Shooting from Barta'a again? Bullet found on a house roof in the community of Mitzpe Ilan
Army and police forces were summoned to the community in the Menashe Regional Council after the discovery of the bullet, which caused no injuries. The security establishment is investigating when the bullet was fired and estimates that it was not a deliberate shooting. Residents warn of a life-threatening danger and claim it is a test of the security forces' alertness.
A bullet was discovered this evening (Monday) on the roof of a house in the community of Mitzpe Ilan in the Menashe Regional Council. Army and police forces that arrived at the scene began investigating the circumstances of the incident, which ended without injuries. According to initial assessments by the security establishment, there is currently no evidence of fire deliberately aimed at the community.
The bullet was discovered this evening on the roof of the house and led to the deployment of forces to the scene. Investigators are now trying to determine exactly when the bullet was fired and where it came from. The security establishment has launched a joint investigation by the army and police, but the main assessment at the moment is that it was a stray bullet.
This evening's incident interrupts a short period of quiet in the area. For the residents of Mitzpe Ilan, finding bullets on roofs and hearing gunfire is a familiar reality that has been going on for years. The source of the fire is usually the nearby village of Barta'a, which is characterized by security complexity due to its division into two parts - the western part in Israeli territory and the eastern part under the control of the Palestinian Authority. The open border between the parts of the village makes supervision difficult and has led over the years to the smuggling of weapons and ammunition into Israel.
Alon Weispish, whose house was hit by the bullet, said:
"My son returned home from the army for leave, went up to the roof to check something, and discovered the impact. We don't know how long it has been there, but we know it came from Barta'a; we are exactly in their line of fire. This is not a new case; we have been talking about this for years. No one tells us if it is fire from our own forces, if it is celebratory wedding fire, or an actual security incident. Today it hit the roof, as in previous cases. But next time, God forbid, it will hit a child walking in the street."
Residents in the community describe a persistent danger and warn that the shooting is not necessarily the result of celebrations. Israel Hershkovitz, who lives in the community, explained that young people from the village often approach the fence, throw stones, burn tires, and shoot into the air. Shimrit Turgeman, another resident, described a severe blow to the sense of security and daily fear for the children who walk around the community. Among some residents, the claim arises that the shooting is intended to test the alertness of the security forces and their response times.
Head of the Menashe Regional Council, Ilan Sadeh, has been warning about the phenomenon for a long time. Sadeh noted that weapons currently used for weddings could reach hostile hands and claimed that it is only a matter of time before citizens are harmed. He recalled a case in the past where the council was required to replace the roof of a sports hall at a cost of hundreds of thousands of shekels following stray bullet impacts. Sadeh demanded more decisive action to collect weapons in the area and added that the council is waiting for the budget promised to it for strengthening security components in the seam line communities.
