The West Bank and Settlements

Updated October 21, 2024

Israel strikes Dee killers in Nablus

What happened: Around 200 Israeli troops took part in a counter-terror raid yesterday morning, targeting the terrorists who killed three members of the Dee family.

The raid deep into the casbah of Nablus was partially captured in Palestinian CCTV and appeared to show the lead IDF soldiers in disguise, including some dressed as women, others as labourers.
Troops surrounded the building and following a short gun fight, the IDF announced that they killed the two Hamas terrorist operatives Hassan Ktnani and Maed Mitsri along with third Hamas operative Ibrahim Hura, who had helped them hide.
The IDF also found two M-16 rifles and an AK-47 in the apartment used in the attack against the Dee family three weeks ago.

Responses: Following the operation, Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “This morning we settled the score with the murderers of Lucy, Maia, and Rina Dee. Our message to those who harm us, and to those who try to harm us, is that it may take a day, a week, or a month – be assured that we will come for you. It doesn’t matter where you try to hide, we will find you. Whoever harms us – their blood is on their own heads.”

Rabbi Leo Dee told Ynet, “The world will be able to sleep better when these terrorists are no longer alive. I am very happy to hear that no soldier or civilian was hurt or affected in the event. It is a mission that only the IDF and the Shin Bet can do.”
Curiously, the Governor of Nablus Ibrahim Ramadan released a statement saying, “The killing of the young men in Nablus this morning is a natural result of their non-compliance with the Palestinian security services and their refusal to surrender their weapons.”
Chairman of Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmud Abbas said, “We strongly condemn the aggression against Nablus and call on the American administration to act to stop it.”
Hamas claimed all three men were members of their military wing and said the attack in the Jordan Valley was in response to the Israeli aggression against worshipers in al-Aqsa during the month of Ramadan.

Context: Intelligence sources have revealed that the security establishment knew the identity of the terrorists hours after the attack and assumed that they were hiding in the casbah in Nablus.

They waited until they had the precise location of their hideout.
The entire raid was completed in an hour, no other Palestinians were killed and no IDF forces were injured, though an IDF dog was killed whilst protecting a soldier.
The raid is another intelligence coup for Israel, as well as a complex operation in the heart of a Palestinian city in broad daylight.
The raid comes days after the latest flare-up when over a hundred rockets were fired from Gaza on Tuesday.
The IDF responded with airstrikes against sixteen military targets, with one Palestinian reportedly killed.
The relatively subdued response caused anger among some right wing members of the government. This anger was compounded when it was revealed that the prime minister did not invite Public Security Minister Ben Gvir to the security consultation. This is turn led Ben Gvir and his five members of Knesset to boycott parliamentary votes on Wednesday, with threats to resigns, and counter threats from the Likud telling him to quit.
The cell, with its affiliation to Hamas, attests to a rise in Hamas involvement in West Bank terror. In addition one of the men killed yesterday was a close family relation of Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange, who now lives in Qatar.
The third man killed was also a member of the Lion’s Den group, further proof of their coordination with Hamas.
Overall there is growing concern over the terror infrastructure in the West Bank, particularly the phenomena of small cells armed with automatic weapons who are planning further attacks. There is increased speculation whether it will be necessary to conduct a wider scale military operation. Currently there are four possible scenarios:
- A large scale operation across the West Bank: the logic being it is better to strike before there is a major terror attack and take the initiative.
- Others have suggested a more gradual approach: instead of one large operation, a series of localised ones.
- A third option is to continue the current practice of targeted operations that focus on specific intelligence against wanted suspects or ‘ticking bombs’ where an attack is imminent.
- A fourth option is to empower PA security forces to operate against these threats.
- A fifth option could be a combination of the last three options.
Meanwhile, in Damascus yesterday, as part of his historic visit, Iranian President Raisi met with Palestinian leaders including the head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ziyad al-Nakhalah as the latest indicator of closer Iranian ties to Palestinian terror groups.

Looking ahead: Large deployments of IDF troops remain in place across the West Bank, with Hamas threatening to launch revenge attacks for yesterday’s killing.

In the next couple of weeks, the Palestinians will mark the Nakba Day (catastrophe) on May 15, the English anniversary of Israel’s independence. Later that week, Israel marks Jerusalem Day, the anniversary of reunifying the city. Both dates have in the past seen a spike in hostilities.

April 24, 2023

Jordanian parliamentarian caught smuggling weapons

Jordanian politician Imad Al-Adwan was arrested after he was caught smuggling almost 200 handguns and rifles at the Allenby Crossing on the Jordan River, from Jordan into the West Bank.
He initially raised suspicions after he arrived by car at the border crossing on Saturday night with three large heavy suitcases.
When taken for questioning he claimed that he was transferring gold, and that his parliamentary immunity would suffice.
Following inspection of the bags, he was found to be smuggling 160 handguns and 17 M16 rifles, individually wrapped in cellophane.
There are contradictory reports over whether he was also transferring any gold.
He was taken for questioning by the Shin Bet Security Service where they will try and ascertain who gave him the guns and who was meant to be the recipient.

Context: There has been a significant increase of smuggling weapons from Jordan into the West Bank over the last year.

