the importance of completing the investigation into the death of Shireen Abu Akleh, who held American citizenship (State Department website, May 31; Wafa, June 1, 2022).
• Mahmoud Abbas met in Ramallah with Ayman al-Safadi, the Jordanian foreign minister, and informed him the PA was on the brink of making decisions to deal with Israel’s “escalation” in Jerusalem. Al-Safadi said Jordan supported the Palestinians and criticized the events in Jerusalem, Israel’s [alleged] violations and “settlers’ crimes” (Wafa, the Jordanian News Agency, May 31, 2022).
• Hussein al-Sheikh, PA minister of civilian affairs and a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, held a press conference with the Jordanian foreign minister. Hussein al-Sheikh said the Palestinian leadership was considering making difficult decisions because of the events in al-Aqsa. He said the PA was in contact with international agencies to avoid having to make the decisions. In the meantime, the PA informed the American administration it had to create a political horizon and keep its promises to the PA (Amad, June 4, 2022).
• Mahmoud Abbas spoke on the phone with French President Emanuel Macron. He told him the PA intended to take steps against what it called “Israel’s escalation” in view of the international community’s inability to force Israel to obey international resolutions. PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh told the weekly PA government meeting that “the occupation” would “no longer exist” it if were tried for its violations and if there were an international will to stop it.
• The London-based daily newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat quoted “PA sources” as saying Mahmoud Abbas told the United States, Egypt and Jordan that he had decided to implement the decisions passed by the PLO’s Central Council, including revoking recognition of Israel.^[2] The “reasons” were Israel’s “attacks” on the Palestinians and the United States’ not meeting its commitments, including reopening its consulate in Jerusalem. According to the “sources,” Mahmoud Abbas became convinced he could no longer wait and that without making critical decisions it would be impossible to rescue the political process.
• The sources added that he was taking the approach in light of what the Palestinians called Israel’s “escalation against the Palestinians” [sic], its changing the status quo of the holy sites, the inability of the United States to stop Israel and its failure to keep its promises to the PA, especially the reopening of the American consulate in east Jerusalem. Also factored into his decision was the fact the Jordanian and Egyptian efforts had not convinced the American administration to adopt a political plan (al-Sharq al-Awsat, June 1, 2022).

Muhammad Shtayyeh’s possible resignation

• According to the London-based newspaper Ra’i al-Yawm, the Palestinian media recently reported the possibility of replacements for PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh after he resigns. Palestinian sources claimed possible reasons for his resignation could be Fatah’s losses in the student council elections in Birzeit University, the PA’s economic crisis, and internal government disagreements, especially with the minister of the treasury. Possible replacements include Salam Fayyad, former PA prime minister and considered leading the race because of American pressure for his appointment. Another possibility is Muhammad Mustafa, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee and chairman of the Palestinian Investment Fund, who was minister of the treasury in a former PA government. According to the sources, there are internal disagreements regarding suitable candidates, but the decision will be made by Hussein al-Sheikh and Majed Faraj (Ra’i al-Yawm, May 31, 2022).
• Hamas-affiliated websites reported that the Palestinian leadership asked Muhammad Shtayyeh to resign in the near future because of the failures of his government, the losses in the elections for the student council in Birzeit University and internal disagreements in the government, especially with the minister of the treasure (Quds, May 30, 2022).
• It was also claimed that Muhammad Shtayyeh currently had no intention of resigning and issued several press releases stating that [government] matters were being handled correctly. He also uploaded videos to his Facebook page about his government’s achievements in health and education. For example, according to one video, new hospitals were opened in Halhul, Dura and Ramallah, and according to another, 300 new classrooms were built 27 new kindergartens were opened (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, June 5 and 6, 2022).
• In the meantime, another Fatah loss was reported in the doctors’ union elections, where Fatah lost to representatives from independent slates in seven branches, winning only in the branch in Ramallah. Note: In the near future student council elections will be held in al-Najah University in Nablus.

