The holiday season has gripped Israel, but the reality is that travel and activities at this time depend on containment, or more precisely – on the quality of intelligence of the Shin Bet security agency and countermeasure capabilities of the IDF and Israel Police.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Such efforts only come to the public's attention when an unusual event occurs, such as the military operation carried out in Jenin on Wednesday, in which four Palestinian gunmen were killed, two of whom had been wanted for involvement in terror activities.
Accurate intel from Shin Bet led to the military locating the terrorists' hideout. During the raid, a large explosive device was used against the soldiers, which – had it been planted in Israel – would have led to many casualties.
Contrary to regular IDF operations, Wednesday's measures were carried out in broad daylight due to intelligence and operational reasons. Intel showed that the terrorists were going to attempt to carry out more shooting attacks on Israeli vehicles or IDF posts, similarly to those perpetrated earlier in the week. As such, it was necessary to arrest or eliminate them immediately.
In addition, terrorists in the Jenin refugee camp are used to the IDF operating at night, because of the technological and operational advantages that it provides. A daytime raid – when residents are awake and active, and apparently also more dangerous – is meant to show that Israel is not afraid of friction and seeks to have the culprits arrested.
As in previous cases in the last few weeks, so too this time some of those eliminated were active members of the Palestinian security system. This points to two phenomena that have troubled Israel for a long time and which have been exacerbating at a dangerous rate.
The first is the Palestinian Authority's increasing loss of control in northern Samaria. Jenin (and its refugee camp) was the first to break off, and anarchy is rapidly spreading south, toward Nablus, and even further, to Ramallah and beyond. Wednesday's violence was directed against Israeli forces, but in many cases, it is also directed internally, against Palestinian Authority targets, who are struggling to regain control of the territory.
The second is the number of Palestinian security operatives who are involved in terror activities and shootouts with IDF forces during arrests. This was highlighted in Jenin on Wednesday when one such operative tried to shoot at the soldiers and was killed. This is disturbing not only because of the weapons that they as police officers possess, but also because it can turn a colleague into a predator, forcing the IDF and Shin Bet to treat every partner as a potential enemy.
Since Israeli-Palestinian cooperation has been proved essential to de-escalate tension in the area, it must be restored as soon as possible using every possible means – political, economic, or security.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
Otherwise, the security situation will continue to escalate as will the IDF's counter-terrorism measures in Judea and Samaria, which, we know, will create a loop of more casualties and more attack attempts. This is also reflected in the scope of the warnings for terror attacks, which necessitates increasing the defensive and offensive efforts in the area.
The coming weeks are particularly dangerous due to the Jewish holidays, pilgrimages to Jerusalem, and high concentrations of vacationers and tourists. As such, the IDF must increase its activities in Judea and Samaria and the police in city centers. This effort, which was the focus of the situation assessment that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi and the Central Command held on Wednesday, is expected to increase in the coming days, but it is doubtful whether it will succeed in curbing the current trend of escalation.
To achieve this, large forces will also be required from within the Palestinian Authority and beyond it, which seems impossible now. The exact opposite is true: the factors most active in the field are negative, led by Hamas.
This also explains the rather gloomy situation assessment issued by various Israeli intelligence branches, who said that Judea and Samaria is facing a threat of escalation unseen in many years.
