Peak vigilance in the defense establishment ahead of Seder night: Exactly 20 years since the severe attack on the Park Hotel, which caused Israel to launch Operation Defensive Shield, the defense establishment is on high alert ahead of the possibility of continuing security tensions during Passover.
In the background, two very disturbing arenas that have meanwhile remained quiet - Gaza and Jerusalem, the burning of which will lead Israel to a wider escalation.
In recent days, the defense establishment has been putting very heavy pressure on the separation fence, in order to reduce as much as possible the passage of illegal residents from the West Bank to Israel.
It is estimated that due to the activity of the security forces along the seam line, there was a significant decrease in the number of GSS crossing into Israel.
These are an infantry battalion, an engineering battalion and two ZMA companies (heavy mechanical engineering equipment).
IDF activity in Jenin, Photo: IDF Spokesman
The grave concern in the defense establishment is that the great difficulty of potential terrorists crossing the Green Line will lead them to carry out attacks beyond the Green Line, and therefore the intention is also to increase forces along the routes and around Israeli localities in Judea and Samaria.
To this great security complexity is added, as mentioned, the Passover holiday, during which thousands of travelers are expected to visit Judea and Samaria, and it is not inconceivable that there will also be repeated attempts by settlers to re-immigrate to Chumash and Eviatar.
Explosive silence in the capital and Gaza
And as if that were not enough, it should not be overlooked that the Palestinian Authority suffers from severe governance problems throughout the West Bank, and in the north in particular, especially in Jenin and the refugee camps in its vicinity.
The big concern is that the IDF's extensive activity in Jenin, which involves constant friction with Palestinians and consequently Palestinian casualties, will lead Islamic Jihad to launch rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
Gaps in the separation fence, archive, Photo: None
Currently, Hamas is not interested in a confrontation with Israel and is trying to impose its authority on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but as the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank increases, Hamas will find it difficult to continue the restraint.
Another disturbing arena that is being looked at by the defense establishment is Jerusalem, which, like Gaza, has so far remained relatively quiet.
At the same time, and despite the fears, at the moment the decision in the defense establishment is to continue the pressure on Jenin and its surroundings.
Thus, during the previous night, IDF forces operated in several centers and arrested more than ten suspects in terrorist activities.
Yesterday morning, fighters from the commando brigade went on an extensive arrest operation in the village of Zeita, where they located weapons and arrested wanted persons suspected of aiding terrorist activities.
At the same time, fighters from the Golani Regiment, the Shin Bet and the Border Police operated in Jenin and nearby villages. During the operation, they fired at terrorists who threw explosives at them and at gunmen identified in the area.
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