2010 Palestinian militancy campaign
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 2010 Palestinian militancy campaign was a coordinated effort by 13
Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
militant groups, led by Islamist group
Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam ...
, to derail
peace talks A peace process is the set of sociopolitical negotiations, agreements and actions that aim to solve a specific armed conflict. Definitions Prior to an armed conflict occurring, peace processes can include the prevention of an intra-state or in ...
between
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and the Palestinian Authority. The campaign consisted of attacks against Israelis in the Israeli-occupied
West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
and Israel in which, according to a Hamas declaration in early September, "all options are open"."Islamist groups attempt to derail Middle East talks,"
Mark Weiss, September 4, 2010, Irish Times.
"Hamas targets Israeli-Palestinian talks by killing four Israelis; Hamas took responsibility for the fatal shooting of four Israeli settlers outside Hebron today, on the eve of Israeli-Palestinian talks in Washington,"
Joshua Mitnick, August 31, 2010, Christian Science Monitor.
"Hamas to launch 'more effective attacks' on Israel,"
September 3, 2010, Jerusalem Post.

Staff Editorial, September 8, 2010, Washington Post.
The participating groups also included
Palestinian Islamic Jihad The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine ( ar, حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين, ''Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn''), known in the West simply as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Islamist pa ...
, the
Popular Resistance Committees The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) ( ar, لجان المقاومة الشعبية, ''Lijān al-Muqāwama al-Shaʿbiyya'') is a coalition of a number of armed Palestinian groups opposed to what they regard as the conciliatory approach of t ...
and an unnamed splinter group of Fatah. Some Israeli and Palestinian officials and analysts familiar with Hamas believe that the true target of the campaign is the Palestinian Authority, which is led by Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah."Hamas Threats Suggest Palestinian Divisions,"
Charles Levinson, September 3, 2010, Wall Street Journal.


