The IDF, the Shin Bet, and the police are conducting an investigation into how Kamal Abu Bakr, a 22-year-old Islamic Jihad operative, was able to carry out a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv without being detected by the Shin Bet. Abu Bakr murdered Tel Aviv Municipality patrolman Chen Amir. This incident has raised questions about how he was able to travel from the Jenin area armed and unnoticed. The Shin Bet has successfully thwarted over 300 attacks of this nature since the beginning of the year, making this breach particularly concerning.
According to senior officials in the army, there is now a realization that Jerusalem must return to operating in Jenin as soon as possible. Jenin is considered a “main terrorist generator” by the army. Since Operation Beit Vagan, there has been a period of silence and limited entry into Jenin, with only specific arrests authorized for “ticking bombs”. The hope was that the security mechanisms of the Palestinian Authority would take control and reduce terrorism in the area. However, the army now believes that more action is required to put pressure on the terrorists and prevent further attacks. Plans for arrests, searches, and other operations in the refugee camp are already in place and awaiting approval from the political level.
The IDF and Shin Bet acknowledge that the Palestinian Authority has been making efforts to establish security control in Jenin, but it is still not enough according to military sources. The longer the return to activity in Jenin is delayed, the worse the security situation will become. The IDF is pushing for a swift return to ensure that terrorists are preoccupied with their own escape and self-defense, reducing their ability to carry out attacks.
In recent operations, IDF and Shin Bet soldiers conducted searches in the village of Romana and carried out arrests throughout Judea and Samaria. The IDF has been conducting divisional operations in response to the increase in terrorism in the region. These operations allow the security forces freedom of action and the ability to respond to intelligence information.
In addition to dealing with the terrorist threat, the IDF is also facing a problem with illegal outposts. Suspects involved in the killing of Qusai Matan, a 19-year-old Palestinian, came from one of these outposts. The IDF claims that illegal outposts have become “terror hotbeds” and are distracting security forces from combatting terrorism. The army also raised concerns about the increasing incidents of shootings by Jews at Palestinians, describing it as a “method of operation”. There have been requests to evacuate these illegal outposts, which have been ignored by the political echelon despite the military’s insistence that they hinder counterterrorism operations.
The Israeli police are currently investigating two Israelis on suspicion of murdering Methane. The army officials believe that this shooting is part of a disturbing trend of Jewish groups provoking conflict with Palestinians and then using their weapons. The IDF has made repeated requests to evacuate the illegal outposts, including the one connected to Matan’s murder, but these requests have been rejected by the political authorities.