However this appears to be the first instance of a Jordanian official involved. Though there is speculation that this was not the first time Al-Adwan had smuggled in weapons.
Al-Adwan is a member of the Jordanian parliament’s Palestine committee. He is known as a strong supporter of the Palestinians and Hamas. He is 35 years old, from one of the Jordanian tribes in the south (not a Palestinian).
The recent heavy proliferation of automatic weapons among Palestinian militias has increased the intensity of gun fights between Palestinians and the IDF (during IDF counter-terror operations). This has resulted in the deaths of dozens of young Palestinian combatants over the last year.
This incident follows Ramadan that saw increased tension, particularly over the Jordan’s traditional custodial role over Muslim prayer on the Temple Mount.
Israel and Jordan have been formally at peace since 1994, in that time there have been several security related incidents that have caused embarrassment and a rise in tension. This includes Israeli Mossad attempts to poison Hamas leader Khaled Mashal in 1997. In 2017 an Israeli Embassy security guard accidentally killed his Jordanian landlord with a stray bullet, following an alteration after he was stabbed by a young Palestinian. In this latest incident it’s the Jordanian side that may need to come up with some compensation.
However, overall Israel and Jordanian security forces work in close cooperation on a range of shared security issues, including the threat from ISIS and other extremist groups and the integrity of their shared border.
In the lead up to Ramadan Jordan hosted a summit in Aqaba, including senior Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian and US officials, among a range of issues was improving security coordination.

Looking ahead: Jordanian diplomats are engaging with Israeli officials to try and secure his release.

Israeli estimates believe he will be released after he has been questioned, with speculation over the terms and conditions that the Jordanians will pay in return.
As in previous years, a general closure will be imposed upon the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from today until the end of Independence Day on Wednesday night.
There remains a heightened state of alert with concerns over further attempted terror attacks.

April 19, 2023

Counter-terror arrests in Nablus and Jenin

There have been three separate terror attacks against Israeli citizens over the last three days.
On Tuesday morning, there was a shooting attack in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem. Two men, both ultra-Orthodox, were driving back from morning prayers at the Tomb of Simon the Just when they were shot at close range. They were taken to hospital in moderate condition.
The suspect fled the scene on foot, abandoning his Carlo gun. The attack was captured on CCTV that assisted in identifying the attacker.
Earlier this month, the head of the Shin Bet Security Service, Ronen Bar, revealed it had prevented more than 200 “significant” terrorist attacks since the beginning of the year. Bar said that the thwarted attacks included “about 150 shooting attacks, 20 bomb attacks, car-rammings, suicide bombings, kidnappings and more.”
On Monday, an Israeli man was wounded in a stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion Junction. IDF troops at the scene shot the assailant, a female Palestinian.
Also on Monday, there was shooting towards Kibbutz Meirav, adjacent to the West Bank. No-one was injured, but one home was damaged.
Yesterday, the IDF carried out a counter-terror operation in Jenin. The operation was based on intelligence that a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) cell was planning to imminently launch a terror attack. Three PIJ operatives were arrested, two of whom were experts in assembling explosives. During the arrest armed gunmen fired and threw explosive devices at the forces, who responded with live fire. Palestinian sources reported five people were wounded, one in serious condition.

Context: The attacks coincide with the end of Ramadan, a period that saw two lethal terror attacks against Israeli citizens, including the shooting of three members of the British-Israeli Dee family.

This week, the police announced that they prevented eight terror attacks in the last few days.
Earlier this month, the head of the Shin Bet Security Service, Ronen Bar, revealed it had prevented more than 200 “significant” terrorist attacks since the beginning of the year. Bar said that “over 200 significant attacks have been thwarted, including about 150 shooting attacks, 20 bomb attacks, car-rammings, suicide bombings, kidnappings and more.”
Yesterday, the Shin Bet cleared for publication the revelation that Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps have tried again to recruit two West Bank Palestinians to carry out terror attacks in Israel. It revealed that the men had been approached on social media and had subsequently agreed to smuggle weapons into the West Bank. They also agreed, at the request of Hezbollah, to collect intelligence about IDF activities and to recruit additional operatives to carry out more terror attacks.
Meanwhile, the head of the Hamas political bureau Ismail Haniyeh led a delegation of senior Hamas officials to Saudi Arabia for the first time in eight years.
In parallel, Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas is also visiting Saudi Arabia and met earlier with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Looking ahead: Next week Israel marks both Memorial and Independence Day. Security forces remain on the highest level of alert across all sectors, with intelligence suggesting more attacks are being planned.

The manhunt continues for the terrorists who murdered Lucy, Rina and Maia Dee.

April 15, 2023

Israel on high security alert on all fronts

Today is the forth Friday of Ramadan, and also Iranian-led Quds (Jerusalem) Day.
Tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers are expected to attend services on the Temple Mount / al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Police in Jerusalem have augmented their forces with around 2,300 police officers, Border Police troops and reinforcements from across the country deployed throughout the capital, particularly in East Jerusalem and the Old City.
In the West Bank, the IDF remains on a heightened state of alert having also deployed reinforcements across the sector over the last few days.
The Israel Airports Authority announced that the airspace near the northern and southern borders has been closed to civilian flights.

