What will come of the recent escalation in the West Bank?
Last week, rockets were fired from Jenin, in the West Bank, toward Israel for the first time in 18 years. This week, Israel launched its biggest operation in the West Bank in decades. Tension and violence are escalating between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank, but what is the cause, and what does this mean in the larger question of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
The Israeli military operation in Jenin is a counter-terrorism campaign that is mainly a response to a string of terrorist attacks in recent weeks. On June 19, Israel launched a raid in Jenin in search of several Palestinian terrorists planning attacks in Israel, and they were quickly met with armed resistance (Lynfield, “Israeli Forces launch raid in Jenin”).
A day after this, on June 20, two Palestinians killed four Israelis at a settlement near Nablus, in the West Bank. Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which operates out of Gaza, claimed responsibility for the gunmen (Gritten, Four Israelis killed by Palestinian gunmen”).
Four days later, on June 24, another terrorist, claimed to be a member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, opened fire on Israeli soldiers at the major checkpoint connecting Ramallah and East Jerusalem (Fabian, “Shooting at checkpoint near Jerusalem”). The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade is the military wing of Fatah, a Palestinian political group which lost the only election, in 2006, to Hamas but still has power in the West Bank.
Now, this week, after mounting tensions in the region, Israel has launched its biggest operation in the West Bank in two decades. Israel has announced that this counter-terrorism operation is to destabilize terrorist groups in the West Bank which have become too comfortable and too dangerous.
The operation has involved numerous drone strikes and an armed brigade on the ground, targeting terrorist hot spots in Jenin and in the refugee camp in the city. Israel has claimed that this operation is not aimed at taking and holding territory (Mckernan, “Biggest West Bank incursion in 20 years”), but to disable terrorists from carrying out attacks on Israel.
These recent terrorist attacks, and the Israeli response, is a result of decades of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The two have never been able to agree on borders or on coexistence, sparking several wars and many operations. This recent violence is an extension of the historic conflict, but it is influenced by modern issues, and it is being fought between complex parties.
The Palestinians launch terrorist attacks against Israel because they do not want the Jewish state to exist in the land they view as theirs. Several of the groups that hold power and operate in Palestinian land are not interested in a political solution, and often refuse to negotiate with Israel. The groups responsible for the recent attacks, mainly Hamas and Fatah, both have military wings that operate in the West Bank, and specifically in Jenin.
The groups receive much of their funding from Iran and call for radical Israeli cessions to achieve peace. Hamas wants Israel to fall back to the pre-1967 borders, they want to grant all Palestinians the right of return, and they want what is now Israel to become an Islamic state. Of course, these demands are impossible, and they are used as an excuse for violence.
Since Israel, obviously, refuses to cooperate with Palestinian demands, terrorist groups have been able to grow and operate in Palestinian land. Terrorist groups have found a safe haven in the West Bank, and specifically in Jenin, and the most recent Israeli operation shows that Israel refuses to allow terrorists to operate in the region. If Palestinian authorities continue to foster these terrorist groups, Israel may continue to launch operations against them, escalating the conflict between the parties.
This operation, the biggest in twenty years, may be a sign of more to come between Israel, the Palestinian groups in the West Bank, and the Palestinians across the rest of the region.
By Ethan Wenger – JIJ Intern
REPORT OF THE “STATE OF PALESTINE”
Jerusalem Institute of Justice written submission
TO THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE
ON THE REPORT OF THE “STATE OF PALESTINE”
Executive Summary
Press this link for the full report
The Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) submitted a report to the Human Rights Committee of the UN regarding Palestinian adherence to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). JIJ’s report exposes inadequate law enforcement, incitement to violence, and acts of torture and inhumane treatment by the Palestinian government, directly contradicting Palestinian claims of compliance with international law.
The Human Rights Committee is a United Nations treaty body comprised of 18 international law experts tasked with ensuring that countries adhere to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Countries self-report their adherence to the treaty to legitimize their sovereignty and prove their benevolence. The State of Palestine used its report to deceive the international community and attack the State of Israel while claiming they uphold International Law.