Muhammad Shtayyeh continues slandering Israel to the EU

•  On May 31, 2022, Muhammad Shtayyeh met with EU and UN delegations, and the EU representatives in the PA. He complained about UN and Security Council resolutions which were not being enforced and blamed the international community for not yet having found a solution for the Palestinians. Regarding the PA’s relations with Israel, he called them relations between “an occupier and an occupied country,” because Israel controlled all facets of life and all the Palestinians’ natural resources. He claimed Israel did not honor signed agreements and that was why peace talks with Israel failed (Wafa, May 31, 2022).

Rumors about Mahmoud Abbas’ health

• On June 4, 2022, the BBC in Arabic reported that for reasons of his failing health, Mahmoud Abbas had recently transferred some of his authority to Hussein al-Sheikh, whom he appointed to the position of PLO secretary (BBC in Arabic Twitter account, June 4, 2022). The reports, whose source was unclear, had a great impact. Sources in the PA were angry and rushed to deny the story. Hussein al-Sheikh said there was no truth to the reports and that Mahmoud Abbas was in good health and working as usual. He said the rumors had been spread to confuse and complicate the internal Palestinian situation (Hussein al-Sheikh’s Twitter account, June 4, 2022).

Campaign in Hebron to protest the cost of living

•   Palestinian activists in Hebron renewed the “We want to live” campaign, which protests the high cost of living in the PA. As part of the campaign a convoy of trucks drove through the streets in Hebron and a protest tent was erected in the center of the city. The organizers of the protest demand government intervention to stop the rising cost of living and to take steps to lower prices in the markets. They threatened that if their demands were not met they would spread their protest to the rest of the PA (QudsN Twitter account, June 5 and 6, 2022). On June 6, 2022, according to reports the Palestinian security forces detained eight of the activists who had organized the protest in Hebron. They were released several hours later (Paldf Twitter account, June 6, 2022).

   
Right: Protest demonstration in the center of Hebron. Left: Truck convoy (QudsN Twitter account, June 5, 2022).

Rocks, Molotov cocktails and other attacks

• In Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem Palestinians continued throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles driving on the roads. The more prominent events were the following:^[3]
  • June 6, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near Qadumim, east of Qalqilya. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • June 6, 2022: Rocks were thrown from a passing car near Ofra, northeast of Ramallah. One passenger was injured and the vehicle was damaged.
  • June 6, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus near Hizma, northeast of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported; the bus was damaged.
  • June 6, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near Luban al-Sharqia, south of Nablus. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • June 6, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle between Nabi Elias and Azun, east of Qalqilya. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • June 5, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle in Hawwara, south of Nablus. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • June 2, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus near Hizma, northeast of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported; the windshield of the vehicle was damaged.
  • June 2, 2022: Rocks were thrown at IDF soldiers in Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah. A soldier was injured and received medical attention at the site.
  • June 2, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle in the region of Jaba Surif, northwest of Hebron. The vehicle was damaged.in another incident a passenger was injured by flying glass from a shattered windshield and evacuated to a hospital for medical attention.

  
Right: Shattered windshield. Left: An Israeli injured by flying glass.

• June 2, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli bus and other vehicles near the village of al-Funduq, east of Qalqilya. The vehicle was damaged. The previous day, at the same location, rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle, wounding the driver.

   
Right: The rock thrown at the vehicle. Left: The damage caused by the attack.

• • June 1, 2022: A paint bottle was thrown at an Israeli bus southwest of Hebron. No casualties were reported; the bus was damaged.
  • June 1, 2022: Rocks were thrown at Israeli vehicles near al-Mazraa al-Sharqia, north of Ramallah. One person was wounded and several vehicles were damaged.
  • June 1, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near al-Aroub, north of Hebron. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • June 1, 2022: Two Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli bus and other vehicles on the Gilad Road, west of Nablus. No casualties were reported; vehicles were damaged.
  • May 31, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near al-Mazraa al-Sharqia, north of Ramallah. A woman was wounded, the vehicle was damaged.
  • May 31, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle near Jaba Surif, northwest of Hebron. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.
  • May 31, 2022: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle between Havat Gilad and the Jit Junction, west of Nablus. No casualties were reported; the vehicle was damaged.