Stoking the Fire: Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has used Quds Day to rally against Israel.

This year Iran is promoting ‘resistance’ in the West Bank as a way to ‘protect’ Jerusalem.
Following Iran’s reconciliation with Saudi Arabia, Iran is encouraging all the Arab and Islamic countries (both Shia and Sunni) to act in unison against Israel.
Hamas has called for a large turnout of both Palestinians and Israeli Arabs to attend prayers today in al-Aqsa.
Ziyad al-Nakhlah, the leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is visiting Iraq this week, he also called on the Arab world to unite against Israel, saying, “Positive steps are happening in the region. We will continue until we expel the Zionist invaders from our country.”
Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, is expected to make a live address later today and share a digital platform with Iran’s president, Ibrahim Raisi.
There has been growing cooperation among Iranian-supported terror organisations, including high level meetings of Hezbollah, Hamas and PIJ leaders in Beirut.

Context: As in previous years Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to prevent non-Muslims from visiting the Temple Mount until the end of Ramadan.

The decision had the unanimous backing of Defence Minister Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Halevi and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar.
National Security Minister Ben Gvir described the decision as “capitulation to terrorism.” According to Ben Gvir, “The lack of Jews’ presence on the Temple Mount will automatically result in a depletion of the police force on the mount, which will create fertile ground for huge displays of incitement to murder Jews and even to a scenario of stone-throwing at Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall. When terrorism strikes at us, we need to strike back at it with tremendous force, not to capitulate to it and its whims.”
The Chief Rabbinate, as usual, supported the decision, as according to their interpretation of Jewish Law it is forbidden for Jews to ascend the Temple Mount.
Following last week’s rocket attacks from Syria, Lebanon, Gaza Strip and two deadly terror attacks, this week has been relatively quiet. However, the IDF has continued to operate against terror cells in the West Bank. Five people were arrested in Jenin suspected of planning an imminent terror attack.
Earlier in the week two gunmen were killed in the Nablus area, after they shot at an IDF position.
The Israeli police entered the al-Aqsa mosque last Wednesday based on intelligence that a pre-planned attempt by hundreds of young men to bring rocks and explosives into the mosque was aimed start violence and unrest. No-one was killed, and there were no serious injuries, but footage of police violence contributed to the spike in attacks by Palestinian terror groups.
In Israel’s response to rockets from the Gaza Strip last week, the Air Force dropped 50 tons of explosives on Gaza, targeting Hamas military sites. No Gazans were killed in the strikes.
The response to the rockets from Lebanon was even lighter, so as not to risk further escalation. The Israeli assessment was that the rocket fire from southern Lebanon was a Hamas or an independent Palestinian initiative, with Hezbollah maintaining plausible deniability. However, Iran is certainly encouraging a more coordinated effort and ratcheting up the pressure.

Looking ahead: The police are aware that Hamas will be looking to exploit any rioting or attacks as a propaganda success.

Iron Dome missile defence systems are on a high state of alert, deployed around the Gaza Strip and the northern borders.
The ban on civilian flights is expected to remain in place until Sunday evening.

April 14, 2023

British-Israeli mother succumbs to wounds from terror attack

British mother Lucy Dee died of her wounds yesterday, three days after the deadly shooting attack that claimed the lives of her two daughters, Maia and Rina.
Her death is widely mourned across Israel, UK and the Jewish world. Both President Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu have issued condolences.
Her Husband, a former Rabbi in the UK, gave an impassioned plea to differentiate between good and evil.
Last night Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the nation. He began by again offering condolences to the Dee family.
Relating to the recent wave of attacks, Netanyahu blamed the previous government for the loss of deterrence.
He warned that if there are further attacks from Syria, President Assad will pay “a very heavy price,” adding that Israel will not allow Hamas to entrench itself in Lebanon.
Netanyahu also confirmed Defence Minister Gallant will remain in post, having put their past differences behind them.
In a rare move, he also answered questions from journalists. On the issue of judicial reforms, Netanyahu said that he was looking for a broad agreement, whist promising to protect minorities and women, LGBTQ people and the ultra-Orthodox.
Asked about the formation of a National Guard, Netanyahu said it “will not be anyone’s militia” and would fall under the command of one of the security forces.
Also yesterday – around 20,000 right wing Israelis including seven government ministers and 17 coalition MKs marched to the West Bank settler outpost of Evyatar in protest of recent terror attacks. Among the marchers were National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich.

Tension remains high, but relative calm has been maintained over the last 48 hours, despite the previous few days marked by rocket fire from Syria, Lebanon, Gaza Strip and two deadly terror attacks.

