MESOP WATCH INTEL: News of Terrorism &the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (September 13-October 5, 2021)

 06/10/2021by Meir Amit Intel center Israel

Judea and Samaria: Between September 13 and October 5, 2021, there were three stabbing attacks, two of them in east Jerusalem.

The Israeli security forces carried out counterterrorism activities in several locations in Judea and Samaria, during which two Israel soldiers were severely injured, a number of Palestinians were killed and several were detained; weapons were also confiscated. According to Israeli security sources, a terrorist attack in an Israeli city was prevented. The two remaining Palestinian fugitives who escaped from the Gilboa prison were captured in Jenin.

  • The Gaza Strip: On September 12, 2021, a rocket was fired at the Israeli communities near the border; since then the Gaza Strip has been relatively quiet. A delegation of the Hamas leadership went to Cairo for talks concerning rebuilding the Gaza Strip, the lull and internal Hamas issues. Rebuilding the Gaza Strip has begun. On September 13, 2021, the distribution began of the funds from Qatar for needy families, carried out through a UN mechanism. Another installment of funds from Qatar is expected in the near future.
  • The Palestinian Authority (PA): On September 24, 2021, Mahmoud Abbas gave a prerecorded speech to the UN General Assembly. He claimed they had reached a crossroads and delivered Israel an ultimatum to withdraw from the Palestinians territories within a year, including east Jerusalem. He said during the year the PA would be willing to discuss all the unresolved issues regarding a permanent solution. He threated that if Israel did not withdraw, all options were on the table for the Palestinians, including an appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Hamas was critical of the speech, which it claimed did not meet the challenges facing the Palestinian cause.
  • Palestinian public opinion poll: On September 21, 2021, Khalil Shaqaqi’s Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), issued the main findings of its third quarter public opinion poll. The results were influenced by the atmosphere created by the escape of Palestinian terrorist operative prisoners from the Gilboa prison and the search conducted for them. According to the poll, if elections were held today for the position of PA chairman, Mahmoud Abbas would get 34% of the vote and Isma’il Haniyeh 56%. Regarding the best way to end the [so-called] “Israeli occupation,” 48% were in favor of “armed activity” [i.e., terrorism], 28% were in favor of negotiations and 19% were in favor of “peaceful popular protest.”
  • The coronavirus: In Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip the number of active cases and hospitalized patients declined.
  • [1] Ahmed Zaharan was a high-ranking Hamas terrorist operative from the village of Bidu and wanted by Israel. He was detained by Israel eight times and was imprisoned for a total of six years. His brother, Zaharan Zaharan, was also a Hamas terrorist operative and involved in the abduction of IDF soldier Nahshon Waxman. Zaharan Zaharan was killed by Israel in 1998 (QudsN website, September 26, 2021). ↑
    [2] Zakaria Badwan, from Bidu, was a released prisoner. He was imprisoned by Israel for three and a half years. His family claimed he had left the house to bring food to his friend Ahmed Zaharan, who was hiding in Bayt Anan, and found himself in the middle of the IDF operation (QudsN Twitter account, September 26, 2021). ↑
    [3] Mahmoud Hamidan, 27, from Bidu, was a Hamas terrorist operative. He was released from an Israeli jail in June 2021 after having served a sentence of seven years. His aunt said they were proud of him for dying as a shaheed (Wafa, September 26, 2021). ↑
    [4] All information and reports are from Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria unless otherwise noted. ↑
    [5] A significant attack is defined by the ITIC as involving shooting, stabbing, a vehicular attack, the use of IEDs, or a combination of the above. Stones and Molotov cocktails thrown by Palestinians are not included. ↑
    [6] On July 14, 2021, UNRWA director Philippe Lazzarini signed a new agreement with the American government regarding the restoration of American aid to the agency. According to the agreement, in return for financial aid the United States, UNRWA will make sure its employees maintain neutrality and are not members of terrorist organizations, its institutions will be used for exclusively humanitarian objectives, it will improve its financial transparency and ensure that the contents of its textbooks do not include incitement or calls for terrorism. ↑
    [7] https://www.pcpsr.org/sites/default/files/Poll%2081%20English%20full%20text_Sept2021.pdf  ↑