Article 2 of the ICCPR prohibits discrimination. However, the Palestinian educational curriculum promotes violence, excludes peace education, and fosters a biased narrative. Palestinian textbooks legitimize violence, glorify terrorists, erase Israel from maps, and demonize Israelis. This indoctrination of violence among children has long-lasting effects and obstructs peace initiatives, and it can manifest itself in acts of terror perpetrated by children and adults. In the State of Palestine, terrorists are rewarded with glory. Their families receive a payment if the terrorist dies or is arrested; the price increases corresponding to the severity of the crimes. Alongside monetary incentives, terrorists are treated like martyrs. Summer camps where Palestinian children are trained to fight Israel through acts of violence are named after killed terrorists.
Article 6 of the ICCPR safeguards the right to life. The use of human shields by the Palestinian authorities is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and breaches Article 6. This concerning practice has been observed in various conflicts, including Operation Protective Edge and the March of Return protests. Moreover, evidence suggests the concealment of rocket production facilities, armories, and combatants in or near residential areas, further jeopardizing civilians and disregarding international norms.
Article 7 of the ICCPR prohibits torture and cruel treatment. However, the Palestinian authorities have a significant gap between their legal framework and practical enforcement in preventing such acts. The Committee Against Torture (CAT) has expressed concerns over incidents of torture and mistreatment in custody, including the lack of confidentiality in complaint handling and the insufficient independence of investigation bodies. Former detainees’ testimonies provide clear evidence of inhumane treatment, torture, denial of rights, and various forms of abuse. Arbitrary arrests and torture are used against Palestinians exercising their fundamental rights, like peaceful protests or criticizing the regime. These abuses appear to stem from higher authorities’ directives. From 2016 to 2021, the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights received 4,279 claims. Palestinians commit these acts of torture onto Palestinians.
Article 20 prohibits war propaganda and advocacy for hatred; JIJ’s report highlights the notable discrepancy between the legal measures established by the Palestinian authorities and their practical enforcement. Despite legal restrictions, instances of incitement and hate speech persist. Palestinian television broadcasts content, such as the series “The Path of Sacrifice,” glorifying terrorists and their acts of terror. Social media platforms like TikTok and Telegram are also utilized to spread messages of hate and incitement, including simulated attacks by young children against Israeli soldiers. Palestinian leaders publicly encourage lone-wolf attacks and the procurement of weapons, fostering hatred instead of promoting peace. School textbooks and cultural events are utilized to propagate hate, as seen in a musical production featuring dancers in military attire glorifying combat against the perceived “enemy.”
Lastly, Article 24 safeguards the rights of children. Despite international laws protecting children’s vulnerability, Palestinian children continue to be recruited and involved in violent acts, including clashes, shootings, and stabbings. Organizations like Hamas run summer camps that promote aggression and hostility, jeopardizing these children’s safety, rights, and development. This perpetuates a culture of violence with far-reaching consequences for individuals and society.
Based on the information provided, JIJ recommends that the Human Rights Committee issue the following calls to the “State of Palestine”: expunge textbooks advocating violence and terrorism, adopt an internationally accepted definition of terrorism, cease financial support to terrorism, refrain from using human shields or concealing military targets in civilian areas, end the use of torture and ensure thorough investigations, discontinue the promotion of hatred and violence through media and social media platforms, and take measures to prevent the recruitment of children in hostilities and protect their rights. These recommendations aim to promote peace, tolerance, and the protection of human rights.
Irredeemable and Flawed
By Rachel Rosen.
"There is no doubt that we [UNRWA] have contributed to one of the most remarkable human development processes and significantly advanced several key sustainable development goals for Palestine refugees...”
The United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestinians, or UNRWA, is a UN agency that purports to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees. A simple click on their website will bring forth an array of quotes and pictures of children happily reaping the benefits of UNRWA services, such as engaging in art projects and sports competitions at UNRWA schools. According to UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl, "There is no doubt that we [UNRWA] have contributed to one of the most remarkable human development processes and significantly advanced several key sustainable development goals for Palestine refugees...” If UNRWA is in fact providing essential humanitarian aid to refugees however, then what are the issues with this agency that have caused the US to stop funding it?
