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News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

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News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict News of Terrorism and the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict (February 8 – 14, 2017) Four rockets were fired at the southern Israeli city of Eilat from the Sinai Peninsula this past week. Three were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system. Left: Claim of responsibility issued by ISIS's Sinai Province (al-Haq, February 9, 2017). Right: The fourth rocket, which fell in an open area near Eilat (Twitter account of Palinfo, February 8, 2017). Overview n Popular terrorism attacks continue in Judea and Samaria and trickle into Israel. Prominent this past week was a combined shooting and stabbing attack at the entrance to a market in Petah Tikva, in the center of the country. Seven people were wounded. The Palestinian terrorist who carried out the attack came from a village south of Nablus. He apparently acted independently. Hamas welcomed the attack; the PA did not condemn it. n Four rockets were fired at Eilat, Israel's southernmost city, from the Sinai Peninsula. They were launched by operatives of ISIS's Sinai Province. Three of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system; the fourth fell in an open area near Eilat. ISIS's Sinai Province claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened "the future will be even worse and more bitter" for the Jews. n In the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar, a senior operative in Hamas' Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades, its military-terrorist wing, was elected as the organization's leader in the Gaza Strip (replacing Ismail Haniyeh, a candidate for the position currently held by Khaled Mashaal). Yahya Sinwar, who was imprisoned in Israel and released in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal, is considered an extremist who openly represents the positions of Hamas' military wing. His election will probably influence Hamas' policies towards Israel and other key issues. 030-17 2 Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem Terrorist Attacks and Attempted Terrorists Attacks n Combined shooting and stabbing attack in Petah Tikva (February 9, 2017) • A Palestinian armed with an improvised machine gun opened fire at passersby at the entrance to a market in Petah Tikva and a nearby bus stop. He then shot at a bus and tried to stab a man with a screwdriver. He wounded seven people. He escaped but was captured a short time later. • The Palestinian media reported the terrorist was Sadeq Nasser Abu Mazen, 18, from the village of Foqa al-Beita, south of Nablus (Felesteen, February 12, 2017). According to the initial investigation, he operated independently and without handling. The investigation also showed that a gun jammed, preventing him from carrying out the mass-killing attack he had planned. Left: Improvised Carlo submachine gun used to carry out the attack in Petah Tikva (Facebook page of Beita For All, February 9, 2017) Right: Sadeq Nasser Abu Mazen (Facebook page of I Love You, Oh Beita, February 9, 2017). • Hamas welcomed the attack. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum praised the terrorist for his "heroic deed," saying that the attack was "the natural response" to Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people and the holy places. He called on all Palestinians to escalate their struggle against Israel (Hamas website, February 9, 2017). Hamas spokesman Husam Badran called such attacks part of the so-called "Jerusalem intifada", and called on "resistance" operatives to carry out many such "heroic deeds" (Hamas website, February 9, 2017). 030-17 3 n February 10, 2017 – A Palestinian woman approached a roadblock near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. She took out a knife and ran towards one of the Border Policemen manning the roadblock. A Border Policeman aimed his gun at her, and she ran towards a nearby playground, where she was apprehended. There were no casualties. The Palestinian media reported she was Israa' Samih Jaber, 17, from Hebron (Twitter account of Radio al-Aqsa, February 11, 2017). Knife found in the possession of the Palestinian woman who tried to stab a Border Policeman (Israel Police Force spokesman's unit, February 10, 2017). Riots, Clashes and Popular Terrorism n This past week demonstrations and riots continued. Prominent were attacks involving stones and Molotov cocktails. In addition, weapons were seized and a stabbing attack was prevented. The more prominent events were the following: • February 12, 2017 – The Israeli security forces detained a Palestinian at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem. Two knives were found in his possession. He was taken for interrogation (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 12, 2017). • February 12, 2017 – Palestinians threw stones at an Israel vehicle on the Tekoa-Har Homa road, south of Jerusalem. There were no casualties; the vehicle was damaged (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 12, 2017). • February 11, 2017 – Palestinians threw stones at the light railway in Jerusalem. A railway car was damaged (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 11, 2017). 