Israeli security forces are failing to act against Palestinian terrorists in northern Jerusalem, residents of the Pisgat Ze’ev neighborhood told local media on Tuesday, after multiple bullets hit homes in the area.
Recent incidents in the area include gunfire, arson and firebombs being thrown from the adjacent Arab neighborhood of Shuafat, according to Arutz 7.
According to residents, they have repeatedly reported the incidents to police, but security forces have failed to take sufficient action to deter the terrorist threat.
Resident Shira Buzaglo said this past Sabbath was particularly tumultuous, with gunfire continuing for over three hours alongside firebombs being hurled over the security barrier separating Pisgat Ze’ev and Shuafat.
Nor was this an isolated event, she said. “Gunshots, arson, firebomb throwing and more occur almost constantly and within dozens of meters from our homes,” Buzaglo told Arutz 7.
“The perpetrators come from Shuafat, and when we call the police, they just say the matter is being handled, but from my window, I don’t see anyone actually coming to deal with it,” she charged.
Buzaglo said there is a complete lack of deterrence, with no security forces entering Shuafat to stop the incidents. After the latest attack on Saturday, a bullet was found near her front door.
Other incidents reported by neighbors include PLO flags being hung on the security barrier, the fields of thorns and bramble between the neighborhoods being set on fire, sounds of close gunfire and mysterious digging sounds at night, which police claim is road work.
On Saturday, community members documented a truck carrying around 10 people dressed in black in the open rear compartment, a scene Buzaglo said evoked memories of past terror attacks in the area and Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre in the northwestern Negev.
“We are not second-class citizens,” Buzaglo pleaded. “I have young kids at home and this is causing them immense fear and trauma. This terrible situation cannot be allowed to continue.”
In response, the Israel Police stated its operates “day and night” to maintain security in the capital city, making many arrests and thwarting terrorist attacks since Oct. 7.
The police claimed many shooting incidents originate from outside their jurisdiction, in Arab villages in Area A of the Judea and Samaria region.
“We will continue operating around the clock to safeguard the well-being and security of the area’s residents. Regarding the digging noises heard in the area, our investigation found that these noises originate from recent road construction work being carried out in the Shuafat area, and there is no irregularity,” police said.
