Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his Security Cabinet at the Israel Defense Forces’ Central Command headquarters in Jerusalem on Sunday night amid a wave of Palestinian terror in Judea and Samaria.
IDF Central Command covers Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem, the Sharon plain, Gush Dan (Tel Aviv) and the Shephelah (the Judaean Foothills).
On Thursday, Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to raise the state of alert in Judea and Samaria and prepare for a possible uptick in terrorist attacks. Katz ordered the military to increase the protection of communities and traffic arteries due to fears that terrorists could be inspired by the rapid rebel takeover of Syria, he noted in a statement.
Katz said in the statement, “Israel is determined to defend its borders and communities in the south, north and east against any threat—we will not allow a return to the reality of before October 7, [2023].”
Jerusalem is closely monitoring the situation in Judea and Samaria, fearing a domino effect that could lead to the collapse of the Palestinian Authority following the events in Syria, Army Radio reported last week.
“We are closely and vigilantly monitoring what is happening. We fear unrest, rapid deterioration and a contagion effect like we saw in Syria,” unnamed Israeli security sources told the radio station on Dec. 11.
According to Army Radio’s sources, the P.A.’s potential collapse might cause “a wave of terrorism and a complete loss of stability in the area.”
On Sunday evening, Palestinian terrorists opened fire at an Israeli vehicle near the Barkan Industrial Park near Ariel in Samaria. No injuries were reported in the attempted terror attack, the IDF said.
The terrorists fled the scene. “Troops are scanning, deploying roadblocks and encircling villages in the area,” the IDF stated.