The right wing march was criticised by some on the right for diverting IDF troops to defend the marchers instead of participating in the manhunt for the terrorists that killed three members of the Dee family.
There was also criticism that Israel’s response to the recent attacks has been too feeble. Likud MK Danny Danon told Army Radio, “The containment approach isn’t working and has brought on further attacks. We have to pivot from containing to defeating. The current situation can’t go on. The effort to postpone the inevitable has only brought us to a multiple-theatre incident. We have all the capabilities and strength to pummel our enemies. Our region only understands force and the time has come for us to use it.”
However members of the security cabinet have maintained that Israel’s retaliatory strikes were proportionate and commensurate, given the circumstances.
The police released new intelligence that explained their decision to enter into the al Aqsa mosque last week. According to Police Commissioner Insp. Gen. Yaakov Shabtai, as well as rocks and fireworks, explosive devices were also smuggled into the Temple Mount last week with the intention of using them against the police.
Netanyahu’s comments blaming the outgoing government for the increased terror is the latest spat between government and opposition. On Sunday night, Netanyahu met with Leader of the Opposition Lapid and gave him a security update. Afterwards, Lapid said, “The opposition will support any action recommended by the security branches. I arrived at the briefing with Netanyahu worried, and I left even more worried.”
In response, the Likud accused Lapid of playing “petty politics instead of projecting a message of firm unity to our enemies.”
Latest opinion polling on Channel 13 News shows a massive surge for Benny Gantz’s, National Unity Party up to 29 seats (from 12) with Yesh Atid down slightly to 21. Whilst Likud slumps to 20 (currently with 32). The Religious Zionist Party and Jewish Power are also sightly down 11 (now 14), with Shas polling 9; United Torah Judaism: 6; Hadash-Ta’al: 6; United Arab List: 5; Yisrael Beiteinu: 5; Labour Party: 4; Balad: 4. This would give the current coalition parties: 46 seats (down from 64) and the former coalition parties: 64 seats with Hadash-Ta’al and Balad on 10 combined.
The same poll also shows both Lapid and Gantz receiving more support for being better suited to serve as prime minister, rather than Netanyahu.

The manhunt to apprehend the terrorists who murdered the three Dee family members is still ongoing after the terrorists’ vehicle was found by Palestinian Authority security forces in Nablus.

The organs of the late Lucy Dee were transplanted and have saved the lives of 5 people.
A decision is expected to be made soon on whether to allow or close the Temple Mount to Jewish visitors in the last week of Ramadan.
The security establishment has said there was no security reason for Jews not to visit the Temple Mount on the seventh day of Passover (tomorrow), but after that it could then be limited to Muslim worshippers for the duration of Ramadan.

April 13, 2023

Two British-Israeli sisters killed in terror attack

The victims of Friday’s shooting attack near Hamra in the West Bank have been named as sisters and British nationals Maia Esther Dee and Rina Miriam Dee, aged 20 and 15.
Their mother Lucy, 48, remains in critical condition at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem.
The three, residents of the Israeli settlement of Efrat, were travelling by car near Hamra when they came under fire, causing their vehicle to crash. Terrorists then opened fire on the stricken vehicle.
The victims’ father, Rabbi Leo Dee, a former senior rabbi at Radlett United Synagogue and assistant rabbi in Hendon, was travelling in a separate car.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Hamas praised it as “a natural response to the occupation’s ongoing crimes against Al-Aqsa Mosque and its barbaric aggression against Lebanon and the steadfast Gaza.”

Israel continues to face and respond to multi-dimensional, multi-front security situations:

Rockets from Syria:

Overnight Saturday, wo salvos, of three rockets each, were fired at Israel from Syria, triggering alarms in the Israeli Golan towns of Natur and Avnei Eitan.
Three of the rockets entered Israeli territory, one being intercepted by Iron Dome and two landing in open fields.
A Palestinian-Syrian militia calling itself the Al-Quds Brigade claimed responsibility for the first salvo.
In response, the Israeli Air Force struck sites in the Syrian areas from which the rockets emanated – said by Syrian sources to be Tel al-Jamuah, located between Tasil and Nawa – including military sites, radars and artillery positions. Earlier, IDF artillery shelled the attack area, while unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeted the rocket launchers.

Tel Aviv Attack:

In Tel Aviv on Friday, an Italian tourist was killed and seven others injured when a terrorist launched a car-ramming attack along several hundred metres of Kaufmann Street, near Charles Clore Park.
Alessandro Parini, a 35-year-old lawyer from Rome, died in the attack, while hospital officials have disclosed that British nationals are amongst the injured.
The perpetrator, killed at the scene, was later named as Yousef Abu Jaber, 45, an Israeli citizen and father of five from Kfar Qasim with no security record.
A police official said that “A terrorist with no history of security issues, and not a young man, who carries out an attack like this was almost certainly influenced by the incitement.”
Kfar Qasim Mayor Adel Badir said, “We denounce any attack against innocent people and call for all sides to show tolerance. This is not the way of Kfar Qasim residents. The city was and remains a place for coexistence and the pursuit of peace.”

Temple Mount:

Overnight, hundreds of Palestinians once more barricaded themselves inside al Aqsa Mosque, with the Jordanian Waqf refusing to remove them despite commitments not to allow overnight stays in the mosque during Ramadan.
While Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Saturday took the unusual step of reinforcing the police in the Central District with troops from the IDF, Israeli forces declined to move to remove those inside on this occasion.
This morning, groups of around 20 Jews at a time are being permitted to enter the compound under guard.

