For the first time since the beginning of the wave of terrorism, the IDF is acting in a demonstrative and declarative manner in order to restore deterrence against the Palestinian terrorist organizations and terrorists. This past week a number of brigade operations were carried out, including in the Judea sector, which until recently was considered quiet, detaining terrorists affiliated with the Hamas terrorist organization and seizing weapons, in order to clarify who controls the territory.
In recent months, the IDF has increasingly realized that surgical operations are not enough to apprehend terrorists, and that deterrence must be restored to the field. In contrast to the beginning of Operation Breakwater, when the operations were mainly surgical and precise, in recent times, and even more so in the past week, the IDF has been operating with large forces, entire battalions, that raid various areas, arrest dozens of suspects and confiscate weapons, in order to deter additional terrorists from reheating the area.
Residents of Beit Hagai clashed with NTI workers in order to prevent the opening of roads south of Hebron // Kobi Eyal
A week has passed since the attack at the Sheep Junction in which a Nigerian Batsheva was murdered, and it seems that this attack changed the rules of the game, both from the perspective of the settlers and from the point of view of the IDF. The sense of security of the residents of the various communities has been severely damaged, and many of them speak explicitly of fear of going on the roads, while on the other hand, the IDF understands very well that it is necessary to restore deterrence through prominent and large operations. And not be satisfied only with surgical operations as was the case in the past.
The feelings among the settlers are not simple. The attack, which took place in an area considered quiet in recent years, and especially in the past year and a half, proved once and for all that the perception that most of the attacks come from northern Samaria is inaccurate, and that they too are in mortal danger. The attack in Ma'ale Adumim that miraculously ended with no fatalities, the attack in the Jordan Valley in which the terrorists' bullets miraculously missed an entire family, the attack in Tekoa that ended in serious injury and the attack at the Sheep Junction made it clear to the settlers that they were in unequivocal mortal danger and that there was no safe area.
Protest in the Beit Haji area, photo: None
Since last week, there have been many voices of settlers saying that they are reducing travel on the roads and even avoiding it. The government's failure to prevent the escalation of the wave of terrorism causes great frustration and a severe sense of personal insecurity.
"I wanted to go to Otniel," says A. "I drove all the roads of Judea and Samaria for years, every day, everywhere, but this was the first time I was really scared. In the end, I left the car in Kiryat Arba and took a protected bus to Otniel." Many testimonies reached Israel Hayom about a similar phenomenon throughout Judea and Samaria. In one case, family members refused to attend shiva, and in another, relatives from a community in Binyamin announced that they did not make unnecessary trips and therefore would not attend the family event.
The feeling that the government and the security establishment are not doing enough to protect the residents is well reflected in a significant incident that took place last week near the site of the attack. That evening, when the residents of Beit Haji (a state community with many of its residents are middle-class) returned from Nigerian's funeral, they stopped at the sheep junction and dismantled a preparation for the roundabout set up by Netivei Israel there, they said, because the roundabout slowed down the vehicle Nigerian was traveling in and made it easier for the terrorists to hit it.
Since then, there have been clashes between frustrated residents and security forces who are trying to contain them, including declaring the area a closed military zone.
The scene of the shooting attack on Route 60 in the South Hebron Hills, Photo: Haim Goldberg/Flash90
This is a good indication of the difficult mindset. Recently, both in the security establishment and in the hills, we have seen a phenomenon in which more and more normative people are joining demonstrations and even price-tag actions. The dismantling of the square independently by ordinary people who would not have dreamed of doing such an act before is an example of the severe distrust of government institutions in the absence of basic security. In Huwara, the IDF dismantled Einabus Square after the attack in which Hillel Weigel Yaniv was murdered in February of this year. At the sheep junction, no one was waiting for the army, and the residents acted on their own.
In recent years, residents have been pushing more and more to add safety components on the roads, but these days safety and various civil issues are giving way in Judea and Samaria to only one issue – security. The IDF makes it clear that it will act to allow Netivei Israel to complete the roundabout, and apparently this is what will happen eventually, but the roundabout is only a symbol that security currently transcends any other issue in Judea and Samaria. Over the past year, quite a few junctions in Judea and Samaria have been implied, a critical component for safety on problematic roads. What will happen if a terrorist takes advantage of the traffic lights for an attack? This may be the last time anyone will meet them, just like in third world countries.
The IDF understands the feelings very well. Senior sources reveal that recently the IDF has sharpened its understanding that what they are doing is not achieving the required change, and are looking for additional ways to square the circle. Although the security forces understand very well that there is also unrest in the Judea area, which is considered quiet, among the terrorists and terrorist organizations, it is believed that Hebron will not become northern Samaria, partly due to economic interests in the most important commercial city in the Palestinian Authority, which is tightly controlled by clans. At the same time, they are determined not to allow terrorism to grow in the area and to restore the situation, as much as possible, to its previous state.
16 wanted persons detained - weapons seized
IDF, Shin Bet and Border Police fighters worked tonight (between Tuesday and Wednesday) to arrest 16 wanted Palestinians throughout Judea and Samaria and in the Jordan Valley Brigade. According to the IDF Spokesperson's statement, in a battalion operation of the Haruv Patrol in Kafr Qadum, seven wanted men were detained and a pistol, an improvised grenade launcher, a grenade and military equipment were located.
IDF, Shin Bet and Border Police operatives detained 16 wanted Palestinians throughout Judea and Samaria // IDF Spokesperson
In the activity of the forces in the city of Tulkarm, armed men fired at the fighters who responded with gunfire. In the village of Abu Dis, an IED was thrown at the forces that responded with crowd control measures.
In the villages of Beit Rima, Kifl Harith, Ya'bad and Kafr Kalil, the forces located and confiscated improvised weapons such as Carlo, a taser, a knife, a club, fireworks, ammunition and a pipe bomb. During the activity in Beit Rima, suspects threw stones at the forces that responded with crowd control measures.
Participated in the preparation of the article: Lilach Shoval
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