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The Gaza Strip

Rocket and Mortar Shell Attacks Continue

This past week rocket and mortar shell attacks were almost daily occurrences. Five rockets and seven mortar shells (two of which fell in Egyptian territory) were fired at Israel . Since November 4, when an attempted abduction was prevented (through a tunnel dug by Hamas under the border security fence), 138 rockets and 98 mortar shells have been fired to date .

Hamas, Fatah, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the so-called "Hezbollah Battalions in Palestine" (a fictitious name) claimed responsibility for the rocket fire this past week. Hamas usually does not try to enforce the ceasefire on the other organizations. ¹

Judea and Samaria

Attempts to carry out terrorist attacks from Judea and Samaria continued, including IEDs, Molotov cocktails and stone-throwing:

•  December 11 - Two Molotov cocktails and a 12cm (4 3 inch) knife were found in the possession of a Palestinian during a routine examination at an inspection point near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron . The weapons were confiscated and the Palestinian was turned over to the Israeli police.

• December 10 - An IED was detonated in an attack against an IDF force searching the area after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at it southwest of the Hebron . Two Molotov cocktails ready for use were found. Later the same day two Molotov cocktails were thrown at an Israeli bus northwest of Ramallah. There were no injuries; the bus was damaged.

Senior PIJ Operative Killed 

On the night of December 15, during an Israeli security force activity in the village of Al-Yamoun , northeast of Jenin, a senior PIJ operative named Jihad Ahmed Amin Nawahda was killed. He tried to escape efforts to detain him and the security forces shot at the lower part of his body. An IDF force evacuated him to a hospital in Israel , but he died of his wounds on the way (IDF Spokesman's website, December 16).

Jihad Nawahda, 20, was detained by the Palestinian Authority in 2008 and released this past September. After his release he renewed his activities with the PIJ. He had been wanted for a number of months on suspicion of having planned to carry out terrorist attacks in the Jenin district (IDF Spokesman's website, December 18).

IDF Examines Reparations for Property Damage in Hebron 

The IDF appointed a team to examine the severe damage done to Palestinian property during the incidents between Israelis and Palestinians following the evacuation of the disputed building in Hebron . The team visited Palestinian houses near the Jewish settlement in Hebron , took statements from Palestinians and documented the damage to houses, vehicles and other property. The possibility of paying reparations to the local Palestinians, despite the fact that the law does not require it, is being examined (IDF Spokesman's website, December 11).

Head of the Political Security Bureau Visits Egypt

On December 14, General (Ret.) Amos Gilad, head of Israel 's political security bureau, visited Egypt and met with senior Egyptian intelligence officers. He passed along the message that Israel was interested in extending the lull arrangement (Hamas and the other terrorist organizations claim it will end on December 19, which Israel finds unacceptable .) Interviewed by Israeli radio, he said that the lull was not bound by time and was not set to end on December 19; Egypt , he said, accepted the Israeli position (Haaretz newspaper, December 15). 

The Gaza Strip Crossings 

This past week the Gaza Strip crossings were alternately open and closed because of the continued Palestinian rocket and mortar shell attacks. On December 9 and 10 they were open, and 40 trucks entered on both days, carrying humanitarian equipment and fuel for UNRWA, diesel fuel for the power plant and cooking gas. The crossings were then closed and reopened on December 15. On December 16 they remained open but closed after a few hours following rocket fire.

The Rafah Crossing 

Between December 13 and 15 the Rafah crossing opened to permit the crossing of 40 Palestinian patients each day who were returning to the Gaza Strip from Egypt after medical treatment (Middle East News Agency, December 13-15).

Israel Transfers 100 Million Shekels to the Gaza Strip

On December 11 Israel transferred 100 million shekels to the Gaza Strip in compliance with a PA request. The money was to be used to pay the salaries of 77,000 PA employees. Palestinian sources reported that the transfer was made after Defense Minister Ehud Barak acceded to the request made by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (Palestinian News Network website, December 11). On December 14 the Ramallah newspaper Al-Ayyam reported that following the payment of salaries, commercial activity in the Gaza Strip increased and the markets were active.

A Palestinian banking source claimed that the Gaza Strip needed 250 million shekels in hard currency to solve the increasingly severe problem of lack of money. He noted that while shekels were needed, there was no shortage of dollars or dinars, the result of the smuggling industry (Qudsnet website, December 11). Surfers on the Hamas forum asked the Hamas administration to print Palestinian currency to replace the Israeli shekel and put an end to dependence on Israeli money.