Context: The latest fatalities as a result of Palestinian terrorism takes the death toll on the Israeli side to eighteen since the beginning of this year. Thirty-two people were killed in terror attacks in 2022.

Despite facing rockets attacks from Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip this week, none of these attacks have resulted in fatalities or injuries.
The responses by the IDF have been calibrated according to the sector, but have all been measured and restrained, with no reported loss of lives. However, the response in Syria – targeting the source of fire – has been more robust than the response in Lebanon, where concerns over further reprisal attacks and escalation from Hezbollah have inspired restraint.
Israel’s security establishment had anticipated that Ramadan would be the catalyst to spark attacks against Israel. Already a month ago, the explosion at the Megiddo Junction by a terrorist who managed to enter Israel from Lebanon with a heavy bomb raised alarm. The bomb which exploded prematurely was evidence of cooperation between Hezbollah and Palestinian terror groups. However at the time, Israel did not blame Hezbollah directly, again, partly to give them more scope to respond (or not) and avoid an escalation.
The working understanding from Israeli intelligence is that the rocket fire from Lebanon was not Hezbollah, which has denied responsibility, but Palestinian groups operating out of southern Lebanon.
However, cooperation and coordination between Hezbollah and Palestinian terror organisations, with the guidance of Iran has been growing.
Similarly, the working assessment remains that Hamas in Gaza does not want to see an escalation there, but prefers to incite and encourage terrorism in the West Bank.
To an extent, events around the Temple Mount influence all other theatres, due to the resonance of the site for Muslims and Jews.
A pattern has developed whereby young men armed with rocks and fireworks lock themselves into al Aqsa mosque at night in order to provoke police and create disturbances. On Saturday night the police let them remain inside the mosque and did not confront them, whilst facilitating Jewish visitors to the site and allowing the traditional Passover priestly blessings to be conducted at the Western Wall below.
There is also concern that Iran is also trying to incite Israeli Arabs to join the attacks. The terror attack in Tel Aviv was committed by an Israeli Arab. Of significance, the leader of the Islamic Ra’am Party Mansour Abbas condemned the attack writing on twitter in Hebrew: “Especially during these difficult times, it is important for me to emphasise, as I have done many times in the past – as for the Tel Aviv terror attack, is not the way of the Arab society or Arab citizens in Israel. Arab leadership, particularly Ra’am and the Islamic Movement, will not condone any acts of violence against citizens, regardless of their religion, race, or ethnicity.”

Political context: Israel was already facing a severe domestic crisis, as a result of divisions caused by the government’s proposed judicial reforms.

The reforms and the make-up of hard right members in the coalition are also compounding the perception of a fissure in relations with the US. In this context the Iranians may believe this is an opportune moment to attack Israel.
This government is now marking its first 100 days in power. It is facing calls from within the right wing to act more robustly in responding to attacks. Yet for now a more considered approach, endorsed by the security establishment, to avoid escalation is being adopted.
The tenure of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, remains in doubt. Two weeks ago he was fired after warning of “clear, immediate and palpable danger” to Israel’s security as a result of the proposed reforms. The firing appears suspended for now and he remains in his role.
Despite media speculation over a US-Israel rift, Gallant spoke with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and in a reassuring move the US announced that it was deploying a guided missile submarine to the Gulf and an aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean.

Looking ahead: The manhunt in the West Bank for the terrorist who killed the Dee sisters is ongoing.

An Iranian militia has warned of more planned attacks against Israeli owned vessels in the Gulf.
Israel has called up Border Police reservists to augment their defensive posture particularly in Jerusalem.
If the attacks on Israel continue there could be a larger call up of reserves.

March 20, 2023

Talks in Sharm, another shooting in Hawara

Officials from Israel, Palestinian Authority (PA), Egypt, Jordan and the US met in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday.

Israel was represented on a professional level by the Director of the Shin Bet Security Service Ronen Bar and on a political level by the head of the National Security Council Tzachi Hanegbi.
The Palestinian delegation was led by PA Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh and head of Intelligence Majed Faraj.
Middle East adviser Brett McGurk represented the US alongside the foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt.
According to Israeli media reports the Israeli delegation stressed the need to take uncompromising action against terrorism in order to prevent any escalation during and after Ramadan.
Israel and the PA reaffirmed their shared commitment to immediately refrain from taking unilateral action for a period of between three and six months. That includes an Israeli commitment to stop any discussion about building new housing units in the settlements for a four-month period, and to stop recognising unauthorised outposts for six months.
Efforts were also made to find a mechanism for Israel and the PA to cooperate and avoid any further deterioration in security for both Israelis and Palestinians.
The sides also agreed to establish a forum that would discuss Palestinian demands to receive tax funds that Israel has withheld after deducting the equivalent of terrorists’ salaries.
Meanwhile yesterday in Hawara a terrorist opened fire from point blank range at an Israeli car and injured a 30-year-old Israeli man alongside his wife.
The driver, David Stern, a resident of nearby Itamar settlement, who trains the security teams in the area, is also a US citizen and an ex-Marine. He managed to return fire and injure the terrorist, who dropped his gun and fled.
The injured terrorist was later found by IDF forces and taken for questioning.
On Saturday night a single rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. It fell in uninhabited territory close to the border and no one was injured. The IDF retaliated by shelling a Hamas military outpost.
Also over the weekend a senior member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) was assassinated near his home in Damascus. Ali Ramzi Al-Aswad was a senior engineer in the PIJ military wing. Israel was blamed for his death.

