רמה כ ז מל ו תשר מה ו ד י ע י ן ( למ( למ מ" )מ" ) כרמ ז מה י עד מל ו ד י ע י ן ו ל רט ו ר

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

(March 3 –9, 2021)

Overview Coronavirus : In the there was a slight rise in the number of active cases. Public health figures are concerned that a variant might enter for which they have do not have the ability to test. In Judea and Samaria coronavirus infections continue to spread. Despite the rise in infection and the difficult situation in the hospitals a lockdown has not yet been imposed. However, in the Ramallah, Nablus and Jerusalem districts, where the levels of infection are high, the governors declared a one-week full lockdown. The Palestinian Authority (PA) rejects claims that vaccines are being given according to preferential criteria. began vaccinating Palestinian day laborers working in Israel. Terrorist attacks: There were two stabbing attacks, one targeting a civilian living in the Ephraim Farms and the other targeting IDF forces operating in the Tubas region. In the meantime, continue throwing rocks, stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles on the road in Judea and Samaria. The Gaza Strip: On March 7, 2021, ' military wing fired a number of rockets from the central Gaza Strip towards the sea. One rocket apparently hit a fishing boat off the Khan Yunis shore. Three fishermen, all from the same clan, were killed. Hamas is investigating the event. During the first round of elections for chairman of Hamas' political bureau in the Gaza Strip, Nizar Awadallah was victorious, defeating Yahya al-Sinwar. The International Criminal Court (ICC): The Palestinians were very pleased that the ICC's chief prosecutor decided to initiate an investigation of Israel. In Palestinian perspective the decision was a historic achievement in the Palestinian struggle against Israel. The Palestinians also noted that as signatories to the Rome Statute they were committed to providing the Court with all possible assistance. Riyad al-Maliki, Palestinian foreign minister, said a delegation would go to The Hague in the near future to discuss the practical consequences of the decision. Incitement : The Palestinian media continue anti-Israeli incitement and glorifying terrorists. This past week a video was shown by Palestinian TV glorifying

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(one of the Palestinian terrorists who carried out the Coastal Road in 1978, in which 35 were killed) and Thaer Hamad, who carried out the shooting attack in Wadi al-Haramiya, north of Ramallah, in 2002, killing three civilians and seven soldiers. The Spread of Covid-19

The Gaza Strip

This past week there was a slight increase in the extent of coronavirus infection. During the week 925 new active cases were detected, up from 795 a week ago. During the 24 hours between March 8 and 9, 135 new cases were detected and 1,734 tests were administered, with a positive rate of 7.7%. Currently there are 1,901 active cases, up from 1,780 a week ago. Sixty- one Gazans are in ICUs, 39 of them on ventilators. The number of coronavirus-related deaths is 560, up from 553 a week ago (Facebook page of the ministry of health in Gaza, March 9, 2021).

Coronavirus variants in the Gaza Strip

Dr. Majdi Dheir, director of preventive medicine in the ministry of health in Gaza, said the situation in the Gaza Strip was alarming because the new outbreak of coronavirus infections was mainly caused by variants. He reported that two coronavirus patients coming from the had entered the Gaza Strip through the Erez Crossing. They were immediately quarantined in a hospital. He said the ministry of health in Gaza did not have the ability to test them for the coronavirus variants prevalent in the West Bank, and they were looking to the W.H.O. for support. Note: So far no coronavirus variant has been identified in the Gaza Strip, and public health figures said that when one is identified they will increase restrictions. Dr. Majdi Dheir said they were continuing the vaccination. So far, he said, they had received 22,000 doses, insufficient to vaccinate the elderly and chronically ill in the Gaza Strip, whose numbers were estimated at 150,000 (qudsnet.com, March 9, 2021). Public warning

The ministry of health in Gaza called on all local residents to continue following public health guidelines in light of the high global rate of infection. According to the ministry, not following the guidelines was liable to make it necessary for them to reimpose restrictions throughout the Gaza Strip (Facebook page of the ministry of health in Gaza, March 8, 2018).

