Jerusalem
A Druze policeman wounded during a terrorist attack on a Jerusalem synagogue died on November 18, bringing the total number of Israelis killed in the incident to five. Palestinians in Gaza celebrated the deaths by dancing in the streets and handing out sweets.
Israeli police arrested five Arab-Israelis after uncovering two containers full of knives, powerful fireworks, swords, and tasers en route to East Jerusalem.
Likud parliamentarians presented a bill that would allow Israel to revoke the citizenship or residency of people convicted of terror activities, including throwing Molotov cocktails. Other participants in rioting, including stone throwers, could lose social security benefits and driving privileges for 10 years.
Thousands of people gather for the funeral of Zidan Saif, a Druze policeman. (Photo: AFP) |
West Bank
Israeli police shot and seriously injured a Palestinian woman after she stabbed an Israeli man near Gush Etzion on December 1.
Conflicting reports suggest the Fatah-Hamas unity government could be on the verge of collapse. Since last spring’s agreement, the Palestinian Authority remains unable to establish administrative control over Gaza. Other incidents, including bombs targeting Fatah officials in Gaza and the PA’s arrest of Hamas operatives in the West Bank, have escalated the tensions between the two factions.
The Shin Bet uncovered a Hamas plot to launch multiple attacks on Israel using West Bank operatives. Over 30 Hamas members reportedly conspired to kidnap Israelis, attack Jerusalem’s light rail, and target a soccer stadium. The agency also disrupted a plot to assassinate Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, arresting four people with links to Hamas. According to authorities, the men planned to launch an anti-tank rocket at the minister as he drove home.
Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said during an interview that Cairo would be willing to send troops to help stabilize any future Palestinian state under PA control.
Sinai
Egyptian security forces continued their fight against insurgents in Sinai. On November 26, the military killed nine suspects during two rounds of fighting. In a separate incident, unknown gunmen killed two policemen, an officer and a conscript in el-Arish on the same day.
Egyptian soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian police officer near Sheikh Zuweid after he failed to stop at an army checkpoint. Warning shots had been fired at his car, according to the Palestinian police.
Israeli media reported new details regarding a November 12 attack on an Egyptian navy vessel that claimed the lives of at least five sailors. According to Channel 2 News, militants linked to the Islamic State commandeered an Egyptian missile boat in an attempt to attack Israeli ships or gas installations in the Mediterranean. Eventually, the Egyptian navy intercepted the commandeered vessel and arrested 32 suspected terrorists.
Amnesty International criticized the forcible eviction of families near Gaza as unlawful for not giving proper notification and compensation to residents. Approximately 800 homes have been destroyed since October when the military began creating a new buffer zone with the enclave.
Ansar Beit al-Maqdis militants allied with Islamic State took responsibility for killing William Henderson, an American oil worker, in August. The terrorist released images of Henderson’s passport and employee ID on social media sites, but failed to disclose additional details about his death.
Gaza
The Israeli military reported that four rockets were fired into the Mediterranean Sea on November 20. Hamas often tests rockets by launching them into the sea.
IDF soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian man after he approached the the security fence with Israel and ignored warnings from Israeli troops on November 23.
Residents of the Sheikh Radwan district of Gaza City were forced to leave their homes with their belongings. (Photo: AP) |
On November 26, Egyptian authorities reopened the Rafah crossing with Gaza for the first time since an October bombing killed 30 soldiers. The day before, twenty-eight trucks carrying 40 tons of cement entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, the second such opening since the end of Operation Protective Edge. Israel said the shipments of cement had previously been halted due to concerns over how the material would be used.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) declared a state of emergency in Gaza following recent heavy rains and flooding in the coastal enclave.
Jerusalem urged NATO to sanction Istanbul for allowing Hamas to establish an operations headquarters in Turkey lead by Saleh al-Arouri. Israeli intelligence suggests that Arouri was deeply involved in a Hamas attempt to overthrow PA President Mahmoud Abbas earlier this year, as well as dozens of attacks against Israelis.
Golan
On November 20, Al-Qaeda-linked fighters associated with the al-Nusra Front briefly entered Baath City, Syria, the government’s last major stronghold near the Israeli border.
Jordan
Jordanian officials arrested 20 men suspected of smuggling arms used for terror attacks in the West Bank. Arabic language television stated that all of the co-conspirators either belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood or Jordan’s engineering guild.