This meeting in Sharm was the second regional summit focusing on Israeli – Palestinian arena following Aqaba conference at the end of February.

There remains a shared Israeli – PA agenda to deescalate the situation in the West Bank and on the Israeli side.
From the Palestinian perspective the purpose of the summit was to address their security concerns particularly related to limiting IDF incursions into Palestinian cities during Ramadan.
The Israelis are keen to fully re-establish security coordination with the PA Security Forces (PASF) and for the PASF to reassert themselves as they have recently begun to do in Nablus.
The US are also keen to see calm in the West Bank and thought to encourage Israel to take confidence building measures to improve economic conditions in the West Bank.
It is possible that the PIJ operative targeted in Damascus built the bomb that exploded in Megiddo junction last week.
Meanwhile over the weekend PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah met with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. This meeting suggests further evidence of Iranian support via Hezbollah for Palestinian terror groups.
The rocket fired on Saturday night was the first in eleven days. Already this year thirty-six rockets have been fired from Gaza Strip towards Israel. Most have occurred following Palestinian fatalities as a result of an Israeli counter-terror operation in the West Bank.
In parallel, the Jerusalem municipality announced steps to help East Jerusalemites celebrate Ramadan. Street decorations can already be seen in the eastern part of the city, The municipality has also distributed food vouchers for the poor and deployed extra street cleaning. They are planning to hold several sporting and cultural activities to keep youngsters engaged over the holiday.

IDF troops in the West Bank have completed their training and preparation ahead of Ramadan.

They remain on high alert, particularly in Hawara so as to prevent any vigilante responses from settlers.
Whilst the IDF remain on alert for potential attacks they will also be taking measures to facilitate freedom of worship for Palestinians to visit Al-Aqsa on the Temple Mount.
The agreements reached in Sharm are aimed at securing quiet in the months ahead.

February 27, 2023

Deadly riot in Huwara follows killing of two Israelis

Two Israelis were killed in a shooting attack yesterday near Huwara in the northern West Bank.
The victims, brothers Hallel Yaniv, 21 and Yagel Yaniv, 19, were residents of the settlement of Har Bracha. They were traveling on Route 60 when a Palestinian gunman opened fire from close range at their car and then fled the scene. An initial probe suggested the gunman took advantage of traffic to carry out the attack.
In the aftermath of the shooting, a group of settlers rioted in Huwara and other villages near Nablus. Palestinian medics reported that one man was killed while thirty homes were set on fire. Nine Palestinian families were rescued from their burning homes by Israeli security forces. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned what he termed “the terrorist acts carried out by settlers under the protection of the occupation forces.” Some Israeli journalists criticised the IDF for not being more prepared to prevent the violence in Huwara by beefing up their forces in the village to separate the sides and reduce the violence.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US condemns the West Bank violence, “including the terrorist attack that killed two Israelis and settler violence, which resulted in the killing of one Palestinian, injuries to over 100 others, and the destruction of extensive property.”
Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog criticised the settler response to the shooting. “I am asking, while blood is boiling and winds are high – don’t take the law into your hands,” Netanyahu wrote, adding “I ask that you allow the IDF and security forces to do their work.” Herzog expressed his “forceful condemnation” writing that “taking the law into one’s own hands, rioting, and committing violence against innocents – this is not our way.”

The attack took place during a summit in Aqaba to discuss calming tensions, especially ahead of Ramadan, which this year partially overlaps with Passover.

The summit, the first time such a forum of four states plus the Palestinians has been convened, was attended by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, PA intelligence chief Majed Faraj, U.S National Security Council officials, and Jordanian and Egyptian security personnel.
Its announced outcomes included commitments on:
- Establishing a joint committee to review renewed security coordination between Israel and the PA.
- No new Israeli decisions on settlement construction for the next 4 months (the recent announcement to legalise nine unauthorised outposts and to build 9,500 new housing units in the West Bank would not be changed.)
- Forming a joint civilian committee to advance confidence-building economic measures.
- Encouraging the PA to reassert its security control in the heart of Palestinian population centres.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan welcomed the “commitments by the Government of Israel and the PA to de-escalate and prevent further violence. The two sides also affirmed their commitment to all previous agreements between them, and to work towards a just and lasting peace.”
Jordan’s foreign ministry says the Israeli and Palestinian representatives at the Aqaba summit agreed to work toward a “just and lasting peace” and affirmed the need to “commit to de-escalation on the ground.
There was disagreement over what had been agreed regarding settlement construction. The State Department said that both sides had “confirmed their joint readiness and commitment to immediately work to end unilateral measures for a period of 3–6 months” adding that “this includes an Israeli commitment to stop discussion of any new settlement units for 4 months and to stop authorization of any outposts for 6 months.”
Israel denied there was a general commitment to halt settlement expansion. Prime Minister Netanyahu tweeted that “Contrary to the tweets, the construction and regulation in Judea and Samaria will continue according to the original schedule, with no changes. There is and there will be no freeze.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had previously said that he didn’t “know what was or was not talked about in Jordan…there is one thing I do know: there will not be any freezing of building and developments in settlements for even one day (and it’s under my authority).”