Hamas statements and responses

Hamas leader
Mahmoud al-Zahar Mahmoud al-Zahar ( ar, محمود الزهار ') (born 6 May 1945) is a Palestinian politician. He is a co-founder of Hamas and a member of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip. Al-Zahar served as foreign minister in the Hamas-dominated Pa ...
was reported by ''CBS News'' as saying that Muslims have a moral and religious duty to liberate the land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River, and that armed resistance is the way to achieve this. Al-Zahar has urged Mahmoud Abbas to immediately pull out of peace talks with Israel, asserting that "armed struggle was the only way to deal with the Jewish state."" Arafat ordered Hamas attacks against Israel in 2000,"
Khaled Abu Toameh Khaled Abu Toameh ( ar, خالد أبو طعمة, he, חאלד אבו טועמה; born 1963) is an Israeli Arab journalist, lecturer and documentary filmmaker. Abu Toameh writes for ''The Jerusalem Post'' and for the New York-based Gatestone ...
, September 29, 2010, Jerusalem Post.
Hamas leader Hamas military leader Abu Ubaida told ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' in September that the Hamas military wing is operating "in harmony with the attitude of the political wing," based in Damascus, Syria. Abu Ubaida, who is a spokesman for the military wing of Hamas, further said that resistance will be stepped up and that all options were open. “We declare that the actions of resistance have gone into a new and advanced stage of co-operation in the field at the highest levels in preparation for more effective attacks against the enemy.” According to the Palestinian Authority and Israeli security officials, Hamas has the capacity to carry out more attacks in the
West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
, particularly drive-by shootings since these require little planning or manpower, but probably lacks the ability to carry out attacks on Israel inside the Green Line due to surveillance activities and the effectiveness of the
Israeli West Bank barrier The Israeli West Bank barrier, comprising the West Bank Wall and the West Bank fence, is a separation barrier built by Israel along the Green Line and inside parts of the West Bank. It is a contentious element of the Israeli–Palestinian ...
."Hamas attacks show group is still strong in West Bank,"
Janine Zacharia, September 3, 2010, Washington Post.
Khaled Mashaal has said the "resistance" will continue if Israel doesn't withdraw to the 1967 borders and that Hamas will resume to "kill illegal settlers on our land." According to Jonathan Fighel, a senior researcher at the
International Institute for Counter-Terrorism The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) is a conservative Israeli think tank founded in 1996 and located at Reichman University, in Herzliya, Israel. Activities According to ''Foreign Affairs'', ICT presents a conservative Israeli ...
, the campaign constitutes a decision by Hamas to begin a new wave of terrorism aimed at Israeli settlers. He said "it's a strategic, political decision from the Hamas leadership in Damascus to express their dismay and rejection of the peace talks taking place in Washington... They are showing they have operational capabilities and a willingness to act in Judea and Samaria,", referring to the
West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
as "Judea and Samaria"."Hamas Ratchets Up Attacks Amid Peace Talks,"
Tzippe Barrow, September 2, 2010, Christian Broadcasting Network.
According to the Israeli news site Debka.com, in late September Hamas was preparing to expand its "terror campaign.""More terror looms as direct talks collapse - one up for Hamas, Hizballah,"
September 26, 2010, Debka.com.
The Palestinian news agency paltimes.net praised the attacks and linked them to the negotiations:
"There, in Washington, Abbas is rewarding the occupation by improving its image through futile negotiations, while in Hebron the Al-Qassam Brigades, despite Abbas's whining and attacks on the resistance, agreed to nothing but vengeance for the blood of the shahids. Today, heads and body parts are scattered in all directions. Today, the Al-Qassam Brigades negotiate with their enemies by means of rifles and blood...
The attacks caused embarrassment to the Palestinian Authority, and the attacks in Hebron and Ramallah were condemned by Mahmoud Abbas. The Palestinian Authority minister Mahmoud Habbash accused
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
of responsibility for the Hamas attacks in attempts to derail the peace talks, and insinuated that Hamas leader Haled Mash'al was guilty of heresy. In an interview in October 2010, the Palestinian reformist Zainab Rashid criticized Syria and Iran, which she says deliberately attempted to derail the peace process in order to divert attention from their own domestic problems and suppress initiatives of democratization. She said, "The most convincing proof is the attempts of these regimes to make deceitful and callous use of the Palestinian cause and to manipulating Palestinian elements in order to spark disputes. They miss no opportunity to sabotage peace efforts, as we saw at the outset of the latest round of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, when Hamas received a directive from the Syrian and
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian regimes which control it to carry out two attacks in the
West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
, shortly before the first session of peace talks, with the intent of undermining the negotiations. This is what all the dictatorships have done throughout the history of this struggle in order to prevent its resolution.


Shooting attacks


June 14

In a drive-by shooting attack near
Hebron Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after Eas ...
West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
on 14 June, Israeli police officer Yehoshua Sofer was killed and three others were wounded.Al-Aqsa Brigade claims attack
Jerusalem Post 14-06-2010
Three Israeli policemen shot in West Bank, one dead
CNN 14-06-2010

31 August 2010, IDF News.
"Palestinian Gunmen Kill Israeli Policeman,"
June 14, 2010, Emunah.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades () is a coalition of Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank. The organization has been designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. L ...
, an armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it was a response to the recent
Gaza flotilla raid The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six civilian ships of the " Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Nine activists and no Israelis were killed on one ship dur ...
. In July 2010, following a joint operation by the IDF,
Shin Bet The Israel Security Agency (ISA; he, שֵׁירוּת הַבִּיטָּחוֹן הַכְּלָלִי; ''Sherut ha-Bitaẖon haKlali''; "the General Security Service"; ar, جهاز الأمن العام), better known by the acronym Shabak ( he, ...
, and Israel Police, a Palestinian man, Baha Eladam, was identified as the shooter and arrested, and other Palestinians were arrested as accomplices. Eladam and three other Palestinians convicted of participated in the attack were sentenced to life in prison, while another Palestinian received a 25-year sentence for assisting the attack.


