Hamas in Power
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The Hezbollah-Israeli
The Hizbullah-Israeli War: an American Perspective Aaron David Miller It was unusual for an Israeli Prime Minster to break open a bottle of champagne in front of American negotiators at a formal meeting. But that’s exactly what Shimon Peres did. It was late April 1996, and Peres was marking the end of a bloody three week border confrontation with Hizbullah diffused only by an intense ten day shuttle orchestrated by Secretary of State Warren Christopher. Those understandings negotiated between the governments of Israel and Syria (the latter standing in for Hizbullah) would create an Israeli-Lebanese monitoring group, co-chaired by the United States and France. These arrangements were far from perfect, but contributed, along with on-again-off-again Israeli-Syrian negotiations, to an extended period of relative calm along the Israeli- Lebanese border. The April understandings would last until Israel’s withdrawal. The recent summer war between Hizbullah and Israel, triggered by the Shia militia’s attack on an Israeli patrol on July 12, masked a number of other factors which would set the stage for the confrontation as well as the Bush administration’s response. Six years of relative quiet had witnessed Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon in June of 2000, a steady supply of Katushya rockets—both short and long range—from Iran to Hizbullah, the collapse of Israel’s negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians, and the onset of the worst Israeli-Palestinian war in half a century. A perfect storm was brewing, spawned by the empowerment of both Hizbullah and Hamas, Iranian reach into the Arab-Israeli zone, Syria’s forced withdrawal from Lebanon, a determination by Israel to restore its strategic deterrence in the wake of unilateral withdrawals from Lebanon and Gaza, and an inexperienced Israeli prime minister and defense minister uncertain of how that should be done. -
Inside Gaza: the Challenge of Clans and Families
INSIDE GAZA: THE CHALLENGE OF CLANS AND FAMILIES Middle East Report N°71 – 20 December 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... i I. INTRODUCTION: THE DYNAMICS OF CHANGE ............................................... 1 II. THE CHANGING FORTUNES OF KINSHIP NETWORKS................................... 2 A. THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY AND CLAN POLITICS .............................................................2 B. THE 2000 UPRISING AND THE RISE OF CLAN POWER.............................................................3 C. ISRAEL’S GAZA DISENGAGEMENT AND FACTIONAL CONFLICT..............................................3 D. BETWEEN THE 2006 ELECTIONS AND HAMAS’S 2007 SEIZURE OF POWER.............................5 III. KINSHIP NETWORKS IN OPERATION .................................................................. 6 A. ECONOMIC SUPPORT .............................................................................................................6 B. FEUDS AND INFORMAL JUSTICE.............................................................................................7 C. POLITICAL AND SECURITY LEVERAGE...................................................................................9 IV. THE CLANS AND HAMAS........................................................................................ 13 A. BETWEEN GOVERNANCE AND CHAOS .................................................................................13 B. HAMAS’S SEIZURE OF POWER .............................................................................................14 -
Israel, Gaza and the West Bank OGN V 2.0 Issued February 2009
Israel, Gaza and the West Bank OGN v 2.0 issued February 2009 OPERATIONALOPERATIONAL GUIDANCEGUIDANCE NOTENOTE Israel, Gaza and the West Bank CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1.1 – 1.5 2. Country Assessment:- Political history 2.1 Freedom of movement 2.9 3. Main categories of claim:- 3.1 – 3.5 Gaza and the West Bank General Country Situation 3.6 Members of militant groups 3.7 Fatah members/Gaza 3.8 Hamas members/West Bank 3.9 Forced recruitment to armed groups 3.10 Israeli collaborators 3.11 UNWRA (Article 1D of the 1951 Refugee Convention) 3.12 Statelessness 3.13 Prison conditions 3.14 Israel Gaza and the West Bank 4. Discretionary Leave 4.1 – 4.2 Minors claiming in their own right 4.3 Medical treatment:- 4.4 Israel Gaza and the West Bank 5. Returns 5.1 – 5.2 6. List of source documents 7. Annex – Political/Armed Groups 1. Introduction 1.1 This document evaluates the general, political and human rights situation in Israel, Gaza and West Bank and provides guidance on the nature and handling of the most common types of claims received from nationals/residents of that area, including whether claims are or are not likely to justify the granting of asylum, Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave. Case owners must refer to the relevant Asylum Instructions for further details of the policy on these areas. Page 1 of 35 Israel, Gaza and the West Bank OGN v 2.0 issued February 2009 1.2 This guidance must also be read in conjunction with any COI Service [Israel, Palestinian National Authority] Country of Origin Information published on the Horizon intranet site. -
