It is difficult to miss the concern in the defense establishment following the shooting attack in Jerusalem in which Eliyahu Kay was killed.
Although similar attacks have been carried out in the past, the fear now is a new wave of terrorism led by Hamas in Gaza.
Preliminary investigation of the attack shows that the terrorist, Fadi Abu Shahidam, acted alone.
Although he belonged to Hamas, he did not appear to have any partners.
The investigation will now seek to find out if he received instructions or funding to carry out the attack, and from where he obtained the standard weapon he fired.
It is a weapon that is not used by the IDF, and was apparently smuggled and sold by criminals or terrorist elements.
Police activity shortly after this morning's shooting attack in the Old City // Photo: Police Spokeswoman
Abu Shahidam does not meet the profile of the average terrorist.
He is a relatively older man (42), married and a father of children.
It is likely that unlike most of the few terrorists who have carried out terrorist attacks in recent years, his motive was ideological rather than personal.
A browse of his Facebook page reveals quite a few clues in that direction, which would also require a GSS home inspection if it could have been traced before he acted. On a combination of advanced technology and quality intelligence.
The deadly attack in Jerusalem was carried out after a long period in which the security forces managed to thwart many attempted attacks in the city.
Jerusalem was and remains the main target of terrorist attacks, especially the Old City area, which has a relatively large concentration of targets - from police officers to Jewish citizens.
Since Operation Wall Guard, the police presence in the Old City area has intensified.
This allowed a relatively quick hit on the terrorist, 32 seconds from the moment of firing.
The effective functioning of the police prevented a much larger attack, but even this time he failed to completely prevent the attack;
The high accessibility of terrorist elements to weapons, the ease with which West Bank residents are allowed to enter the Green Line - and, as mentioned, the high friction between Jews and Palestinians in the Old City area - create a significant challenge for forces operating in Jerusalem.
Minister Bar-Lev at the scene of the attack in the Old City, Photo: Reuters
It is estimated that this challenge is expected to intensify in the near future.
Immediately, because successful attacks often lead to imitation attempts, but there are also deeper reasons.
The first of these is Hamas' increased effort to roll out attacks from the Gaza Strip, through the West Bank, into Israeli territory.
Such an organization, led from Gaza, was stopped last month in Samaria before carrying out bombings and kidnappings.
But this effort continues, forcing the security forces to counter counterattack: in an average week, the IDF carries out 120-80 arrests in the West Bank, based on GSS intelligence.
The second reason is the lack of governance in the West Bank, which is reflected in growing anarchy in some areas.
Although the Palestinian Authority has launched an operation to regain control of northern Samaria, it is facing a growing challenge from various sources - from terrorist organizations to criminal gangs operating in the field.
Some of these factors also encourage terrorist attacks, with the aim of further undermining the PA's status.
Chief of Staff Kochavi, Photo: Michelle Dot Com
The third reason is the economic situation in the West Bank and among the Arabs of East Jerusalem, which is pushing many into the arms of terrorism.
The fourth reason, as always, is the status of Jerusalem and its explosiveness, certainly against the background of the ongoing political stalemate between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and the efforts of many elements - including, again, Hamas - to take ownership of the struggle for the city.
At the present stage, reinforcements are not expected in Judea and Samaria, perhaps with the exception of spot changes in Jerusalem. The IDF operates in the West Bank with relatively small forces, and focuses its operations on operations against terrorist targets.
However, if it becomes clear in the coming days that this is a new wave of terrorist attacks, the IDF will be required to send an additional IDF to the territories to create deterrence.
At the same time, the IDF will be required to sharpen its messages to Hamas in Gaza. The organization is playing a double game with Israel: But Israel must not continue to come to terms with it: the time has come to present Hamas with the dilemma - calm or war, on all fronts.
