Latest Developments
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) threatened to launch a new campaign of suicide bombings targeting Israelis following a failed attack in Tel Aviv on August 18. In a joint statement, the two Iran-backed terrorist organizations said they would intensify retaliatory operations as long as Israel continues its war against Hamas in Gaza. “Martyrdom operations inside the occupied territories will return to the forefront as long as the occupation’s massacres, the displacement of civilians, and the policy of assassinations continue,” the statement declared.
The attack on Sunday night in Tel Aviv — which occurred as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel for crucial talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza — caused no fatalities other than the bomber himself, whom Israeli authorities identified as a resident of the West Bank city of Nablus. The as-yet-unnamed terrorist was killed when the bomb he was carrying exploded prematurely as he walked along Lehi Street in south Tel Aviv. A 33-year-old passerby who was traveling on an electric scooter was injured in the blast and taken to hospital with chest and limb injuries. A joint statement from the Israeli police and the Shin Bet security agency noted that after “completing initial investigations, we can confirm that this was a terrorist attack involving a powerful explosive device.”
Expert Analysis
“After snubbing Blinken with a statement standing firm on its rejectionist stance in the Gaza negotiations, Hamas has added injury to insult by trying to slaughter civilians en masse in Israel’s commercial capital. When will the United States realize diplomacy with these monsters is a dead-end?” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO
“The attempted attack and threats by Hamas and Islamic Jihad to resume suicide bombings against Israel were likely orchestrated by Hamas’s new leader, Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 atrocities. Even if these threats turn out to be hollow, their psychological impact may serve to intensify pressure on Israel to accept a ceasefire agreement that aligns with the interests of Hamas.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal
Suicide Bombings a Tactic of Second Intifada
Suicide bombings were the tactic of choice during the Second Palestinian Intifada, which broke out in 2001. The attacks finally petered out until 2005, having claimed the lives of more than 1,100 Israelis. Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank then shifted their focus to gun and knife attacks and, in the Gaza Strip, to rocket and missile strikes and raids conducted via underground tunnels.
“Israeli Forces Raze 50 Terror Tunnels in Southern Gaza,” FDD Flash Brief
“Israel Strikes Rocket-Launching Post in Gaza Used by Hamas to Attack Tel Aviv,” FDD Flash Brief
“Hamas Terrorist Released Through Ceasefire Deal Strikes Again in West Bank,” FDD Flash Brief
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