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Judea and Samaria

This past week there was a significant rise in infection in Judea and Samaria, with the detection of 12,013 new cases. During the 24 hours between March 8 and 9, 1,693 new cases were detected and 6,171 tests were administered, with a positive rate of 27.4%. Currently there are 18,168 active cases, up from 14,703 a week ago. One hundred fifty-five patients are in ICUs, 39 of them on ventilators. This past week there were 100 coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the number to 1,610. In east Jerusalem there are 2,450 active cases coronavirus cases (Facebook page of the ministry of health in Ramallah, March 9, 2021). Kamal al-Sheikh, spokesman for the ministry of health, said there was a serious increase in infection, new variants were spreading, and the number of Palestinians hospitalized had increased, as had the number on ventilators (Voice of Palestine Radio, March 4, 2021).

Rise in infection

PA chairman signed an order extending the state of emergency for another month (Wafa, March 4, 2021). Despite the rise in infection and the difficult situations in the hospitals, a full lockdown has not been declared. However, in the Ramallah, Nablus and Jerusalem districts, where infection is high, the governors imposes one-week full lockdowns. Dr. Kamal al-Sheikh said the new situation was serious, and lockdowns had been imposed on several districts because of the entrance of new variants. He said the number of new variant cases had reached 800, most of them infected with the British variant which, he claimed, had come into the PA territories from Israel (Facebook page of the ministry of health in Ramallah, March 7, 2021). district

The Hebron district is one of the districts with a high rate of coronavirus infection. Dr. Bahaa al-Natsheh, a doctor from the coronavirus ward in the Hebron Hospital, called the situation in the district "alarming and very worrying." He said the infection was spreading uncontrolled and the rare of infection was "insane" (Wafa YouTube channel, March 6, 2021). On the other hand, Dr. Afif Atwaneh, who holds the coronavirus portfolio in the Hebron district, said the situation was still under control, and the problem of oxygen shortages had been resolved. He said hospital occupancy stood at about 95% in the ordinary wards and between 80% and 85% in the coronavirus wards (Ma'an, March 9, 2021).

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The rate of infection in the PA territories (al-Quds, March 9, 2021). Enforcing the lockdown

Colonel Louai Arzikat, spokesman for the Palestinian police, said that over the past weekend the police had fined 1,786 civilians and business owners who had violate the coronavirus public health guidelines. He said 1,543 civilians who were not wearing masks had been fined 100 shekels (about $30); 168 businesses had been fined 500 shekels (about $150); 37 public transportation drivers had been fined an average of 250 shekels (about $75); and 34 reception venue owners had been fined 500 shekels (Wafa, March 7, 2021)

Right: Full lockdown in the Ramallah district (Wafa, March 7, 2021). Left: Roadblocks at the entrance to the Ramallah district (Wafa, March 6, 2021).

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Rise in Infection in Judea and Samaria (According to the ministry of health in Ramallah)

20,000 18,168 18,000 16,000 14,703 14,000 12,013 12,000 10,137 9,688 10,000 8,000 7,213 5,973 6,000 4,894 3,736 4,000 2,924 1,941 2,357 2,000 0 27.1-2.2.2021 9-3.2.2021 16-10.2.2021 23-17.2.2021 24.2-2.3.2021 3-9.3.2021 Active cases orange Weekly rise in cases

Coronavirus-related deaths in Judea and Samaria (According to the ministry of health in Ramallah)

2,000

1,750 1610 1510 1449 1,500 1404 1326 1365

1,250

1,000

750

500

250

0 27.1-2.2.2021 9-3.2.2021 16-10.2.2021 23-17.2.2021 24.2-2.3.21 3-9.3.2021

Acquiring vaccines

PA efforts to acquire more vaccines continue. Fariz Muhadawi, PA representative in China, said 50,000 doses of Chinese vaccine would be delivered to the PA in each of two installments. An additional 20,000 doses were donated by the building contractors' union. The first installment of 50,000 doses is expected to arrive in the PA on March 12, 2021 (Radio Ajyal, March 6, 2021).

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The Palestinian media related extensively to the ministry of health's order of preference for vaccinating local residents. Unfair distribution was claimed, and that senior PA figures and their families were vaccinated first, including members of Mahmoud Abbas' family who live in (al-Akhbar, March 4, 2021). Responding to the claims, Mai al-Kayla, PA minister of health, held an online meeting with representatives of civilian social organizations and the private sector. She explained her ministry's system for distributing the vaccine and asked the organization representatives to cooperate with the ministry of health and exert pressure on the companies that are supposed to provide the PA with vaccines (Facebook page of the ministry of health in Ramallah, March 7, 2021).

