רמה כ ז מל ו תשר מה ו ד י ע י ן ( למ 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 (September 23 – 30, 2020)

Overview

This past week the number of active Covid -19 cases in the Gaza Strip declined and currently stands at 1,596, down from 1,669 (on September 22, 2020). However, the number is still high and it is unlikely that the decline indicates a trend. The opening of the Rafah Crossing and the entrance and exit of thousands of Palestinians, and the easing of the quarantine conditions of the past week, may lead to a new rise in infections. The number of active cases in Judea and Samaria also declined, and currently stands at 6,519, down from 9,062 (on September 22, 2020). The Palestinian Authority (PA) reported 1,106 active cases in east Jerusalem, down from 1,856. Most of the active cases are in the and districts. The Gaza Strip was relatively quiet this past week. In Judea and Samaria, however, there were many incidents of stones and Molotov cocktails thrown at civilian Israeli vehicles. Almost no casualties were reported but many vehicles were damaged. In an incident off the coast of , Egyptian army soldiers shot and killed two fishermen whose boat strayed over the nautical border between Egyptian and the Gaza Strip. During the funeral held for the two, slogans were shouted condemning Egypt and Egyptian President el- Sisi. Prominent events in the political and internal Palestinian arenas were the following: PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech at the UN General Assembly in which he attacked Israel and the United States, accusing them of violating both international law and the rights of the Palestinian people. He called for an international conference to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and claimed the Palestinian organizations had agreed to hold elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council and the presidency. Talks for a - reconciliation were held in Turkey, with Turkish observers present. Reportedly, the organizations agreed to hold elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council and later for the presidency and the Palestinian

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National Council. Senior Hamas and Fatah figures interviewed after the talks expressed optimism. Past experience has shown that difficulties may present themselves. Palestinian diplomatic activity included updating Qatar and Egypt on the talks. In all probability, moving the reconciliation talks to Turkey angered Egypt, which sponsored them in the past. Covid-19 Infection in Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria: Overview

Gaza Strip

Since September 22, 2020, the number of active Covid-19 cases inside the Gaza Strip has declined, with more recoveries than new active cases recorded every day. Between September 23 and 30, 2020, 503 new cases were detected, down from 518. The number of active cases currently stands at 1,595, down from 1,669. So far 21 Gazans have died, 20 inside the Gaza Strip and one woman who returned from abroad.

The Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip has not yet reimposed a general lockdown. However, the ministry of the interior announced a tightening of the lockdowns in the areas where the number of infections increased, among them the Jabalia refugee camp, the northern Gaza Strip district and the al-Turkman district in the eastern part of the Gaza district (website of the ministry of the interior in Gaza, September 22, 2020). According to the updated map appearing on the ministry of health's website, most of the northern Gaza Strip district, most of the central Gaza Strip district and the center of the city of Khan Yunis are red areas.

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Right: Cumulative statistics issued by the ministry of health in Gaza on September 29, 2020 indicate the number of acti