Unlike the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), the UN program which gives aid to refugees from all over the world, UNRWA is dedicated to helping Palestinians alone. Even more striking is the fact that UNRWA created a new definition of refugees that applies only to Palestinians, including not only those who were displaced after the 1948 and 1967 wars, but also their descendants. While UNRWA is commonly depicted as a humanitarian agency that provides educational, health, and welfare services to displaced Palestinians across the Middle East, it is in fact stewing a false hope among Palestinians that they will return to an Arab State of Palestine, and thus erase the State of Israel.
What does UNRWA accomplish? What are the issues it causes?
UNRWA’s definition of refugee has exponentially increased the Palestinian refugee population. While it originally aided 750,000 people, today UNRWA serves 5 million people. Consequently, many Palestinians, have acquired citizenship in other states, in Jordan in particular. Only the return of refugees and their descendants to their homes could remove their refugee status. Several Arab states, such as Lebanon and Syria, do not want to fully integrate Palestinians in an effort to not deny them their right to return to modern-day Israel. According to Einat Wilf, UNRWA expert and former Member of Kennest, this has focused Palestinian national identity on the right of return and on eliminating the modern State of Israel.
The educational system funded by UNRWA is especially problematic. UNRWA schools indoctrinate students in the West Bank and Gaza with violent, hateful ideologies. Students are taught that Israel has no right to exist, that Palestine and Israel cannot coexist, and that the Land of Israel should only contain an Arab Palestinian state. The Center for Near East Policy Research found that textbooks in UNRWA schools were filled with anti-Semitic and anti-Israel statements. These instructional materials promote the deligitmization and demonization of Israel and Jews and advocate for a violent struggle for liberation of 1948 Palestinian borders.
The UNRWA definition of Palestinian refugee status and its support for a biased education system does not contribute to peace efforts between Palestinians and Israelis, but rather, perpetuates the conflict. Refugee status is passed on from generation to generation. This ensures that many Palestinian children attend UNRWA schools where they are indoctrinated with hateful, anti-Israel, anti-peace beliefs. Hamas leaders put these beliefs into practice in UNRWA facilities by training children to become terrorists and by using these spaces for terrorist operations- such as digging tunnels under schools or storing weapons in hospitals.
Why has the US stopped funding it?
The defunding of UNRWA is one out of several steps the Trump Administration is taking to strengthen Israel. The US was the largest single donor to UNRWA, giving more than $350 million in 2017. After, however, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas refused to enter US-led peace talks with Israel, the US froze $125 million in aid. The decision was made at a meeting between Jared Kusher and Mike Pompeo, however, many other leaders- including President Trump and National Security Advisor John Bolton- were supportive. Trump stated, “...With Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?” Abbas’s refusal to engage in peace talks stems from the fact that Palestinians do not see the US as a fair, peace-making body. In moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, he claims that the Trump administration alienated Palestinians from the peace process.
Both US and Israeli leaders view UNRWA as a means of deepening Palestinian problems. Their alienation from the peace process is not the fault of the US, but rather can largely be attributed to their own neglect to work towards coexistence. US leaders tend to point to the issue of how UNRWA defines refugee, while their Israeli counterparts discuss the existential threat that UNRWA poses to Israel. According to National Security Advisor John Bolton,
“UNRWA is a failed mechanism. It violates standard international law on the status of refugees. UNRWA’s program is the only one in history based on the assumption that refugee status is hereditary... it is long overdue that we have taken steps to reduce funding.”