Hamas Statements Referring to the End of the Lull Arrangement

In view of Hamas's planned end of the lull arrangement, senior Hamas figures have made several references to its expected demise. Especially prominent was an announcement made by Khaled Mashal , head of Hamas political bureau in Damascus , who recently said that Hamas had no intention of renewing the lull. Hamas figures in the Gaza Strip, however, remained vague, which might indicate differences of opinion between Hamas's "internal" and "external" leadership.

The announcement made public in Damascus quoted an interview given by Khaled Mashal to Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds TV , according to which " the lull arrangement will not be renewed once it ends " ( Reuters in Damascus, December 14). The interviewer asked Khaled Mashal what Hamas's position was regarding the lull. At first he answered that Hamas was deliberating with the other organizations, "and with the help of Allah we will formulate a position in the coming days." However, when asked again, Khaled Mashal replied that the enemy [ Israel ] had not met its commitments, the siege of the Gaza Strip was still in force, and therefore the lull would therefore end on December 19 (Al-Quds TV, December 14).

Khaled Mashal announces that the lull would not continue after December 19
(Al-Quds TV, December 14).

Contrary to the position taken by Khaled Mashal, Hamas spokesmen in the Gaza Strip remained vague about the issue, although they were pessimistic about the chances of extending the lull:

• Ismail Haniya , head of the Hamas administration, in a speech given at a rally marking the 21 st anniversary of the founding of Hamas, referred to the lull arrangement. He said that Israel ["the Zionist enemy"] had not met its commitments to the arrangement, claiming that Israel continued its aggression, did not open the crossings and refused to include the West Bank in the arrangement. However, beyond his claims against Israel , he (in our assessment deliberately) did not clarify Hamas's position regarding the future of the lull (Al-Aqsa TV, December 14).
• Abu Ubeida , Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades spokesman, claimed that Israel had violated the terms of the arrangement by continuing its aggression against the Palestinians and closing the crossings. He added that Hamas was still consulting with the other organizations, and noted that "we will relate to the situation in the coming days, according to the dictates of the interests of the Palestinian people" (Filastin al-‘An website, December 15).
• Khalil al-Haya , a local Hamas figure, said he doubted it would be possible to extend the lull, blaming Israel (Al-Aqsa TV, December 14). Fawzi Barhoum , a Hamas spokesmen in the Gaza Strip, said that renewing the arrangement had no meaning in view of Israel 's violations, adding that Amos Gilad's visit to Egypt was "an Egyptian-Israeli affair." He claimed that so far the Egypt leadership had not contacted the Palestinian organizations with a new proposal concerning the lull (Agence France Presse, December 14). Ismail Radwan , a Hamas spokesman, was asked whether Hamas had made a decision regarding the lull and answered that Khaled Mashal had clarified the movement's position. However, he added, Hamas had yet to make a joint announcement with the other organizations.

Egypt Calls on the Palestinian Terrorist Organizations to Renew the Lull Arrangement 

With the Palestinian-declared end of the lull approaching, "knowledgeable sources in Egypt " called on the Palestinian organizations to renew it . They told an Al-Hayat correspondent that Israel intended to respond to Palestinian escalation and that the response might be harsh and include the deaths of senior Hamas figures. The "Egyptian sources" called upon the Palestinian terrorist organizations, especially Hamas, to put Palestinian interests above other consideration and to agree to extend the arrangement on the basis of agreements already reached (including the opening of the crossings and the delivery of food and consumer goods to the Gaza Strip) (Al-Hayat, December 15).

At the same time, on December 15 the editor of the establishment newspaper Al-Gumhuriya attacked Hamas in an editorial which stated, among other things, that "Hamas has not conquered Israel with rockets and what will be victorious is the Egyptian intellect...Hamas has done nothing in return for [getting] the lull arrangement. It promised to release the soldier [Gilad Shalit] and did not keep its promise . It also promised to end the internal Palestinian schism and agreed to the national dialogue prepared by Cairo , and then changed its mind. If Hamas is trying to drag Cairo into a complicated situation by asking Hamas to continue the ceasefire to be able to later tell the world that Egypt wanted it [the cease fire], [it had better think again] because that will never happen...Cairo will not involve itself again in taking care of Hamas's affairs without the Islamic Movement [i.e., Hamas]'s first [publicly] giving its blessing to Cairo's efforts to achieve the lull arrangement, and [without its] saying that it will make efforts to do what is demanded of it, exactly like Israel. Otherwise, Hamas will not receive either a formal or popular [Egyptian] invitation..."