August 31

The first notable attack in the Hamas campaign, in which 4 Israelis were shot to death. Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida said, "this attack is a chain in a series of attacks, some have been executed, and others will follow". ''
Ma'an News Agency Ma'an News Agency (MNA; ar, وكالة معا الإخبارية) is a large wire service created in 2005 in the Palestinian territories. It is part of the Ma'an Network, a non-governmental organization media network created in 2002 in the Palest ...
'' reported that an Israeli security official said that this was one of a series of “terrorist attacks” designed to foil the 2010 peace talks.“Shin Bet says Hamas to resume attacks,”
September 13, 2010, Ma’an.
Khaled al-Batsh, a leader of Islamic Jihad, endorsed the Hamas killings, asserting that "“negotiations can only be stopped by a barrage of bullets.""Pessimism Permeates Mideast Media on Talks,"
Ethan Bronner, September 3, 2010, New York Times.
Journalist
Daoud Kuttab Daoud Kuttab ( ar, داود كتّاب), (born 1 April 1955) is a Palestinian-American journalist. Journalism In 1980, Kuttab began his career at '' Al-Fajr'', an English-language weekly newspaper. Over the next seven years, he was promoted to ...
described the August 31 attack as "clearly timed to disrupt the talks and weaken the position of the Palestinian delegation.""Even if peace talks fail, Palestine's independence is inevitable,"
Daoud Kuttab, September 7, 2010, Washington Post.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated the day after the incident that "this attack must be recognized for what it is: a cynical and blatant attempt to undermine the direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations starting tomorrow." On October 8, Israeli special forces killed a senior West Bank Hamas operative responsible for the attack. IDF soldiers entered several buildings in Hebron where Palestinian militants were holed up inside, killing two of the suspects and arresting six others.


September 1

Rabbi Moshe and Shira Morano, an Israeli couple in their 30s from
Ma'ale Efraim Ma'ale Efrayim ( he, מַעֲלֵה אֶפְרַיִם, lit. ''Ascent of Ephraim'') is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, organized as a secular settlement and a local council, located along the eastern slopes of the Samarian mountains in th ...
in the Jordan Rift Valley, were shot in their car by Palestinian gunmen while driving on Highway 60 between the Rimonim Junction and the Jewish community of Kochav Hashachar. The man was moderately hurt from shrapnel wounds to his legs and a bullet in the shoulder, and the woman was lightly hurt from blows as result of the vehicle overturning."Palestinian Authority arrests 2 in connection with West Bank shooting attack; Two West Bank Hamas operatives arrested for September 1st attack in which two Israelis were wounded at Rimonim Junction,"
Avi Issacharoff, September 8, 2010, Haaretz.

Ynet news 02-09-2010
The victims jumped out of their car into a ditch after one of the assailants' automatic rifles jammed, where they used a cellphone to call for help. The vehicle veered off the road and plunged down an embankment.
Magen David Adom The Magen David Adom ( he, מגן דוד אדום, abbr. MDA, pronounced ''MAH-dah'' per its Hebrew acronym, ) is Israel's national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service. The name means "Red Shield" or "Red Star of Dav ...
paramedics treated them at the scene before evacuating them to Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem. Rabbi Morano said a car tailgated them for about five minutes, blinding them with its headlights. "I signaled to the driver that he was bothering me and that he should pass me, but he took a long time to respond. Then, as we came around a bend, he came past me and the shooting started... One of the guns seemed to jam and that gave us the chance to roll away and take cover. I knew if they reached us, they would spray us with bullets at point blank range. I unlocked the door and pulled my wife out, and we rolled into the ditch." Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. Spokesman Abu Ubaida stated that "The attack was a message to those who pledged to the Zionist enemy there would be no more attacks." Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas did not condemn the attack, but said: "We are not interested in spilling Israeli blood. We want the two peoples to live regular lives in real peace." A PA official blamed Hamas for "trying to return the West Bank into a state of anarchy, in order to thwart the political process." The following week, PA security officials announced that they had arrested two Hamas operatives in connection with the attack.


September 26

The 26 September 2010 West Bank shooting took place near Teneh Omarim, on Route 60 in the
West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
. Nine-month pregnant Israeli woman Neta Schoker and her husband Sharon, both 35, were in their vehicle when gunmen in a passing Palestinian car opened fire on them."Israeli woman hit by gunfire gives birth,"
September 26, 2010, JTA.
Both the husband and wife sustained gunshots to their legs, and managed to drive themselves to Soroka Hospital in
Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...
. The woman gave birth by Cesarean section to a healthy baby boy, and received treatment for her wounds. A second car was also fired at in the same attack, but none of its passengers were injured.West Bank shooting attack injures Israeli woman
Associated Press 26-09-2010
"Arab Terror Groups Claim Responsibility for Shooting Attack,"
Gil Ronen and Elad Benari, September 27, 2010, Israel National News.