Division for Palestinian Rights
DIVISION FOR PALESTINIAN RIGHTS UNITED NATIONS ASIAN MEETING IN SUPPORT OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE UNITED NATIONS FORUM OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN SUPPORT OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 15-17 December 2006 07-54067 CONTENTS I. United Nations Asian Meeting in Support of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Paragraphs Page Introduction ……………………………………………………………… 1-6 3 Opening statements…….………………………………………………… 7-33 3 Plenary sessions...………………………………………………………… 34-75 7 Plenary I…………………………………………………………………... 34-47 7 Plenary II………………………………………………………………….. 48-62 8 Plenary III…………………………………………………………………. 63-75 10 Closing session……………………………………………………………. 76-82 12 II. United Nations Forum of Civil Society in Support of the Palestinian People Opening statements.....………………………………………………….. 83-86 14 Plenary I…………………………………………………………………. 87-99 14 Plenary II………………………………………………………………… 100-117 16 Closing session…………………………………………………………… 118-119 19 Annexes I. Kuala Lumpur Declaration……………………………………………………………………. 20 II. Call for Action………………………………………………………………………………… 23 III. List of Participants……………………………………………….……………………………. 24 2 I. United Nations Asian Meeting in Support of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Introduction 1. The United Nations Asian Meeting in Support of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was held in Kuala Lumpur on 15 and 16 December 2006, under the auspices of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and in accordance with the provisions of General Assembly resolutions 60/36 and 60/37 of 1 December 2005. The Meeting was followed, on 17 December 2006, by a United Nations Forum of Civil Society in Support of the Palestinian People held at the same venue. 2. The Committee was represented by a delegation comprising Paul Badji (Senegal), Chairman of the Committee; Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz (Cuba), Vice-Chairman of the Committee; Ravan A.G. -
Hamas and the Popular Resistance Committees Called on Their Supporters to Donate Money Using the Virtual Currency Bitcoin
רמה כ ז מל ו תשר מה ו ד י ע י ן ( למ מ" ) רמה כרמ כ ז ז מל מה ו י תשר עד מל מה ו ד ו י ד ע י י ע ן י ן ו ל ( רט למ ו מ" ר ) כרמ ז מה י עד מל ו ד י ע י ן ול רט ו ר Hamas and the Popular Resistance Committees called on their supporters to donate money using the virtual currency Bitcoin February 3, 2019 Overview Hamas and the Popular Resistance Committees, two terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, recently called on their supporters to donate money using the virtual currency Bitcoin. To date, requests for donors have been made by Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, and by the Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees. The reason for these calls at the present time may be a combination of financial distress and the benefits of anonymity provided by Bitcoin. According to Arab media reports, this was the first time that Hamas’s military wing called for financial donations to be made using Bitcoin (Al-Jazeera Net, January 30, 2019). As for the method of transferring the donations, the publications of these organizations indicate that: Hamas: Hamas’s military wing issued a request to the public to donate to the organization using Bitcoin. A few days later, it published a virtual wallet address in blockchain, to which the donations may be transferred1. An examination of the wallet’s address indicates that the wallet was opened only recently, on January 31, 2019. -
Advance Edited Version Distr
Advance Edited Version Distr. GENERAL A/HRC/12/48 15 September 2009 Original: ENGLISH HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Twelfth session Agenda item 7 HUMAN RIGHTS IN PALESTINE AND OTHER OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict∗ ∗ Late submission A/HRC/12/48 page 2 Paragraphs Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART ONE INTRODUCTION I. METHODOLOGY II. CONTEXT III. EVENTS OCCURRING BETWEEN THE “CEASEFIRE” OF 18 JUNE 2008 BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE GAZA AUTHORITIES AND THE START OF ISRAEL’S MILITARY OPERATIONS IN GAZA ON 27 DECEMBER 2008 IV. APPLICABLE LAW PART TWO OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY: THE GAZA STRIP Section A V. THE BLOCKADE: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW VI. OVERVIEW OF MILITARY OPERATIONS CONDUCTED BY ISRAEL IN GAZA BETWEEN 27 DECEMBER 2008 AND 18 JANUARY 2009 AND DATA ON CASUALTIES VII. ATTACKS ON GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND POLICE VIII. OBLIGATION ON PALESTINIAN ARMED GROUPS IN GAZA TO TAKE FEASIBLE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT THE CIVILIAN POPULATION A/HRC/12/48 page 3 IX. OBLIGATION ON ISRAEL TO TAKE FEASIBLE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT CIVILIAN POPULATION AND CIVILIAN OBECTS IN GAZA X. INDISCRIMINATE ATTACKS BY ISRAELI ARMED FORCES RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF LIFE AND INJURY TO CIVILIANS XI. DELIBERATE ATTACKS AGAINST THE CIVILIAN POPULATION XII. THE USE OF CERTAIN WEAPONS XIII. ATTACKS ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF CIVILIAN LIFE IN GAZA: DESTRUCTION OF INDUSTRIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, FOOD PRODUCTION, WATER INSTALLATIONS, SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS AND HOUSING XIV. THE USE OF PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS AS HUMAN SHIELDS XV. DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY: GAZANS DETAINED DURING THE ISRAELI MILITARY OPERATIONS OF 27 DECEMBER 2008 TO 18 JANUARY 2009XVI. -
Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict∗
UNITED NATIONS A General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/HRC/12/48 25 September 2009 Original: ENGLISH HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Twelfth session Agenda item 7 HUMAN RIGHTS IN PALESTINE AND OTHER OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict∗ ∗ Late submission. GE.09-15866 A/HRC/12/48 page 2 CONTENTS Paragraphs Page Acronyms and abbreviations .......................................................................................... 11 Executive summary .............................................................................. 1-130 13 PART ONE: METHODOLOGY, CONTEXT AND APPLICABLE LAW INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 131-150 37 I. METHODOLOGY ............................................................... 151-175 41 A. Mandate and terms of reference ................................. 151-155 41 B. Methods of work ......................................................... 156-167 42 C. Assessment of information ......................................... 168-172 44 D. Consultation with the parties ...................................... 173-175 45 II. CONTEXT............................................................................. 176-222 46 A. Historical context......................................................... 177-197 46 B. Overview of Israel’s pattern of policies and conduct relevant to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and links between the situation in Gaza and in the West Bank...................................... 198-209 -
Conflict, Economic Closure and Conflict in Gaza
org-human-security-gaza-final.qxd 03/10/2007 16:22 Page 1 OxfordResearchGroup building bridges for global security CONFLICT, ECONOMIC CLOSURE AND HUMAN SECURITY IN GAZA Justin Alexander BRIEFING PAPER OCTOBER 2007 org-human-security-gaza-final.qxd 03/10/2007 16:22 Page 2 Published by Oxford Research Group, October 2007. Oxford Research Group Development House 56-64 Leonard Street London EC2A 4LT United Kingdom Copyright © Oxford Research Group, 2007. Some rights reserved. This paper is licensed under a Creative Commons licence that allows copy and distribution for non-profit use, provided the author and ORG are attributed properly and the work is not altered in any way. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ for full details. Please contact Oxford Research Group if you would like to translate this report. About the Author Justin Alexander has been working with Oxford Research Group as a Middle East analyst on their “Inclusive Approaches to the Arab-Israeli Conflict” project. In 2005-06 he served with the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), supporting the process of drafting the Iraqi Constitution and reconciliation initiatives, including organising a study tour in South Africa for senior Iraqi parliamentarians. He is currently the principal consultant for Fertile Crescent Consulting, working on conflict resolution and development in the Middle East and beyond. Acknowledgements Oxford Research Group (ORG) gratefully acknowledges the support of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation, the Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust and the EU Partnerships for Peace Programme, as well as our many supporters and sustainers, for making the publication of this report possible. -
The NEGOTIATION and ITS DISCONTENTS
The ANNAPOLIS PROCESS (2007-2008) NEGOTIATION AND ITS DISCONTENTS Omer Zanany The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research Translation: Michelle Bubis Design: Yosef Bercovich ISBN: 978-965-555-926-2 Printed in Jerusalem ©2015 - The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv & Molad - the Center for the Renewal of Israeli Democracy. All rights reserved. The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research The ANNAPOLIS PROCESS (2007-2008) Negotiation and its Discontents Omer Zanany The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research THE TAMI STEINMETZ CENTER FOR PEACE RESEARCH The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research which was established in 1992 is an interdisciplinary academic unit at Tel Aviv University. Its mandate is to promote academic activity related to conflict resolution and peace-making, with special reference to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Within this framework, the center: • Initiates, encourages and supports research projects on subjects related to its mandate both in the Middle East and in other regions of the world. • Holds research workshops and local and international conferences dealing with relevant subjects. • Fosters academic collaboration with similarly oriented institutions in Israel and abroad. Molad is an independent, non-partisan Israeli think tank that works to reinvigorate Israeli society by injecting new ideas into all spheres of public discourse. Our vision combines progressive values with a realistic approach to the political and geopolitical challenges of Israeli reality. We inform public debate with responsible content that meets the highest possible standards of research and analysis – the dearth of which has played a crucial role in Israel’s ongoing state of crisis. -