US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, affirmed Bolton’s point, claiming that in order for UNRWA to receive US dollars, the number of refugees will need to be changed to an accurate count. Heather Nauert, State Department spokeswoman, called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to support the US decision to withdraw funding from UNRWA, describing the program as an “irredeemably flawed operation” that is based on an “unsustainable” business model. The Prime Minister’s office affirmed Netanyahu’s support for the US’s “critical attitude towards UNRWA” and claimed that “practical steps need to be taken in order to change the fact that UNRWA is being used to entrench the Palestinian refugee problem instead of solving it.” The hawkish view of Israeli leaders is reflected in statements made by former and current Israeli ambassador to the UN, Ron Proser and Danny Danon, in which they describe how UNRWA-funded facilities are used for terrorist activities. Proser describes UNRWA schools as a “hotbed of incitement” against Israel, Jews, and the West, while Danon points to UNRWA’s adoption of a unilateral political position and the anti-peace rhetoric in course materials taught at UNRWA schools.
What are the solutions to UNRWA?
The largest problem with abolishing UNRWA is addressing who would provide humanitarian aid to poor Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Several solutions have been suggested that seek to reform who controls UNRWA and who oversees where funds get allocated. One solution would be to transfer UNRWA’s responsibilities to the UNHCR. If UNRWA operated under the UNHCR, it would to adopt the UNHCR rules and regulations, ensuring that Palestinian refugees were treated the same as all other refugees around the world. This would revoke the unique refugee status of Palestinians. Another solution would be to put UNRWA under the sole control of the Palestinian Authority, thus terminating its affiliation with the UN and UN funding. A third solution on the table is increasing UNRWA’s transparency in order to ensure that its budget and equipment are used for the correct purposes and to ensure that educational programs are supervised. In a statement to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, Haley stated, “UNRWA can stay there, and we will be a donor if it reforms what is does... If it goes and makes sure that they’re not doing those teachings in textbooks, if they actually change the number of refugees to an accurate account. We will look back partnering with them.” She noted that the administration is seeking to bring resolutions to the UN that will hold Hamas accountable for human rights abuses in Gaza, such as the use of children as human shields.
UN-Believable?
Article by Charlotte Van Der Gucht.
The UN report on the Gaza demonstrations condemns Israel. No surprise.
The weekly “great march” alongside the security fence was supposed to be a totally peaceful demonstration by Palestinian civilians. However, with Hamas working behind the scenes on the Palestinian side, this demonstration turned into a violent confrontation. In February of this year, the United Nations (UN) presented their findings on the Gaza demonstrations held between March and December 2018.
Both parties’ actions during the demonstrations were investigated. However, the UN report is largely dedicated to the condemnation of only one party, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). The commission mainly accuses IDF soldiers of killing demonstrators who didn’t pose an imminent threat to life, including children.
The UNknown: Objectivity is sought but rarely present
The UN’s report is drafted by an ‘independent international commission of inquiry’. But how reliable is such a commission if we look at the overall relation between the UN and Israel?
Every year for the past five years, over 20 UN resolutions have been directed against the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel. Whereas approximately 5 UN resolutions were directed at all countries in the world, combined! Let’s be clear: over a striking 80% of the UN resolutions were directed against Israel only. Israel does not claim to be faultless, but these numbers are astonishing.
Critical questions and concerns from members of the international community such as the UN are essential for the sake of justice. However, these numbers reveal a disproportionate targeting of Israel. It makes one wonder how objective this UN report is.
UNbelievable
“In the commission’s view, the demonstrations were civilian in nature.”
The report mentions that 183 allegedly ‘innocent’ Palestinians lost their lives. However, the statistics of the Intelligence and Terrorism information center (ITIC) confirm that “as for the identity of the fatalities 150 of 183 Palestinians were found to be affiliated with Hamas or with other terrorist organizations”.
The IDF qualified their actions by stating that members of Hamas were among the civilian protestors. They were responding to a new security threat, as the protests masked terror activities which include the launching of both incendiary kites and balloons filled with explosives. These in many cases were thrown by children. The devices caused many thousands of acres of farmland, animals and wildlife to burn creating an ecological disaster.
“Children are intentionally killed by the IDF”
35 of the 183 Palestinian losses were unfortunately children. The UN report accuses the IDF of having intentionally killed these children. But the real question is, who is responsible for these losses? The report does not reveal the sad context of Hamas using children as a method of warfare. Children are used as both human shields and child soldiers.