Corruption in vaccine distribution (al-Araby al-Jadeed, London, March 4, 2021). Israel vaccinates Palestinian day laborers

On March 8, 2021, Israel began vaccinating Palestinian day laborers who hold valid work permits. The project is conducted by the Israeli ministry of health and the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) in collaborations with the IDF's Central Command and the Crossings Authority. Vaccinations are administered at eight crossings. On the first day 6,000 Palestinians were given vaccines manufactured by Moderna (website of the Israeli ministry of health).

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Vaccinating Palestinians who hold valid work permits (Right: Facebook page of the COGAT in English, March 8, 2021. Left: Magen David Adom spokesman's unit, March 8, 2021). Aid for the PA

The World Bank authorized a donation of $25 million to support the municipalities in the PA territories in combatting the spread of coronavirus (Wafa, March 6, 2021). Israel's South

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

700 691

600 578

500

400

300

200 122 100 89 25 2 1 1 2 2 1413 4 6 15 1 0 1 3 3 15 4 4 2 3 0 0 0

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Annual Distribution of Rocket Hits

5000 4500 3,852 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1,403 1500 1,159 1,119 974 925 1000 783 787 845 375 373 195 500 158 103 39 24 15 29 3 0

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Operation Cast Lead Operation Pillar of Defense Operation Protective Edge

Hamas rocket kills three Gazan fishermen

On March 7, 2021, the Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military-terrorist wing, fired rockets from the central Gaza Strip towards the sea, tests often carried out by Hamas. One of the rockets apparently hit a fishing boat off the Khan Yunis coast, killing three members of the same clan. Immediately after the event the Shehab news agency reported that the Israeli navy had fired close to the fishermen (Shehab, March 7, 2021). The IDF spokesman was quick to reply that the IDF had no connection to the event. The fishermen's families reported the boat had been hit by a mortar shell. Hamas' military-terrorist wing sent its condolences to the fishermen's relatives. It also announced that the leadership of the "resistance" and the security forces had appointed a committee to verity the circumstances and they would expose the truth as quickly as possible (website of Hamas' military-terrorist wing, March 7, 2021). Somewhat later Iyad al-Buzum, spokesman for the ministry of the interior in Gaza, said his ministry had opened an investigation (Shehab Twitter account, March 7, 2021).

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The funeral held in Khan Yunis for the three fishermen (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, March 7, 2021). Judea and Samaria

Attempted stabbing attack at the Ephraim Farms

On March 8, 2021, resident of the Ephraim Farms reported that a Palestinian woman about 30 years old had infiltrated the site, entered the owner's home and tried to stab his wife. The Palestinian woman was detained by local residents. No casualties were reported (IDF spokesman, March 8, 2021). About a month ago, on February 5, 2021, a Palestinian drove his vehicle into the farms and tried to break down the owner's door. A guard and the Farms owner shot and killed him. Stabbing attack in Tubas

On March 8, 2021, during an Israel security force operation to detain a wanted Palestinian in Tubas (northeast of Nablus) the Palestinian tried to stab one of the fighters. The soldier fought him off and was slightly wounded. The force's commander shot and seriously wounded the Palestinian, who was taken to a hospital (IDF spokesman, March 8, 2021).

The knife used by the Palestinian in Tubas (IDF spokesman, March 8, 2021).

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The throwing of rocks, stones and Molotov cocktails, and other events

In Judea and Samaria Palestinians continued throwing rocks, stones and Molotov cocktails at vehicles driving on the roads. On March 8, 2021, during an Israeli security force activity to prevent the throwing of rocks and Molotov cocktails, the soldiers shot two Palestinians who were throwing Molotov cocktails at vehicles south of Jerusalem. According to Palestinian reports the two were seriously wounded.

The weekly riots in Kafr Qadoum (east of Qalqilya) (Wafa, March 6, 2021).

The more prominent events were the following:1 March 7, 2021: Rocks were thrown at a bus northeast of Hebron. No casualties were reported. The bus was damaged. March 7, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle south of Nablus. No casualties were reported. The windshield of the vehicle was damaged. March 6, 2021: Rocks and Molotov cocktails were thrown at an IDF post west of Hebron. No casualties were reported. March 6, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli police vehicle southeast of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported. March 6, 2021: Four Palestinians were suspected of throwing rocks at a shepherd northeast of Ramallah. The shepherd was injured and evacuated to a hospital. The Palestinians escaped in the shepherd's vehicle. March 6, 2021: Rocks were thrown at a civilian east of Jerusalem, injuring his arm. March 5, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle north of Ramallah. No casualties were reported.