The manhunt for yesterday’s shooter continues. The IDF, Israel Police and Israel Border Police forces are currently operating in the Shomron Regional Brigade.

The IDF announced that following a situational assessment, it was decided to reinforce the Judea and Samaria Division with two additional battalions. Furthermore, as part of the expanding security activity in the city of Nablus, it was decided to increase the security checks on routes leading in and out of the city.
Another Israeli-Jordanian-Egyptian meeting is scheduled before Ramadan in order, according to an Israeli official “to examine progress in the security arena.”

February 9, 2023

CIA Director meets Abbas

CIA Director William Burns, returning from a trip which included meetings with Israeli officials and with Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas, has said he fears that current Israeli-Palestinian violence echoes the pattern of the Second Intifada.

“I was a senior US diplomat 20 years ago during the Second Intifada,” said Burns, “and I’m concerned – as are my colleagues in the intelligence community – that a lot of what we’re seeing today has a very unhappy resemblance to some of those realities that we saw then too.”
Meanwhile, five terrorists were confirmed killed in an IDF raid targeting members of a cell affiliated with Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades in the Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, near Jericho, on Monday.
Troops entered the camp in pursuit of cell members believed to have carried out an attempted attack in Vered Yeriho, near the Almog junction, on January 28th, following which Israeli forces tightened restrictions around Jericho.
The Shin Bet and IDF Intelligence Directorate discovered that those responsible were in an apartment in the camp and planning further attacks.
Having identified the apartment, troops came under fire and responded in kind, killing gunmen, all of whom are thought to have belonged to the cell.
Troops also discovered a significant and sophisticated arsenal of weapons, many of which – including rifles equipped with sniper scopes, Carlo submachine guns, and pistols – are comparable with the IDF’s own weapons.
The targets of the mission having been killed, forces then withdrew from the camp in the face of hundreds of locals, some of them armed.
No Israeli casualties were reported, while Palestinian media shared footage of a seemingly downed Israeli Sky Rider drone.
The raid also netted the arrest of senior Hamas official Shaker Amara, as well as relatives of the Vered Yeriho attackers.
Yesterday, Israeli officials indicated their belief that a car which exploded in Jenin in Monday evening was a prematurely detonated car bomb planned for use in an attack in revenge for the Jericho mission.
In separate incidents, a 17-year-old member of the Lion’s Den terrorist group was killed during clashes with Israeli forces in Nablus on Tuesday, while 22 Palestinians were also arrested in the village of Burkin, west of Jenin. This follows the arrest by Israeli forces on Sunday of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leader Khader Adnan in the village of Arrabeh, near Jenin, on Sunday.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem predicted that the Jericho raid would “fuel a revolution” amongst Palestinians.

The Hamas Jericho cell, calling itself the Aqabat Jaber Battalion, is a new phenomenon, with the Vered Yeriho incident indicating an escalation in a city previously noted for its relative quiet.

Last Saturday, the Aqabat Jaber Battalion publicly announced itself with a local parade and public statement.
Monday’s IDF mission followed a previous raid targeting members of the cell last Saturday, in which at least 13 Palestinians were injured.
While several arrests of cell members were secured in that mission, those responsible for the Vered Yeriho attack were not among them.
In response to Saturday’s raid, the Aqabat Jaber Battalion announced a “days of rage” period, encouraging locals to initiate conflict with Israeli troops. “Let us all make them days of fire against the occupation,” a statement said, calling on Palestinians to “pour out their anger against the occupation.”
In the attempted attack on January 28th, four members of the cell travelling in two cars sought to open fire close to a restaurant but fled when one of their M-16 rifles jammed.
The gun failure averted what could have been a major terrorist attack, with over 30 people dining in the restaurant at the time.
While the past year has seen multiple Israeli raids into the West Bank, as part of Operation Breakwater, such operations have tended to target unaffiliated individual suspects or else localised militia independent (at least formally) from both the Palestinian Authority’s dominant Fatah faction and Hamas. An operation targeting such a well-resourced Hamas cell inside the West Bank is therefore unusual.
The location of the raid is also significant. Jericho, in the PA-run Area A has previously been considered a place of comparative quiet and relatively secure PA control. Such a significant Hamas base of operations, together with Israel’s assessment that its neutralising required a unilateral operation, provide further proof of the decline in the PA’s influence in the West Bank and its ability to be considered a reliable security partner.
The PA also opted to suspend formal security cooperation with Israel in the wake of the IDF’s raid in Jenin on January 27th, though informal cooperation is known to have been ongoing since then.
The operation was notable for being conducted not by one of the IDF units usually designated with such a mission, but by its gender-integrated Lions of the Jordan Valley Battalion, formed in 2014.
The chief of the military’s Central Command, Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fuchs, commended the “commanders and troops who led the battle” as “an example of professionalism and leadership.” The operation will doubtless signify an important endorsement of mixed battalions at a time when they are under fire from ultra-Orthodox political figures.
Egypt has continued mediation between Israel and the Palestinian factions. On Saturday, PIJ Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhaleh met in Cairo with Abbas Kamel, Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate to discuss recent violence, especially in the PIJ stronghold of Jenin, while Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is due to arrive in Cairo shortly.

