Terrorists in northern Samaria tried and failed to fire a rocket at an Israeli community on Sunday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The improvised launcher was located adjacent to the town of Silat al-Harithiya, northwest of Jenin and in the area of the Menashe Regional Brigade’s responsibility, the army said.
The Hamas-linked Al-Ayyash Battalion published a video showing what it said was a Qassam 1 rocket aimed at the Israeli moshav of Ram-On in the Gilboa region, which has been targeted before. The launch failed after the primitive projectile traveled a short distance.
The Israeli military said that it was investigating the incident.
Oved Nur, head of the Gilboa Regional Council, called on the security establishment to take stronger protective measures.
“The IDF and the security forces are doing an excellent job, and we give them full backing, [but] on the other hand, as we have said again and again, there is a significant and urgent need to reinforce the security and protection measures required for the Gilboa communities in general, and those near the [security] fence [with Samaria] in particular,” Nur said.
“We demand that an Iron Dome [battery] be deployed in our area and act proactively in the territory of the [Palestinian] Authority to reduce the motivation to harm the citizens of the country. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the situation in the council [area] is completely routine.”
Sunday’s incident is the eighth of this type reported since June 26, when the Hamas cell in Jenin announced the launch of two rockets targeting Moshav Ram On. The most recent attempt before Sunday took place on Aug. 15.
The terrorist “battalion” said in a statement that the launch was “within the framework of continuous preparation and development and in response to Israeli crimes,” Arab media reported.
Israeli forces on Sept. 4 arrested Hamas terrorist Mohammed Sobeh, who was behind many of the attempts in recent months to fire rockets from Jenin at Israeli communities.
Established in May 2023, the Hamas-funded Al-Ayash Battalion is named in honor of Yahya Ayash, also known as “The Engineer.” Israel killed Ayash, Hamas’s chief bomb-maker and the leader of its Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades “military” wing in Judea and Samaria, in 1996.
While the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) has managed to apprehend some members of the Al-Ayyash Battalion in recent months, most remain concealed within the Jenin refugee camp. The group continues to manufacture rockets and to fire them at Israeli communities.