1 All information and reports are from Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria unless otherwise noted.

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March 5, 2021: Seven Molotov cocktails were thrown at the Israeli community of Beit El, north of Ramallah. March 4, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle south of Nablus. No casualties were reported. March 4, 2021: Molotov cocktails were thrown at an Israeli vehicle south of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported. March 4, 2021: Rocks were thrown at a bus northeast of Jerusalem. No casualties were reported. The bus was damaged. March 4, 2021: Molotov cocktails were thrown at a bus northeast of Ramallah. No casualties were reported. The bus was damaged. March 3, 2021: Rocks were thrown at a bus north of Hebron. No casualties were reported. The windshield was damaged. March 3, 2021: An IED was thrown at the Israeli community of Beit El, north of Ramallah. No casualties or damage were reported. March 3, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle northeast of Ramallah. No casualties were reported. The vehicle was damaged. March 3, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle south of Bethlehem. No casualties were reported. The vehicle was damaged. March 3, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle east of Ramallah. No casualties were reported. March 2, 2021: Rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle west of Ramallah. No casualties were reported. The windshield was damaged. Significant terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria since January 20192

8 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

July July May May June June 2A significant attack is April defined by the ITIC as involving shooting,April a vehicular attack, the use of IEDs, or a March March March August August January January January combination of the above. Stones and MolotovOctober cocktails thrown by Palestinians are notOctober included. February February February December December November November September September

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Developments in the Gaza Strip

Economic conditions The arrival of the funds from Qatar

The deputy chairman of Qatar's National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza arrived in the Gaza Strip, and on March 7, 2021, the distribution of Qatari funds for needy families began at the post office bank branches in the Gaza Strip. Each of 100,000 needy families receives about $100 (Filastin al-Yawm, March 7, 2021).

Distributing the funds from Qatar at post office bank branches in the Gaza Strip (Twitter account of Qatar's National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, March 7, 2021). Protests against UNRWA continue

This past week protests against UNRWA continued, claiming that food allowances were being reduced. Demonstrators closed UNRWA's distribution centers and disrupted their activity (Paltoday channel, March 6, 2021). Members of the Joint Refugees' Committee held a press conference calling on UNRWA to roll back its new policy and threatening to continue the protests (Kofia TV channel, March 6, 2021).

Right: Palestinian demonstrators close one of UNRWA's distribution centers (Paltoday channel, March 6, 2021). Left: Press conference held by members of the Joint Refugees' Committee (Kofia TV channel, March 6, 2021).

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PA gestures towards the Gaza Strip

The PA ministry of the treasury announced that full February salaries would be paid to 24,000 PA employees in the Gaza Strip and the retirement of 6,800 others would be cancelled, for the first time since the wave of cutbacks in the Gaza Strip that begin in 2017 (Wafa, March 3, 2021). It will have an immediate effect on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, since the PA is Gaza's main employer. An investigative report carried out by the Palestinian daily newspaper al-Hayat al-Jadeeda noted an increase in recent commercial activity for the first time in several months. According to the report, it followed Mahmoud Abbas' instructions to pay the salaries (al-Hayat al-Jadeeda, March 6, 2021).

Right: PA employees in the Gaza Strip withdraw their salaries at Bank of Palestine ATMs in the Gaza Strip (Twitter account of photojournalist Ashraf Abu Amra, March 4, 2021). Left: Gaza Strip markets crowded with shoppers (al-Hayat al-Jadeeda, March 6, 2021). Internal Hamas elections

Elections in the Gaza Strip for Hamas' Shura Council ended on March 3, 2021. According to reports district representatives were elected, and the results did not indicate a significant change in the movement's leadership or its political bureau (al-Quds, March 4, 2021). In the first round of elections for chairman of Hamas' political bureau, Nizar Awadallah was victorious and defeated incumbent Yahya al-Sinwar. The Palestinian Authority (PA) PA elections Internal disputes in over party slates

Nasser al-Qudwa, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, announced an agreement had been reached to establish a Palestinian national democratic forum which would form the slate that would run for election to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The forum plans

