Israeli security forces on Wednesday neutralized an explosive charge at a lookout point near Ateret in Samaria’s Binyamin region, two weeks after a car bombing was thwarted in the same area.
The bomb was discovered by the driver of an excavator mechanical shovel at Giv’at HaSela’im, an observation point located within the municipal boundaries of Ateret that is still being developed.
The device, a gas canister with a long wire that disappeared into nearby bushes, was placed in the middle of the road. The driver reported the device to security forces, who worked to neutralize the threat.
According to Arutz 7, the incident came amid ongoing riots emanating from the nearby Palestinian village of Umm Safa, with residents carrying out attacks near-daily in protest of the development of Giv’at HaSela’im.
The riots, which are being led by dozens of Arab terrorists and have included assaults on construction workers and security personnel, have seen attacks with fireworks and rocks, the Israeli outlet reported.
פרסום ראשון: שבועיים לאחר מכונית התופת - מטען חבלה נוסף סמוך לעטרת.
— עוז ישראל שוורץ (@oz_israel_s) September 18, 2024
מחבלים ערבים שהגיעו מהכפר אום צפא הטמינו מטען חבלה רב עוצמה על אחד הכבישים בגבעת הסלעים שבשטח הישוב עטרת, בה מבוצעות עבודות פיתוח בימים האחרונים.
נהג הבאגר שחזר מיום העבודה הבחין ברגע האחרון במטען והזעיק את… pic.twitter.com/wYdmDQvoVT
On Sept. 2, Israeli forces neutralized a powerful car bomb near the main entrance to Ateret. The 100-pound charge was intended to detonate while a school bus was passing by, security officials believe.
Israel’s Channel 12 News said the vigilance of a local resident prevented a “major disaster,” with security forces neutralizing the heavy bomb before school buses entered the town early in the morning.
Israel Ganz, the head of the Binyamin Regional Council, which has jurisdiction over the area of Ateret, said at the time, “The terrorism in Judea and Samaria requires military action just like in Gaza and Rafah.”
In the first half of 2024, Judea and Samaria saw more than 500 Arab terrorist attacks each month on average, according to figures published on Aug. 1 by Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria).
During that time period, first responders recorded 3,272 terrorist acts in the region, including 1,868 cases of rock-throwing, 456 attacks with Molotov cocktails, 299 explosive charges and 109 shootings.
Terrorists murdered 14 people and wounded more than 155 others in Judea and Samaria between January and June, the rescue group said.