The education system in the Gaza strip, controlled by Hamas, systematically encourages children from a very young age to join the battle, to become martyrs. Later on, as adolescents they will attend summer camps where they will undergo military training. Ultimately, the children will be brainwashed to believe that Israel is their enemy, up to the point where they will join the demonstrations and risk their lives for the sake of Hamas. This is a despicable method, however, one that is never condemned by the UN.
Not only the Palestinian children, but the entire Palestinian population suffers under Hamas’ de facto control. Hundreds of protesters were paid to join the protests and others were coerced. Why did the UN report not mention this abuse even once? Again, critical reports and concerns on the conflict and demonstrations must be raised. But wouldn’t it be fair to investigate both sides with the same attention?
Adhering to international standards
It is beyond any dispute that alleged misconducts of IDF soldiers should be investigated and if necessary prosecuted. But the question is by whom? The UN calls upon the International Criminal Court (The ICC) in The Hague to investigate the actions of IDF soldiers. However, the ICC has no standing if Israel takes care of the investigations itself. This is what is called the principle of complementarity.
This principle is simple but ultra-relevant: The ICC cannot investigate alleged crimes when a country domestically opens a serious investigation adhering to international standards.
The Turkel Commission (consisting of independent international legal observers), in 2013, verified that the Israeli self-investigation system meets these international standards. An example of Israel’s willingness to scrutinize itself, is the case of IDF soldier, Elor Azaria.
Azaria shot in the head and fatally wounded a neutralized terrorist while standing less than 2 meters away from him. This disproportionate reaction has been investigated and led to the conviction of Elor Azaria for manslaughter on 4th of January 2017. This case proves that Israel is not afraid to investigate their own defense forces, although the investigations received a lot of criticism from the Israeli public. Examining your own defense forces is not a popular policy. Nevertheless, Israel continues to do so for the sake of justice and democracy.
EU's Schizoprenic Position On Hamas
An Evaluation of European Policy towards Hamas
In 2017, the European Court of Justice ruled on an appeal by the European Council and set forth that Hamas will remain on the list of terror organizations. This appears to indicate that the European Union (EU) is convinced of the terrorist nature of Hamas, de-legitimizes the organization and tries to prevent its funding. However, the EU's position concerning Hamas is not so clear-cut. Firstly, the EU faces challenges implementing the prevention of funding to Hamas due to its own provision of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, which often implicitly benefits Hamas who maintain effective control over the area. More interestingly, the EU's political response is often highly critical of Israel when addressing the blockade of the Gaza Strip and the hostilities there.
This criticism is an attempt to transfer responsibility from Hamas to Israel. It is important to understand that these political responses by the EU implicitly consolidate Hamas' rule and in a sense, they become a source of legitimacy for the organization. Moreover, the EU's response should be understood in a broader framework, in which it legitimizes Hamas as an organization fighting a legitimate struggle for the Palestinian people, without condemning its methods and practices of terrorism. The EU should acknowledge the responsibility Hamas has in creating the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The rule of a terrorist organization over the Gaza Strip is problematic, both for the local population and for Israel. Therefore, the EU should problematize the rule of Hamas, and implement measures that will either put pressure on Hamas to abandon its terrorist identity, or that will lead to the complete removal of Hamas from control over the Gaza Strip.
