• In the Gaza Strip the events of the Friday, November 9, 2018, “return march” passed without exceptional incident. Hamas continued to prevent rioters from reaching the security fence, but nevertheless violent activities were carried out (IEDs and Molotov cocktails were thrown at IDF soldiers and attempts were made to cross the fence). In Judea and Samaria there was a shooting attack and Palestinians threw stones and Molotov cocktails. However, there were no exceptional attacks despite the events in the Gaza Strip.
  • On November 12, 2018, an unprecedented rocket attack was initiated from the Gaza Strip, targeting the western Negev, after an IDF special force operation failed. So far about 460 rockets and mortar shells have been launched into Israeli territory, focusing on the western Negev and the southern Israeli cities of Ashqelon, Sderot and Netivot. In response the IDF attacked about 150 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist targets, including multi-story buildings Hamas regards as important assets, among them Hamas’ al-Aqsa TV building.
  • In ITIC assessment, the current rocket attack is not an isolated incident but rather part of the new policy carried out by Hamas since March 30, 2018 (the first “return march”). Hamas’ new policy is characterized by initiating controlled violence in the “return marches” and is accompanied by rounds of rocket fire with varying degrees of intensity (since the end of May 2018 more than 1100 rockets and mortar shells have been fired into Israeli territory).

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