“Escalate the intifada,” demands PFLP terror organization
Headline: “The Popular Front [for the Liberation of Palestine] called to escalate the intifada activity and the open confrontation with the occupation tomorrow”
“The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) called to turn tomorrow, Friday [May 28, 2021], into a day of escalating the intifada activity and the open confrontation against the occupation in the friction areas, the military checkpoints, and the settlements. This is in response to the occupation’s ongoing crimes and its reckless arrest campaign against our people in the occupied Interior (i.e., Palestinian term for Israel), and also as a sign of emphasizing our people’s unity and its adherence to the plan of resistance and confrontation.
The PFLP said that we must continue the open confrontation against the occupation soldiers and the settler herds and wage a comprehensive battle of confrontation throughout the occupied land…
The PFLP emphasized that the pressure must be increased on the occupation while taking advantage of the important achievements on the ground that were made by our people in recent weeks in the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, and the occupied Interior (refers to violent Arab riots and Hamas rocket barrages; see note below -Ed.), in order to reach political achievements based on the plan of resistance and adherence to the basic principles.”
Fatah/Hamas Riot and Rocket War 2021 – On April 30, 2021, facing certain electoral defeat, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas cancelled the first PA elections scheduled in 15 years. Hamas, which expected to win the elections, denounced it as a “coup.” In need of a conflict to divert public discontent, Abbas artificially generated a crisis over Jerusalem. His Fatah party called for "raising the level of confrontation,” and Abbas' spokesman told Palestinians "the battle of all battles is here.” Jerusalem Arabs responded by attacking Jews with rocks and Molotov cocktails. Hamas, Abbas' political rival, could not allow Abbas to lead the battle, so on May 10, 2021, Hamas launched rocket barrages targeting Israeli population centers including Jerusalem. Over the next 11 days, Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired over 4,300 rockets into southern and central Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing 9 Israelis and 3 foreign nationals, and wounding hundreds. In response, Israel launched Operation Guardian of the Walls to target Hamas terror leaders and terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Already in mid-April, a planned eviction of some Palestinian families illegally living in Jewish-owned buildings in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem had led to clashes between Palestinian residents and Israeli police. This dispute provided Palestinians with a pretext for violent rioting. Adding to the crisis, Israeli Arabs started rioting throughout Israel, especially in cities with a mixed Jewish and Arab population. Two Jews were murdered and many were wounded. According to Walla, an independent Israeli news site, 10 synagogues were wholly or partly burned down; fires were set in 112 Jewish homes and 1 Arab home mistaken for a Jewish home; 386 Jewish homes were plundered and 673 were damaged; 849 cars were set ablaze; and there were 5,018 rock-throwing attacks. In response, Jews started attacking Arabs and their properties as well, but on a much smaller scale. No mosques were burned; 13 Arab homes were damaged; 13 Arab-owned cars were burned; and there were 41 rock-throwing attacks by Jews. [Walla, May 16, 2021] The fighting between Israel and Hamas ended with a ceasefire on May 21, 2021.