September 26, 2010, Europa press.
"Colona ferita da Miliziano Si Salva e Partorisce,"
September 27, 2010, La Republica.
The attack took place close to where the August 2010 West Bank shooting occurred. According to Israeli police, the assailants' vehicle fled the scene southwards. Israeli soldiers set up roadblocks at the entrance to the adjacent Palestinian village of Dahariya and searched homes.West Bank shooting victim gives birth to son
Ynet News 26-09-2010
The military wings of Fatah (the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) and
Palestinian Islamic Jihad The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine ( ar, حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين, ''Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn''), known in the West simply as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Islamist pa ...
claimed responsibility for the attack. The groups declared in a statement that "the attack was carried out to mark the 15th anniversary of the killing of the Islamic Jihad's founder
Fathi Shaqaqi Fathi Shaqaqi ( ar, فتحي الشقاقي; 4 January 1951 – 26 October 1995) was the founder and Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine. Early life and career Fathi Shaqaqi was born to a refugee family of eight child ...
." However, some members of both organizations denied having any knowledge of the statement. In October, the
Israel Security Agency Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
arrested three members of
Fatah al-Intifada Fatah al-Intifada ( ar, فتح الانتفاضة ''Fatah Uprising'') is a Palestinian militant faction founded by Col. Said al-Muragha, better known as Abu Musa. The group is often referred to as the Abu Musa Faction. Officially it refers to ...
, a Fatah splinter group, on suspicion of carrying out the attack. The suspects told investigators that they were given $25,000 with which to buy weapons and that they planned on carrying out more attacks. The suspects were charged in a military court on 29 November.


Rocket attacks

Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel Since 2001, Palestinian militants have launched thousands of rocket and Mortar (weapon), mortar attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip as part of the continuing Arab–Israeli conflict. The attacks, widely condemned for targeting civilians, ...
increased in September. On September 14, senior Hamas operative Ahmed Jaabari threatened to increase attacks against Israel to derail the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. "With the power of faith, weapons and missiles, tunnels and commandos we will achieve victory for Palestine and we'll end the occupation in Gaza too," he said.Rockets, mortars fired at southern Israel
United Press international 15-09-2010
The next day, two mortar shells containing
white phosphorus Elemental phosphorus can exist in several allotropes, the most common of which are white and red solids. Solid violet and black allotropes are also known. Gaseous phosphorus exists as diphosphorus and atomic phosphorus. White phosphorus White ...
were fired into Israel from Gaza." Police: Terrorists fired phosphorus shells into Israel,"
Yaakov Lappin, Yaakov Katz, September 15, 2010, Jerusalem Post
"Two phosphorous (sic) mortars hit Israel as tensions rise,"
Anshel Pfeffer and Yanir Yagna, September 16, 2010, Haaretz.
"Israel: Phosphorus bombshells launched from Gaza
Dan Murphy, September 15, 2010, Christian Science Monitor
Ten rockets landed in the Eshkol region during the day. A 122-mm.
Katyusha rocket The Katyusha ( rus, Катю́ша, p=kɐˈtʲuʂə, a=Ru-Катюша.ogg) is a type of rocket artillery first built and fielded by the Soviet Union in World War II. Multiple rocket launchers such as these deliver explosives to a target area ...
landed north of
Ashkelon Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; Hebrew: , , ; Philistine: ), also known as Ascalon (; Ancient Greek: , ; Arabic: , ), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border wit ...
. The IDF understood the rocket attacks to be part of a Hamas attempt to torpedo the peace talks.


See also

* Itamar killings * Second Intifada * Tapuah Junction stabbing


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palestinian militancy campaign Israeli–Palestinian conflict Palestinian Militancy Campaign, 2010 Terrorist incidents in Israel in 2010 Terrorist incidents in the West Bank in 2010