Security Establishment Criticizes Settlers: "Endangering Soldiers"
Senior security officials: "Uncoordinated trips are a method that puts soldiers at risk." Three battalions intended for retraining have been diverted to guard outposts in Judea and Samaria. A night of violence in the territories included mosque arsons and an attempted arson of a family home.
Senior officials in the security establishment state that the trip to the village of Tel on Friday was not an innocent act, but part of a deliberate method. Dozens of cases of entry into Areas A and B without coordination have forced the IDF to conduct rescue operations. The military was forced to deploy three battalions to protect outposts in northern Samaria, diverting them from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Soldiers who were scheduled for retraining after three years of continuous combat are now forced to remain in the field.
The security establishment is harshly criticizing the conduct of the group of Israelis involved in the incident in the village of Tel on Friday, which resulted in the deaths of Sergeant Major (res.) Binyahu Malet and Captain (res.) Yuval Ezra. Officials say this was an organized trip without army notification, involving entry into Palestinian villages. When clashes erupt, the travelers call on the army to rescue them. The conduct of the forces involved in the incident is also under investigation.
Over the past weekend, more than 30 incidents of a nationalistic nature occurred. A security source stated: "This is an irresponsible act that unnecessarily endangers settlers and soldiers. It diverts forces from their primary mission—thwarting Palestinian terror." The IDF has questioned the absence of condemnation from settler leadership regarding this phenomenon.
The operational burden in Judea and Samaria is directly impacting IDF readiness. Forces withdrawn from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon for rest and training are being utilized to secure new outposts.
Meanwhile, Palestinians reported a series of violent acts: a mosque in the village of Kusra was set on fire with the inscription "Revenge for Binyahu" sprayed on the walls; another mosque was torched in the village of Kur, and engineering tools were destroyed at the Ein Samiya quarry. In Beit Furik, an attempt was made to set fire to a residential house occupied by a family. The Tag Meir organization stated: "Whoever allowed Jewish militias to control Areas C and B is reaping a storm."
In response to the high tension, the Central Command commander has imposed a sweeping ban on the entry of workers into settlements throughout Judea and Samaria. Construction work is permitted only outside the settlements with special exemption permits, while access to industrial zones remains unchanged.