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Terrorism Deserves a Red Card
How Terror Plays its Game
On June 5th the BDS movement (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) celebrated a supposed victory through threats and manipulation by the PACBI, the cultural boycott branch of the BDS movement. In early June, the PACBI launched a campaign to pressure the Argentina National Team to cancel their friendly match in Israel, which was to take place on June 9th in Jerusalem. The PACBI posted a photo on twitter of an Argentine player celebrating a win, and stated that the team cancelled the friendly match with Israel due to “creative campaigning from fans around the world.” This “creative campaigning” that the PACBI refers to, in actuality, consisted of violent, targeted threats directed at Argentine players and their family members.[1]
The Argentina National Football Team cancelled their preparatory game, not as a political rejection of the State of Israel, but rather in response to horrific threats placed upon the lives of Argentine players and their families. News sources framed the team saying that the cancelled game was “the Argentina National Soccer Team saying no to the Israeli state,” but this is simply not true.[2]
Along with an “extensive public relations campaign led by senior Palestinian Authority official Jibril Rajoub,” which placed pressure on the Argentina team, several terrorist organizations sent “death threats to the Argentine players and their families,” targeting the world-renowned player Messi and his family members as well. Additionally, throughout the PACBI campaign, fans were encouraged to threaten Messi by burning posters of the player if he participated in the match, and to threaten the Argentina National Team members by covering their jerseys with red paint, resembling blood.[3] Gonzalo Higuain, striker for Argentina, told ESPN, “health and common sense come[s] first. We felt that it wasn’t right to go.”[4]
Miri Regev, the Israeli culture and sports minister, stated that the cancelled game was due to Palestinian terrorism,[5] describing that the alarming Palestinian threats directed at the Argentina National Football Team included “video clips of dead children.”[6] Regev stated, "This is the same terrorism that led to the murder of eleven slain athletes in Munich. This is not BDS, but a terrorist incident that intimidates the athletes themselves."[7]
Jorge Faurie, Argentina’s foreign minister, confirmed this report by saying that the threats that the Argentine players were bombarded with were worse than ISIS’s terrorist threats.[8] He also said that there were alarming protests outside the team’s practice facility in Barcelona on Tuesday, with protestors holding Argentine jerseys stained with red paint depicting blood.[9] The head of the Argentine Football Association, Chichi Tapia also confirmed that the players “faced serious threats, which forced them to cancel,” and the team would plan to “play in Israel at another time.”[10]
The Israeli Embassy in Argentina tweeted about the event: “The threats and provocations directed at Lionel Messi, which logically aroused the solidarity of his colleagues and fear of playing the friendly [game] are no strangers to the daily life of Israel's civilian population whose sporting stars, to put it simply, have been on numerous occasions the targets of violence and attacks.”[11]
By celebrating the cancelled game as a win for their agenda, the BDS showed its true colors—the BDS plays an unfair match, and only wins with manipulation and terrorism.
Article by Hannah Fruh
[1] https://www.timesofisrael.com/soccer-friendly-nixed-after-argentina-players-threatened-officials-confirm/
[2] www.thenation.com/article/victory-boycott-movement-argentinas-national-soccer-team-cancels-game-israel/.
[3] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/argentina-cancels-soccer-game-against-israel-amid-bds-campaign-n880431
[4] https://www.timesofisrael.com/soccer-friendly-nixed-after-argentina-players-threatened-officials-confirm/
[5] https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/it-s-not-bds-it-s-terrorism-israel-says-death-threats-against-argentina-s-messi-led-to-game-s-cancellation-israel-news-1.6155447
[6] http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2018/june/pa-elated-at-soccer-match-cancellation-in-israel
[7] https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/it-s-not-bds-it-s-terrorism-israel-says-death-threats-against-argentina-s-messi-led-to-game-s-cancellation-israel-news-1.6155447
[8] https://marcelolongobardi.cienradios.com/faurie-aseguro-habian-advertido-afa-sobre-jugar-jerusalen/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=nota&utm_campaign=twitter-marcelolongobardi
[9] https://www.timesofisrael.com/soccer-friendly-nixed-after-argentina-players-threatened-officials-confirm/
[10] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/06/in-win-for-boycott-movement-argentine-soccer-team-cancels-match-in-israel/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.de7a0ff959b8
[11] http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2018/june/pa-elated-at-soccer-match-cancellation-in-israel
Not a peaceful protest
Gaza | Insider Update |
Hamas' violent confrontation campaign is not a peaceful protest
· The Hamas terror organization led another round of its confrontation campaign from Gaza against Israel. Orchestrated by Hamas, approximately 40,000 rioters gathered at the border and several thousand tried to storm into Israel at 13 locations.
· The rioters hurled firebombs and explosive devices, burned tires, threw rocks and launched flaming objects with the intention of igniting fires in Israeli territory, breaking into Israeli villages, and harming Israeli security officers.