Dictionary of Palestinian Political Terms
Dictionary of Palestinian Political Terms PASSIA Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, Jerusalem PASSIA, the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, is an Arab, non-profit Palestinian institution with a financially and legally indepen- dent status. It is not affiliated with any government, political party or organization. PASSIA seeks to present the Question of Palestine in its national, Arab and interna- tional contexts through academic research, dialogue and publication. PASSIA endeavors that research undertaken under its auspices be specialized, scientific and objective and that its symposia and workshops, whether interna- tional or intra-Palestinian, be open, self-critical and conducted in a spirit of har- mony and cooperation. Copyright PASSIA 3rd updated and revised edition, December 2019 ISBN: 978-9950-305-52-6 PASSIA Publication 2019 Tel.: 02-6264426 | Fax: 02-6282819 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.passia.org PO Box 19545, Jerusalem Contents Abbreviations ……………………………………………………………………………………………. i Foreword …………………………………………………………………….….…………..……………. iii Dictionary A-Z ………………………………………………………………………….………………. 1 Main References Cited…………………………………………..……………………………… 199 Abbreviations ACRI Association for Civil Rights in PCBS Palestinian Central Bureau of Israel Statistics AD Anno Domini PFLP Popular Front for the Liberation AIPAC American Israel Public Affairs of Palestine Committee PFLP-GC Popular Front for the Liberation ALF Arab Liberation Front of Palestine – General ANM -
Statements from U.S. Government Officials Concerning Israeli Settlements
1 Statements from U.S. Government Officials Concerning Israeli Settlements Introduction The policy of all Israeli governments since 1967 of settling Israeli citizens in the territories Israel occupied in the 1967 war is regarded by most governments as a violation of international law defined by the “Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.” In 2004, the International Court of Justice confirmed this in an advisory opinion. The United States supported the applicability of the Geneva Convention and the unlawful character of settlements until February 1981 when President Ronald Reagan disavowed this policy by asserting that settlements are “not illegal.” President Reagan’s policy has been sustained, implicitly, by subsequent U.S. administrations, all of whom have declined to address the legal issue, although they have all opposed, with varying emphasis, settlements or settlement expansion. However, on April 14, 2004, President George W. Bush, in a further retreat from past policy, told Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that, “In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major Israeli populations centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949…” The following is chronology of statements by U.S. officials, beginning with the Johnson administration. It was initially prepared by Matt Skarzynski, an intern with the Foundation for Middle East Peace, Churches for Middle East Peace, and Holly Byker, a former staff member of Churches for Middle East Peace. Additional updates researched by Alexandra Stevens, an intern with Churches for Middle East Peace. -
News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (February 14 –20, 2018)
רמה כ ז מל ו תשר מה ו ד י ע י ן ה ש ל מ ( למ מ" ) News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (February 14 –20, 2018) Overview Click for video This past week events focused on the attack in the Gaza Strip, the most serious since Operation Protective Edge. IDF soldiers approached the border security fence to remove a flag hung on it during a riot. An IED attached to the flag exploded, wounding four soldiers, two of them critically. It was the first time a "popular demonstration" near the fence was exploited for a terrorist attack. The Popular Resistance Committees, a terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip that at least in the past was affiliated with Hamas, claimed responsibility for the attack. In response, IDF tanks fired at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) observation post and Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked 18 "terrorist targets." The IDF spokesperson reported that among the targets were a tunnel whose route was directed towards Israel. During the attack and the day after, two rocket hits were identified in Israeli territory. One hit a house in a community in the western Negev. No casualties were reported. The incident was another example of the erosion of the relative calm between Hamas and Israel since the end of Operation Protective Edge. While Hamas still continues its policy of restraint, apparently the deterioration of the economy in the Gaza Strip and Hamas' strategic hardships have weakened it. In ITIC assessment that increases the potential for the deterioration of the situation between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.