037-21 14 to invite , a member of Fatah's Central Committee imprisoned in Israel, and activists of the reformist faction headed by Muhammad Dahlan, to join (al-Araby al- Jadeed, March 3, 2021). Nasser al-Qudwa promised that he would support Mustafa Barghouti if ran for the office of PA chairman (Shehab, March 4, 2021). In response, according to "Fatah sources," senior Fatah Central Committee figures told Nasser al-Qudwa that if he ran on a ticket separate from Fatah he would be expelled from the movement (al-Akhbar, March 8, 2021). A senior Fatah figure close to Muhammad Dahlan, the deposed Fatah leader, said Dahlan would support Barghouti's candidacy for PA chairman (Twitter account of Shabakat Quds al- Akhbariya, March 2, 2021). Hazem Abd al-Qader, a member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council, said the Central Committee had not yet responded to Marwan Barghouti's conditions regarding the joint slate with Fatah and the criteria he wanted because the Central Committee had itself not yet decided the issue (al-Akhbar, March 8, 2021). Integrating Hamas into the government

Egyptian sources reported the , a member of Fatah's Central Committee, and Saleh al-'Arouri, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, met secretly in Cairo on March 3, 2021, through Egyptian mediation. They discussed running for the PLC on a joint slate and the possibility of including Hamas in the Council (Filastin al-Yawm, March 5, 2021). Husam Badran, external Hamas spokesman, said Hamas intended to complete the round of internal talks during the coming month. He said they had agreed that after the PLC elections a national unity government had to be formed which would include the Gaza Strip and West Bank (Dunia al-Watan, March 3, 2021). Musa Abu Marzouq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said Hamas had not suggested a joint slate with Fatah. He added they were putting forward the idea that in the future Hamas would support a national unity government even if it lost in the elections, and that the national unity government be responsible for all the governmental authorities (Watan, March 2, 2021). "Hamas sources" said Hamas was examining a number of possibilities regarding the election situation in the West Bank in the wake of Israel's persecution of its operatives and senior figures. The sources listed two possibilities: Hamas activists would participate in slates separate from the movement, or they would run on the joint slate with Fatah (al-Akhbar, March 8, 2021).

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The stance of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)

Senior PIJ figure Nafez Assam said the organization was still deliberating its vote in the upcoming elections (Dunia al-Watan, March 5, 2021). Mahmoud al-Hindi, a member of the PIJ's political bureau, said the organization was in favor of " both the resistance and unity," but at the current stage of national liberation the Palestinian people had to respond to all of "Israel's crimes" through "resistance" [i.e., violence and terrorism] and not by becoming Israel's partner. However, he said PIJ representatives would participate in another meeting in Cairo and would not challenge or undermine the election results. He said the PIJ was not boycotting the elections, rather it had decided not to participate in them because of the (Filastin al-Yawm, March 6, 2021). The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor decides to initiate an investigation

The Palestinians reacted with enthusiasm to the announcement of Fatou Bensouda, the ICC chief prosecutor, that she had decided to initiate an ICC investigation into suspicions that Israel had committed war crimes in the "Palestinian situation." In Palestinian perspective it is a historic achievement in the struggle against Israel, and was made possible by the policies of Mahmoud Abbas. Senior PA figures urged the ICC to carry out a swift investigation and arrive at conclusions. They also noted they were committed, as Rome Statute signatories, to supporting the investigation.

The ICC chief prosecutor's decision, an achievement and victory for the Palestinians (al-Quds, March 4, 2021).

At the beginning of the weekly government meeting PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh praised the ICC decision, saying they would cooperate with the Court and provide it with all the PA reports to expedite the investigation and bring to trial those who had [allegedly] committed crimes (Muhammad Shtayyeh's Facebook page, March 9, 2021).