Gilad Shalit 

Hamas continues blaming Israel for the failure of the negotiations to release the abducted Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. Senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahar , interviewed by Israeli radio correspondent Gal Berger, said that Hamas was of the opinion that Gilad Shalit could be released "within one day." He said it could be done if the Israeli government agreed to release Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences. He rejected the request made by the International Red Cross to visit Gilad Shalit, citing "security reasons," but said that Islamic religious law instructed captors to treat captives kindly (Kol Israel in Arabic, December 11).

Large-Scale Smuggling through the Tunnels into the Gaza Strip 

The tunnels linking the Gaza Strip with Egypt continue to serve as important commercial arteries. On December 13 the owner of such a tunnel (who called himself "Mahmoud") told a correspondent from the Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam that many attempts had recently been made to smuggle cooking gas in from Egypt though pipes in the tunnels, but that many of them had failed. He said it was also smuggled in through the tunnels in containers which were smuggled out again once they were empty to be refilled. At the same time, the Egyptians have confiscated large quantities of fuel prepared for smuggling into the Gaza Strip. Egyptian sources reported that the smugglers buy fuel tanker trucks at exorbitant prices and empty out the gas stations in Sinai, causing severe shortages for local residents (Al-Yawm Al-Sabaa, December 11).

The tunnel industry continues claiming victims despite the security practices initiated by Hamas. According to the Palestinian media, on December 15 a young Palestinian smuggler was killed when a tunnel collapsed. Later the same day they reported that a fire had broken out in one of the tunnels, injuring 12 men.

The Boat "Dignity" Reaches Gaza ; Others Expected

Hamas continues its efforts to set up a maritime supply line to the Gaza Strip . On December 9 the "Dignity," a boat belonging to an organization called "Free Gaza," reached the Gaza Strip again carrying, according to the organization, medicines and baby food. It also carried a delegation of academics and pro-Palestinian activists (Free Gaza website, December 9). On December 11 the ship left the Gaza Strip on its way back to Cyprus , carrying, according to the media, 11 Palestinian students on their way to foreign universities. The pro-Palestinian activist remained in the Gaza Strip (Al-Aqsa TV, Al-Quds TV, December 11).

 
Left: The boat "Dignity" arrives in Gaza , December 9 (Palestine-info website, December 9).
Right: The boat departs, December 11 (Filastin al-‘An website, December 11).

Jamal Hudeiri , chairman of the Popular Committee to Break the Siege, told a press conference held when the boat arrived that its arrival was particularly important and that "the boat intifada" would continue until "the siege is lifted." He also said that another boat was expected to leave for the Gaza Strip on December 18, carrying members of parliaments of various Arab and European countries (Al-Aqsa TV, December 9).

According to the media, three boats are expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip in the coming weeks:

•  A Libyan boat - Jamal al-Hudeiri announced that the Libyan boat whose landing was prevented [December 1] was currently anchored at a European port and would try to sail to the Gaza Strip again during December (Al-Ayyam, December 14).

• An Iranian boat - Ahmed Musawi, director of the Iranian Red Crescent, said that a boat carrying aid was expected to leave Iran this coming week. He said it would carry 1,000 tons of food, drugs and humanitarian supplies which had been collected in Iran (Iranian TV Channel 1, December 10).
• A Lebanese boat - Jamal al-Hudeiri announced that a Lebanese boat would set sail from Tipoli on December 23 carrying food, medical equipment and drugs (Al-Ayyam, December 14). He said it was the initiative of a new Lebanese organization calling itself "the National Initiative Committee for Breaking the Siege of the Gaza Strip," which had been established following the "Right of Return" conference held in Damascus November 23-24.

The Palestinian Authority , for its part, has presented the boats as a propaganda ploy. Interviewed by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Mahmoud Abbas said that every boat that arrived was examined by Israel . He said that it was "a transparent maneuver called ‘breaking the siege'... endless, cheap, false, argumentative propaganda ." However, the following day the PA issued an official statement to the effect that the chairman of the PA, Mahmoud Abbas, had great respect for the pro-Palestinian activists who had arrived and were trying to reach the Gaza Strip. He said that such initiatives had "high symbolic value which emphasized the need to end the siege," but that they could not relieve Hamas of the responsibility for the continuation of the siege (Wafa News Agency, December 12).