· Israel made relentless efforts to prevent the masses from violently breaching the border. These included early warnings (by leaflets, direct phone calls, on radio and social media), as well as the use of non-lethal means (water cannons, tear gas, smoke grenades, rubber bullets).
· Inflamed and violent crowds cannot be allowed to storm the border fence, opening a way to infiltrate into Israeli towns and threaten Israeli civilians.
· What is happening at the Gaza-Israel border is not a protest; it is a well-prepared campaign by the Hamas terror organization, sending the masses to the fence, knowing they will get hurt, and hiding armed operatives among them, using civilians as human shields.
· The confrontations at the Gaza-Israel border started at the end of March, when Hamas led thousands of Palestinians in a confrontation campaign with Israel under the title "March of Return". The aim was to break the border fence, storm Israeli towns and attack Israeli civilians, reflecting Hamas' outspoken goal: the destruction of the State of Israel.
· Any country faced with a situation in which a terror organization is trying to storm its territory with the declared goal of murder and destruction will not hesitate to stop this aggression at its border.
· 53 of 62 of the Palestinian casualties sustained in the 14 May riots were acknowledged by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad as terror operatives affiliated with their organizations.
· Hamas is a terror organization that has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, with the declared goal of the destruction of the State of Israel. Hamas seeks to murder Israelis by terror attacks, firing rockets, placing IEDs and building terror tunnels into Israeli territory.
March 31 from the Gaza Strip
1. Hamas is a terror organization whose declared goal is the destruction of the State of Israel. Hamas seeks to murder Israelis by firing rockets, placing IEDs and building terror tunnels into Israeli territory. Hamas is orchestrating a dangerous, mass-scale infiltration into the State of Israel’s sovereign territory.
2. What is happening on the border with the Gaza Strip is not a demonstration. It is an organized riot, being used as a platform for carrying out terrorist attacks and launching a mass assault on the border fence and breaching it. No sovereign state would permit this.
3. Hamas is the initiator of the riots and has the power to put an end to them at any time. Instead of doing this, Hamas is calling for further escalation and is encouraging terror against Israel.
4. Those killed were carrying out violent terrorist activity. Most of these casualties (at least 10) have been identified as known terror operatives. Israel's riot control actions were precise, in accordance with international law. Israel will continue to act with determination to protect its sovereignty and the security of its citizens.
5. The terrorist organizations make cynical use of women and children, who are purposely sent to the fence to be injured. Hamas uses them as cover for its attempts to carry out terrorist attacks, including placing IEDs on the fence and launching rockets.
6. The fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip separates a sovereign state and a terror organization; it separates a country that protects its citizens and murderers who send their people into danger. The fence separates an army that uses force in self-defense in a precise and proportionate manner, and Hamas, an organization that for years has been intent on harming millions of Israelis and sanctifies murder and death. Anyone who mistakenly views in this murderous spectacle even an iota of freedom of expression is blind to the threats facing the State of Israel.
7. Hamas is funded and armed by Iran. It spends huge sums of money on building up its military and on terrorist activity, instead of on the welfare of the population in the Gaza Strip.
Gaza: IDF Spokesperson Briefing
Talking points from the IDF Spokesperson briefing:
1. This is not a demonstration; it is a terror attack organized by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
2. For several weeks, the IDF has been receiving information on Hamas’ intentions to take advantage of the event to lay IEDs and to initiate terror attacks. These events actually occurred, including the firing of light arms – two events, laying of IEDs – 4 mines were placed alongside the fence with Gaza, and hundreds of events of stone throwing and lobbing of Molotov cocktails.
3. Hamas is attempting to redirect the frustration of the citizens of Gaza with its failures towards Israel.
4. The area surrounding the fence is a combat zone against terrorist organizations. Hamas is aware of this, and therefore sends women and children into the area, hoping to provoke the IDF into uncontrolled shooting resulting in multiple cases of innocent casualties. Most of the participants in the demonstration (a total of 30,000 participants) were women and children, while all the casualties are of combat age, aged between 18 and 30, and for the most part are known members of terrorist organizations.