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Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki was interviewed by PA TV and related at length to the decision. He said claimed Fatou Bensouda, the ICC chief prosecutor, had informed him of her decision a few hours before it was officially announced, but he had been asked to use discretion. He said that Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian representative in Holland also knew. He said they had been in constant direct and indirect contact with the chief prosecutor's office in The Hague since 2014. Riyad al-Maliki related to the following topics in the interview (Palestinian TV, March 6, 2021): The Palestinians are currently evaluating the situation, preparing an integrated work plan and an overall strategy of how they will work with the ICC. If Israel and the United States decide to appeal to the UN Security Council to take steps to delay the investigation for 12 months the Palestinians will be able to thwart them through Security Council members friendly to the PA which have veto power (i.e., Russia and China). The PA is making preparations for a Palestinian delegation to visit the ICC, where they will meet with the chief prosecutor to discuss further steps, dates for practical steps on the ground, and the measures the Palestinians will have to take. The Palestinians are waiting for a date for the delegation's visit. Regarding Israel, the Palestinians expect Israel's responses to be confused, fearful and anxious. Countries friendly to Israel, such as the United States, Canada, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria and Australia, which Israel asked to oppose the move, will respond in the same way, according to Riyad al-Maliki. The Palestinians are aware of the campaign Israel is waging against the Court and are trying to undermine Israel's attempts to politicize the Court. al-Maliki himself is in favor of launching a Palestinian media campaign to counter that of Israel. The reaction of the United States to the chief prosecutor's decision came as no surprise, but the Palestinians expected more from the new American administration in light of the "mistakes" made by the former administration regarding the Court and its judges. The Palestinians are prepared to help every Palestinian, as ordered by Mahmoud Abbas, in presenting a complaint against Israel. Efforts to resolve the issue of the payments to the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails

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Qudri Abu Bakr, chairman of the authority of prisoners and released prisoners' affairs, said efforts were being made to pay the Palestinian prisoners as early as possible. He said that at the end of 2020 the PA had paid for the first quarter of 2021, and as of now no solution had been found for the coming payment. Regarding the absorption of released prisoners in the PA's institutions and the Palestinian security forces, he said a joint committee with 60 members from the office of PA employees and the national security forces was working on the issue (Facebook page of the authority of prisoners and released prisoners' affairs, March 6, 2021).3 Interviewed by the Times of Israel he confirmed that during 2020 the PA paid 600,000 shekels (about $181,000) to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Incitement and propaganda targeting the IDF and the settlements

Al -Hayat al-Jadeeda, the PA's official newspaper, continues publishing provocative cartoons representing the IDF and the settlers negatively. On March 8, 2021, it published a cartoon by Muhammad Sabaaneh, showing the IDF and the settlers as the poles holding a guillotine for a Palestinian (al-Hayat al-Jadeeda, March 8, 2021).

Propaganda against the IDF and the settlers (al-Hayat al-Jadeeda, March 8, 2021). Judaizing Jerusalem and visits to the Temple Mount

The PA media continues its daily reports about Israelis entering the Temple Mount compound. Al-Hayat al-Jadeeda, the PA's official newspaper, described the visits as "a police- guarded settler invasion of the al-Aqsa mosque plaza,." The paper also reported that Israel continues its projects to Judaize Jerusalem by laying light railway lines to join the city to the neighborhoods in east Jerusalem (al-Hayat al-Jadeeda, March 8, 2021).

3 For further information, see the January 24, 2021 bulletin, "The Palestinian Authority examines alternatives for continuing to make payments to prisoners and families of shaheeds after the option of the Bank of Independence is no longer on the agenda."

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Right: Palestinian video of Israeli visitors to the Temple Mount compound (Palinfo Twitter account, March 8, 2021). Left: Israelis visit the Temple Mount compound on March 7, 2021 (al- Hayat al-Jadeeda, March 8, 2021). Glorifying terrorists and shaheeds

On March 5, 2021, Palestinian TV's Facebook page posted a video glorifying Thaer Hamad, a terrorist sniper who carried out a shooting attack in Wadi al-Haramiya on March 3, 2002, killing three civilians and seven IDF soldiers he was apprehended on October 3, 2004, and sentenced to 11 consecutive terms of life imprisonment. The video had quotations and praise for the terrorist and his attack, such as "Thaer carried out a heroic act, the first of its kind after the bought a weapon with is own money." He claimed he wasn't a murderer, and for that reason had attacked "only soldiers and settlers." For International Women's Day, Palestinian TV posted a picture of Dalal Mughrabi on its Facebook page. She was a Fatah terrorist operative who participated in the Coastal Road Massacre, in which 35 Israeli civilians were killed. She became a national hero and a symbol of the armed Palestinian "struggle." Palestinian TV noted that after 43 years, Israel still holds her body (Palestinian TV Facebook page, March 8, 2021).

Right: Thaer Hamad, from the video. Left: Dalal Mughrabi (Palestinian TV Facebook page, March 6 and 8, 2021).

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