030-17 4 • February 11, 2017 – Palestinians threw stones at an Israeli vehicle on the Husan detour road near Beitar. Two people were injured (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 11, 2017). • February 11, 2017 – Israeli security forces carrying out an activity in the village of Samu'a in southern Mt. Hebron seized a large quantity of weapons, ammunition, military uniforms and other equipment. Seven village residents were detained (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 11, 2017). Left: Israeli bus damaged by stones thrown near Hizma, northeast of Jerusalem (Twitter account of Palinfo, February 8, 2017). Right: Weapons found in the village of Samu'a (Israel Police Force spokesman's unit, February 11, 2017). • February 9, 2017 – Palestinians threw stones at Israeli vehicles near Sinjil, northeast of Ramallah. A woman was wounded and the front windshield of the car was damaged (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 9, 2017). • February 8, 2017 – Palestinians threw stones at an Israeli bus near Hizma, northeast of Jerusalem. One man went into shock. The bus was damaged (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 8, 2017). • February 8, 2017 – Palestinians inside a school threw stones at Israeli vehicles in western Tekoa in Gush Etzion. There were no casualties; a vehicle was damaged (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 8, 2017). • February 8, 2017 – During a security activity, Israeli security forces seized parts of weapons manufactured independently and ammunition (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 8, 2017). 030-17 5 • February 8, 2017 – Israeli security forces detained a squad of Palestinian terrorists who, on several occasions, threw Molotov cocktails on route 443 (the Jerusalem-Modi'in road) and route 436 (north Jerusalem). The Palestinians, who cae from the village of Bayt Anan, were detained and indicted (Facebook page of Red Alert, February 11, 2017). Significant Terrorist Attacks in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem since September 20151 70 59 60 50 40 41 34 30 26 20 21 21 10 11 12 11 9 9 7 7 5 4 5 0 1 2 Israel's South Rocket Fire Attacking Israel n On the evening of February 8, 2017, four rockets were fired from the Sinai Peninsula at Eilat, Israel's southernmost city. Three of them were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system. The fourth fell in an open area a number of kilometers west of the city. It was the first rocket attack targeting Eilat since July 2014.2 n The following day ISIS's Sinai Province claimed responsibility for firing Grad rockets at Eilat. The Jews, stated the announcement, should know that their future would be worse and more bitter (al-Haq, February 9, 2017). On February 9, 2017, the Ibn Taymiyyah Media Center, operated by Salafist-jihadists in the Gaza 1 A significant attack is defined by the ITIC as involving shooting, stabbing, a vehicle, the use of IEDs, or a combination of the above. Stones and Molotov cocktails thrown by Palestinians are not included. 2 On July 15, 2014, at the height of Operation Protective Edge, a number of rockets were fired at Eilat. Two of them landed in the city, one of the near a hotel. Another landed in a residential neighborhood. The military-terrorist wing of the Jerusalem Battalions, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), claimed responsibility for the firing the two rockets. At the time it was unclear whether PIJ operatives did, in fact, fire the rockets. 030-17 6 Strip, issued a statement. It did not mention any group or organization as being behind the rocket attack, but accused Hamas of the continued detention of Salafi jihadist operatives in the Gaza Strip and of torturing prisoners. The statement ended with the Salafist-jihadists determination to maintain their firm stance against the way Hamas treated them. Monthly Distribution of Rocket Fire, 2016 3 5 5 0 0 2 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 * Four of the rockets fired in February were launched from the Sinai Peninsula at Eilat. Three were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system; one fell in an open area near Eilat. Annual Distribution of Rocket Fire in Israel's South3 3852 1159 925 783 787 845 375 373 158 103 39 24 15 5 3 The statistics do not include mortar shell fire or rockets which misfired and fell inside the Gaza Strip. 030-17 7 Developments in the Gaza Strip New Hamas Leadership Elected in the Gaza Strip n The Arab media reported that the internal elections held in the Gaza Strip for representatives of Hamas institutions and leadership had ended. Fifteen members of the Gazan leadership were elected (al-Quds, February 13, 2017). Yahya Sinwar was chosen as Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip. He will replace Ismail Haniyeh, who is a candidate for the position currently held by Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas' political bureau.
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