5. Hamas attempted to repeat a previous attempt of placing an IED in a flag, similar to an attempt several days ago, which wounded four soldiers.
6. IDF fire was controlled and in accordance with standard procedures. It is known where every bullet hit. Claims of hundreds of Palestinian casualties refer for the most part to inhalation of smoke or as the result of riot control procedures. Hamas intends to turn the fence area into an area of constant confrontation from now until Nakba Day on 15 May. The IDF won’t permit this, and if the events continue will be forced to attack Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets in the Strip.
7. The State of Israel has no interest in harming innocents, neither women nor children. We are acting only to prevent terror and violation of Israeli sovereignty. It should be remembered that this is an attempt to violate an undisputed sovereign border. No country would permit this.
8. Claims that this is a demonstration are baseless. In what demonstration do activists draw weapons and shoot at the other side? In yesterday’s events this occurred twice. Four IEDs were placed, hundreds or Molotov cocktails were thrown, including attempts to ignite Israeli mechanical equipment that was parked on our side of the fence. There were also three failed attempts at high trajectory fire during the night.
Gaza Passover Riots
Evening update on the situation in Gaza:
Thousands of Palestinians are rioting in five locations throughout the Gaza Strip, rolling burning tires and hurling stones at the security fence and at IDF troops, who are responding with riot dispersal means and firing towards main instigators.
The IDF has enforced a closed military zone in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip in accordance with situation assessments. All activity in the area requires military consent. There are no special instructions for Israeli citizens throughout the Home Front.
With a reinforcement of troops, the IDF is prepared to respond to the violent riots planned throughout the Gaza Strip if needed. The IDF views with great severity any breach of Israeli sovereignty or damage to the security fence. The Hamas terror organization endangers the lives of civilians and uses their own lives for the purpose of terror. The Hamas terror organization is responsible for the violent riots and everything taking places under its auspices.
IDF - Situation update from the Gaza Strip: 17,000 Palestinians are rioting in five locations along the Gaza Strip security fence. The rioters are rolling burning tires and hurling firebombs and rocks at the security fence and at IDF troops, who are responding with riot dispersal means and firing towards main instigators.
With a reinforcement of troops, the IDF is prepared to respond to the violent riots planned throughout the Gaza Strip, if necessary. The IDF views with great severity any breach of Israeli sovereignty or attempts to damage the security infrastructure. The Hamas terror organization endangers the lives of the people of Gaza and uses them to camouflage their terror activity. The Hamas terrorist organization is responsible for the violent riots and everything taking place under its auspices.
IDF: A seven year-old girl was sent across the Gaza Strip border by the Hamas terror organization, where IDF troops identified her.
Upon realizing she was a child, IDF troops ensured she returned safely to her parents. The Hamas terror organization cynically uses women and children, sending them to the security fence and endangering their lives.
IDF: Commanding Officer of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir: "We are identifying attempts to carry out terror attacks under the camouflage of riots. We urge citizens to stay away and warn the Hamas terror organization, which is responsible for the violent riots and everything taking places under its auspices."
Video documenting sabotage attempts that took place during today’s events.
http://videoidf.co.il/300318-CL-01.mp4
IDF: A short while ago, the IDF thwarted an attempted shooting attack by a terror cell in the Northern Gaza Strip. During the attack, two terrorists approached the security fence and fired towards IDF troops. In response, IDF troops immediately fired according to the rules of engagement, targeting the terrorists as well as targeting three nearby terror sites belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization with tank fire and IAF fighter jets. No injuries were reported and no damage was caused.
This severe shooting attack is further proof that the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip use these violent riots in order to camouflage terror.
In addition, IDF troops fired towards suspects who had infiltrated into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip via the security fence.
The Hamas terror organization is responsible for violent riots and everything taking place under its auspices. The IDF will not allow the security fence to be turned into an area of terror.
Video documenting an attempt by terrorists to infiltrate Israel that was thwarted by the IDF.
http://videoidf.co.il/300318-CL-03.mp4