The tensions that developed following the arrest of the senior Islamic Jihad in northern Samaria mainly show the distress in the Gaza Strip.
A year after the Wall Guardian operation, the terrorist organizations are having trouble getting the news to the citizens in the Gaza Strip, or to their operatives in the West Bank.
The arrest itself was fairly routine.
Precise information from the Shin Bet led the Border Guard raiders (under cover of the Nahal patrol) to the house where Basam Saadi was hiding in Jenin, and to arrest him with one of his assistants.
Dragging him to the ground - which was photographed and widely published in the Arab world - was carried out because there was an exchange of fire in the area (which can also be heard clearly in the video that was filmed and distributed), and there was a fear that one of the fighters or the detainees would be hurt.
Bassem al-Saadi, leader of the Islamic Jihad in Samaria, photo: no
To instigate rumors that Israel had hurt him on purpose, photos of Saadi were released after his arrest.
Saadi was a senior member of the Islamic Jihad's military infrastructure in northern Samaria, but it seems that the nerves in Gaza stem from the cumulative pressure that Israel has exerted in recent times on the organization's operatives in YUS, as part of Operation Breakthrough. The YUS activists want the headquarters in Gaza to share the burden and respond militarily, with the aim of deterring Israel from the continuation of the activity.
The defensive measures taken yesterday around the Strip reflected the assessment of the situation (and the intelligence) that the members of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza are looking to hit an Israeli target through anti-tank fire or sniping. Israel conveyed messages to the organization that any action would be met with force, and similar messages were also conveyed to Hamas - the Sovereign in the Gaza Strip - including a warning that he too will pay a price if he allows damage to Israel.
There will be no separation of facades
Hamas hastened to clarify that they are not a party to the escalation, but it is doubtful whether they will take steps to curb the Islamic Jihad.
This reflects the complicated power relations between the two organizations, as well as the general situation in which they are subjected.
The combination of the lack of progress in the settlement talks, the difficult economic situation in the Gaza Strip, and the failure of the terrorist organizations to ignite a renewed wave of violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem, leads some of them to look for opportunities to vent their anger in the way of harming Israel.
Roadblocks in the Gaza Strip // Photo: report
In Israel, preparations were made yesterday for the possibility of such a shooting, and the IDF's response that will follow, will lead to a localized escalation, which may last for several days. However, a senior official last night expressed hope that the incident could be ended relatively quickly, and without escalation. Senior indeed, but an arrest.
Not something that hasn't happened hundreds of times in recent times, and certainly not a reason for escalation."
The IDF and the Shin Bet intend to intensify the arrest operations in the Yash. This, against the background of the estimates that the terrorist organizations in Gaza will continue their efforts to wave attacks from the Yash to the territory of Israel.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad believe that they will be able to do this without paying a price in Gaza, but in Israel they have already made it clear that there will be no separation of fronts: if a major attack is carried out from Yash, the terrorist headquarters in Gaza will not be immune from a response, even at the cost of burning down the southern sector.
Targeted countermeasures
The preoccupation with Palestinian terrorism pushed the assassination of Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan, the leader of al-Qaeda, from the headlines.
It was an impressive operation from every possible angle: the targeted intelligence probably combined human and technological intelligence, including real-time verification;
The operational capacity, and especially the targeted damage that managed to avoid harming the innocent;
And the American determination to close the account even after two decades and more.
Even President Biden seemed sharp and focused in his speech.
The necessary lesson for him (and the desirable one for Israel) is that determination pays off, and at the end of the road - even if it is long and painful - the good win and the bad pay a price.
It seems that the Iranian example is clearer than ever.
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us