On April 30, 2022, Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, gave his first speech in almost a year praising such attacks. and declaring that Hamas accepts “the challenge” and will spare no efforts when it comes to defending its holy places. Warning that a religious war will “change the shape of Planet Earth” and scorch the earth, he said that when Hamas is forced to “defend” the Al-Aqsa Mosque, it will begin by firing a salvo of 1,111 rockets into Israel, in honor of former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who died on November 11, 2004. He said that this salvo will be called the “Abu Ammar” salvo, in commemoration of Arafat.
Later in the speech, Sinwar praised the terrorists who carried out a previous-night attack in the West Bank settlement of Ariel that left an Israeli security guard dead, and he called on Palestinians to carry out lone wolf attacks and on Israeli Arabs to prepare their guns, cleavers, axes, and knives for the defense of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem.
Sixteen Israelis, including an Israeli Arab policeman, and two Ukrainians have been killed in the attacks in Israel and the West Bank in the latest flare-up. Israel has responded by raiding Palestinian towns, sparking clashes that left at least 26 people dead, including bystanders
Moti Tsinvert told The Jerusalem Post the victims were people “who went out just to breathe fresh air in the park, and their lives were ended so harshly”.
At least three people were wounded and three others killed in a suspected ax attack in the Israeli town of El’ad on Thursday night, according to reports.
Assessing the Use of Edged Weapons in Terrorist Attacks
By Dr. Joshua Sinai 9 December 2021 Online Exclusives
Edged weapons are promoted by jihadi terrorist groups, in particular, with their leaders and preachers calling on their adherents to take up whatever weapons and devices that might be at their disposal to attack their adversaries as one of the “weapons of choice” for waging jihad.
Through sermons in social media, online magazines and blogs, and other media venues, the message is that “anyone can pick up a knife and advance the cause.” Jihadi groups, whether al Qaeda or ISIS, have issued statements urging their adherents to “use your cars, use your kitchen knives, use all of these types of thing” in terrorist attacks, according to Reuters.
Jihad is an emotional & spiritual experience as many Muslims feel a Devine connection with Allah leading p to & during the act.
An axe to the head can be more gruesome than a bullet A bullet is somewhat impersonal. The axe is not guaranteed to cause death but gruesome suffering. With an axe or knife the act of murder retains a closer conection between the murdered and the victim. An axe just between the shoulder blades would cause gruesome damage and suffering with out necessarily causing death.