Fears of Escalating Tension in the West Bank and IDF Warning: "We Are Only at the Beginning"
A security source identified farms and outposts as a "weak point." Six new outposts were established in the last two days following an incident in the village of Tel. The IDF fears a scenario where Palestinians may target isolated farms.
A series of violent events this past weekend in the West Bank is troubling the IDF, which defines the farms and outposts in the area as a "weak point." A security source warned in a conversation with N12: "We are only at the beginning."
Tension on the ground is rising: in the last two days, six outposts were established in response to the incident in the village of Tel, and the army has not yet reached a decision on how to handle this. In the Central Command, there has long been talk of increasing friction, and every incident carries the potential for expansion. Within the IDF, the Shin Bet, and the police, there is a policy from above to make a great effort to cool down the area.
"Given the establishment of more and more farms and outposts, if they were once thought to be part of a security concept, they are now becoming a weak point. This increases friction with the Palestinians, and they are difficult to protect. Holding the land is important, but it comes at a price. It is necessary to reformulate the security concept regarding how to re-secure those who hold the territory," a security source told N12.
Army sources expressed their concern: "We are only at the beginning. The area is saturated with weapons. If the Palestinians decide to attack the lone farms, the potential for great damage is significant."
Behind the scenes, the army and security forces are attempting to separate the populations, while facing the dual challenge of Palestinian terror and a high volume of nationalist crime. Over the last two weeks, the IDF has reinforced the West Bank with three battalions, which has impacted the training schedules of IDF units.
Today, a security source stated that dealing with friction points between outposts and Palestinian villages sometimes detracts from the IDF's efforts to combat terror. "We are required to allocate fighters who arrived in the West Bank for completely different counter-terror tasks to deal with illegal outposts," the source told N12. "Many forces are being allocated to such tasks instead of the missions for which they were deployed."
IDF Activity in the West Bank:
Today, the IDF, the police, and the Shin Bet announced that following intelligence efforts, four terrorists involved in the theft of a soldier's weapon in Susiya over the weekend were arrested. Forces scanned the area, located the stolen weapon, and arrested two terrorists. During the night, fighters from the Duvdevan unit conducted an operation in the city of Yatta (Judea Brigade) and arrested another terrorist involved in the theft. Earlier today, after continued scans, another terrorist involved in the attack turned himself in to the Civil Administration forces.
