Earlier this week, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released a document detailing the increase in attacks on Israel emanating from Gaza since the beginning of 2018.
According to media reports, the IDF document details the year-long Great March of Return protests along the Gaza border and includes new data that have not been previously released.
Israeli army intelligence assessed that over a half million people have attended the protests since they began—that’s over a quarter of Gaza’s total population. The number of Palestinians congregating at points along the border fluctuate between several thousand to 45,000 each day. Via the Hamas government, the rioters are provided with electricity, free wireless Internet and network connections, as well as food and drink.
The organized riots at the border have been accompanied with a dramatic increase in attacks launched into Israel. According to the military, 1,300 rockets and missiles have been fired from the Strip since March 30, 2018, with most being launched on Friday or Saturday “immediately after mass violent riots.” Gazans have also launched thousands of aerial incendiary devices into southern Israel, leading to 2,000 separate fires resulting in over 35,000 dunams of land being burnt—that’s over ten square miles.
The motivation of Gaza terrorists doesn’t seem to be letting up. Recently, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the militant group based in the Strip, announced that it has manufactured missiles capable of reaching major Israeli cities, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. According to the Israeli security apparatus, the increased sophistication of Gazan terrorists’ arsenal is a direct result of the support they receive from their Iranian patrons.