Israel Releases 224 Palestinian Prisoners

On December 15 Israel released 224 Palestinian prisoners as a good-will gesture to the PA on the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Two hundred and six Palestinian prisoners were transferred to Judea and Samaria through the crossing at Betunia. Eighteen others were transferred to the Gaza Strip through the Erez Crossing (Israel Prison Service, December 16). The prisoners who were released were not Hamas or PIJ operatives (Israel Prison Service website, December 7). Since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip (June 2006) Israel has released more than 1,000 Palestinian security prisoners in good-will gestures to the PA to make it clear that Israel supports those ready to negotiate with it, and to strengthen the status of PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Israeli Foreign Ministry website, December 15).

After the release an official ceremony was held in the Muqataa in Ramallah, and Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech welcoming them. However, he noted that the joy would not be complete until all the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel were released. Regarding the prisoners who returned to the Gaza Strip, he appealed to Hamas, saying "We ask...that they not be released from one jail only to enter another" (Wafa News Agency, December 15).

Hamas gave its blessing to the release of the prisoners, but noted, referring to Mahmoud Abbas, that undertaking activity for their release "was a national duty and not charity from anyone." Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum added that the release of the prisoners was not to be exploited for continued security coordination with Israel, as the PA did, noting that "Hamas will take action for the release of its prisoners on Palestinian conditions and [using Palestinian] criteria" (PalMedia website, December 15).

PA References to the Annapolis Process

On December 12 Abu Alaa' , the Palestinians' chief negotiator, held a press conference in his office in Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem . The issues he presented were, among others, his version of the negotiations between the PA and Israel and the results so far, and proposals he claimed were made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (AKI News Agency, Italy , December 12; Al-Ayyam, December 13):

• The upcoming Israeli elections are expected to put an end to Israeli-PA contacts for the time being. No agreements were reached in the negotiations already held. According to Abu Alaa', "there is nothing in writing," not even common minutes of meetings. The gap between Israel and the Palestinian on the core issues of borders, the refugees and Jerusalem is very large.
• He presented his interpretation of the negotiations as follows: as to the issue of the settlements , Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert proposed to annex blocks of settlements to the extent of 6.8% of the West Bank . Abu Alaa' noted that was "impossible." Regarding the issue of Jerusalem , there were no direct discussions although the Palestinians had presented their position to Israel and the Americans. Regarding the refugees , he said that the position of Israeli Foreign Minister Livni was that no Palestinian refugee would return. He said that the position of Prime Minister Olmert was that 5,000 refugees would return over a period of five years. He added that it was a ridiculous proposal, and not a solution. He said that before any agreement was implemented, responsibility for the flight of the refugees had to be determined and a joint position regarding the so-called "the right to return" and its significance had to be formulated.
• The Palestinians, he said, would negotiate with any elected Israeli prime minister, which "in the final analysis [will be] the choice of the Israeli people." If Netanyahu is elected, "it is possible we will have to begin from the beginning, because he said he wanted to take a new path."
• The Palestinians rely on statements made by president-elect Barack Obama and hope there might be a proper place for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the new American administration's priority list . In Abu Alaa's opinion, if the American administration is convinced that the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are promising, they will give it a high place on their agenda.
• " Two states for two peoples :" Israel insisted that those words be included in the joint declaration of the Annapolis meeting. However, the Palestinians strongly reject the statement because "it will harm the citizenship and rights of Israeli Arabs."
• Exchange of territories : The Israeli proposal is unacceptable to the Palestinians, "because there will be no exchange of territories in Jerusalem , Qalqilya, Tulkarm, Salfit, northern Hebron and southern Bethlehem in return for any other areas."
• Jerusalem's importance for the Palestinians : Abu Alaa' noted that "for us, Jerusalem is not just a spiritual center, [our] heart, [our] faith, [our] history and [our] culture, not just the direction for the Muslims' first prayer. Jerusalem is also the economic center of the independent Palestinian state." He said that if Jerusalem were to be surrounded by settlements, "how will Muslim and Palestinian Arabs who want to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem , and the thousands of Christian and Muslim tourists, pass through those settlements?"