Israel is braced for a violent response from Hamas.

With several members of the cell killed or arrested, quiet from Jericho might reveal that Hamas’s presence in the city has been fatally degraded.

January 29, 2023

Attack in Neve Yaakov

Attack in Neve Yaakov: Seven people were killed and at least three others injured in a shooting attack near the Ateret Avraham synagogue in Jerusalem’s Neve Yaakov neighbourhood on Friday evening.

Five victims were declared dead at the scene and another two succumbed to injuries after reaching local hospitals.
The shooter was later named as Alqam Khayri, 21, an East Jerusalemite with no prior record of terror activity.
Khayri arrived at the busy synagogue, around the end of Shabbat evening prayers. He first shot an elderly woman in the street before beginning shooting at worshipers emerging from the Synagogue. He then fled the scene by car and headed for the nearby Arab neighbourhood of Beit Hanina. When faced with police officers, Khayri opened fire before being shot dead.
Security officials told the Walla news site that Khayri had displayed considerable skill with a weapon and that they were investigating the possibility that he had received training.

The aftermath: On Saturday, Israeli police arrested over 40 of Khayri’s friends, acquaintances, and family members.

Meanwhile, widespread celebrations were seen in the Gaza Strip and in several West Bank cities, including Ramallah, Nablus and Jenin.
A second shooting attack occurred on Saturday morning. An Israeli father and son, were said to be in a serious but stable condition after being shot near the Old City of Jerusalem. The Palestinian attacker, who was shot and wounded was identified as a 13-year-old Muhammad Aliyat.
There were two more attempted shooting attacks later on Saturday: One at Almog junction close to Jericho, where the assailants gun jammed, and a second attack thwarted at the entrance to the settlement of Kedumim.
US President Joe Biden called Netanyahu on Friday night. “The president made clear that this was an attack against the civilised world,” and “stressed the ironclad US commitment to Israel’s security,” the White House revealed.
Statements of support were also forthcoming from other Israeli allies including the UK and the UAE. A Jordanian statement condemned the attack but also included a thinly-veiled criticism of the Jenin operation.
Organisers of the anti-government protests on Saturday night decided that the demonstrations would begin with a minute’s silence for the victims of the terror attacks and would avoid the playing of music.

The Security Cabinet convened on Saturday night and announced a series of measures including:
- “National insurance rights and additional benefits for the families of terrorists that support terrorism will be revoked.”
- “Legislation on the revocation of Israeli identity cards of the families of terrorists that support terrorism will be discussed at tomorrow’s Government meeting.”
- “Firearm licensing will be expedited and expanded in order to enable thousands of additional citizens to carry weapons.”
- “In response to the abhorrent attacks and the celebrations in their wake, Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided on steps to strengthen settlement that will be submitted this week.”
Police also fear potential price tag revenge attacks against Arab Israelis. Prime Minister Netanyahu appealed for restraint in his immediate comments. “Our hearts are with the families,” he said. “I commend the police officers who took action so quickly. We must act with determination and composure. I call on people not to take the law into their own hands.”
On Sunday morning the mapping and sealing of Khayri’s home was expediated ahead of its demolition.
Five people remain hospitalised but in stable condition following the two attacks in Jerusalem.

The death toll of seven makes the Neve Yaakov attack the deadliest suffered by Israel since 2011, and the costliest Palestinian-perpetrated attack since 2008, when an East Jerusalemite terrorist killed eight Israelis at the city’s Mercaz Harav yeshiva.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad praised it as a response to Friday’s IDF raid in Jenin in which nine Palestinians, including seven combatants, were killed.
The first intifada (late 1980s) was characterised as a popular uprising and the second (from 2000) was notable for being led by organised terror organisations. This latest period which began in March 2022 has neither of those features and is led by localised cells and ‘lone wolf’ attackers.
Security experts are divided over the effectiveness of swift demolitions of terrorist homes; whether this disincentives future attacks or encourages them.
Since last March there have been several deadly terror attacks that have resulted in 30 Israelis killed. In the same period 150 Palestinians have also been killed, though over 90% were engaged in some form of combat.
The second attack’s perpetrator being a thirteen-year-old child is particularly shocking, both as testimony to his exposure to incitement and indoctrination as well as his ease of access to an illegal weapon.

The immediate period following lone wolf attacks is one of the most tense, as in the past deadly attacks have served as increased motivation for copycat attacks.

Kobi Shabtai, Israel’s police commissioner, ordered officers from the elite Yamam counterterrorism unit to deploy to Jerusalem after the two attacks.
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, meanwhile, ordered extra troops to be stationed in the West Bank and along its security fence.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is due to arrive in Israel on Monday. Yesterday he said, “We mourn those killed in the attack, and our thoughts are with the injured, including children. The notion of people being targeted as they leave a house of worship is abhorrent.”

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