Mahmoud Abbas, interviewed by the editor of Al-Sharq Al-Awsat on December 11, noted that the negotiations between the PA and Israel had touched on all the core issues, but that great discrepancies existed between the positions of the two sides (Mahmoud Abbas did not go into detail as did Abu Alaa'). Mahmoud Abbas said that he sought to resolve six core issues: Jerusalem , the borders, security, water, the settlements, the [Palestinian] state, and in addition, the problem of the [Palestinian] prisoners. He said that an overall agreement had to be reached on those basic issues and again expressed his objection to any temporary arrangement or statement of principles ("There will be no agreement until everything has been agreed.")

The 21st Anniversary of the Founding of Hamas

On the occasion of the 21 st anniversary of its founding, the Hamas movement held a mass rally in Gaza City ² which was intended as a show of popular support. The rally was accompanied by a Hamas propaganda campaign and by "popular" activities of support (civilian marches, vehicles and motorcycles riding through Gaza City 's main streets). In Judea and Samaria the PA did not permit Hamas to hold ceremonies or rallies.

Hamas rally at Al-Qatiba Square in Gaza City to mark the 21 st anniversary of the
movement's founding (Hamas's PALDF Forum, December 14).

The main speech was given by Hamas administration head Ismail Haniya , and its message was that Hamas was stronger than ever . That was true, he said, despite its political isolation and Israel 's killing of its senior figures. Hamas, he said, would continue to represent the ideology of Islamic faith, the "resistance" [i.e., terrorism] and jihad, refusal to recognize Israel ["the Zionist entity"], and opposition to American hegemony He specifically related to the following issues ³ (Al-Aqsa TV, December 14):

Hamas administration head Ismail Haniya speaking at a rally marking
the 21 st anniversary of the founding of Hamas (December 14).

• The "siege" of the Gaza Strip : According to Haniya, the "siege" harms not only Hamas but the entire Palestinian people. The international community remains silent, but on the popular Arab and Islamic level there is solidarity with the Palestinians. The arrival of the boats to the Gaza Strip is proof of that. To ease the distress caused by the "siege," in recent months Hamas gave $55 million to workers, farmers, fishermen, municipalities and needy families.
• " The right of return :" Israel , according to Ismail Haniya, refuses to return to its territory the six million Palestinian refugees living in refugee camps in Lebanon , Syria and Jordan . Its willingness, demonstrated in the negotiations with the PA (according to Abu Alaa') to permit 5,000 refugees to return over a period of five years ⁴ is a "conspiracy" against "the right to return." He praised the international conference for "the right to return" recently held in Damascus and attended by 5,000 people ⁵ (Mahmoud Abbas, interviewed by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat on December 11, attacked the conference, claiming its objective was "to destroy the PLO.").
• The internal Palestinian dialogue : Ismail Haniya paid lip service to internal Palestinian reconciliation ("We have always been in favor of dialogue and reconciliation."), but attacked Fatah ("the other side") and accused it of opposing reconciliation with Hamas because of the American and Israeli veto. He raised Hamas's demand for the establishment of a government of national agreement, the reorganization of the security services, the reorganization of the PLO and presidential and Palestinian Legislative Council elections. He demanded that the PA release Hamas detainees and stop its "cruel security operation in the West Bank ."
• The continuation of Mahmoud Abbas's term of office : According to Ismail Haniya, as of January 9, 2009 , Mahmoud Abbas will no longer be president of the PA. He said that " extending [Mahmoud] Abbas's presidency is neither justified nor legal, not with Arab or any other sponsorship ." He also said that the PLO Central Council's decision to appoint the president of the Palestinian state meant nothing.

The rally began with a Hamas presentation which was intended as psychological warfare in the battle for Israeli public opinion. An actor dressed in an IDF uniform came up on stage and played the part of Gilad Shalit. In fractured, halting Hebrew, he said he missed his mother and father, claimed that Israel had abandoned him and called upon the Israeli Prime Minister not to hesitate to secure his release.

An actor dressed in an IDF uniform playing the part of Gilad Shalit at
the Hamas rally (Al-Aqsa TV, December 14).

The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military-terrorist wing, issued a statement for the anniversary stating that it had sacrificed more than 1,200 shaheeds during its years of activity. The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said the statement, was the spearhead of the [Muslim] nation "in fighting on Palestinian soil, the Arab and Islamic [ Palestine ]." It continued, "The liberation of Palestine is our goal, resistance is our path, Jerusalem is our capital, the refugees are our people, and their return is a right and duty..." (Al-Qassam website, December 14)