FDD | August 28, 2024
Latest Developments
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an overnight counterterrorism operation in the West Bank on August 27, targeting militants in multiple locations, including the cities of Jenin and Tulkarem. By morning on August 28, the IDF reported that it had eliminated five “armed terrorists” in those areas, apprehended “wanted suspects,” and located and confiscated “weapons including M-16s, ammunition and additional military equipment.”IDF troops additionally “exposed and dismantled explosives that were planted under the roads in the area” for use against Israeli forces. The IDF also carried out “an aerial counterterrorism operation in the area of Far’a” as part of its widespread sweep that killed an additional four “armed terrorists.” IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani said on August 28 that the counterterrorism operation is ongoing.
Since Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, the IDF has arrested more than 4,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including over 1,850 affiliated with Hamas. According to FDD tracking data, West Bank terrorists have perpetrated some 2,600 attacks against Israelis in the same time period. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz hinted on August 28 that a larger-scale IDF operation was in the works. “We need to deal with the [terror] threat exactly as we deal with terror infrastructure in Gaza, including the temporary evacuation of Palestinian civilians and any other step needed,” Katz said, adding that the operation can be called “a war in every sense.”
Expert Analysis
“The fecklessness of the Palestinian Authority when it comes to reining in terrorist groups, coupled with Iran’s campaign of supporting and arming Palestinian factions in the West Bank, has compelled Israel to launch a large-scale operation. Israeli security has increasingly been compromised by escalating violence in the West Bank over the last three years, while the Palestinian Authority has been outmatched by terrorist groups that are undermining its credibility and influence. Urgent action is needed to bring about substantial change in the West Bank before the situation deteriorates beyond the point of no return.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal
“The West Bank, already on fire before October 7, is a key part of Iran’s strategy to engulf Israel from all sides. A Hamas foothold — or the proliferation of other terrorist groups — in the West Bank would be catastrophic given its proximity to Israel’s major population centers.” — David May, FDD Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst
Recent West Bank Operations
The IDF eliminated five terrorists, including a wanted senior member of Hamas, in two separate counterterrorism operations on August 14. On August 3, Israeli drone strikes near Tulkarem in the northern West Bank killed at least nine Palestinian terrorists, including the commander of the local wing of Hamas’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. According to the IDF, Haitham al-Balidi and four other terrorists were targeted while traveling in a vehicle near Tulkarem. An IDF spokesperson informed the Israeli broadcaster Kan that “the squad was on its way to execute a large-scale attack,” The Jerusalem Post reported. Reports from both Israeli and Palestinian sources confirmed that at least four more terrorists were killed in a subsequent strike.
Iran Stoking West Bank Violence
Katz warned on August 12 that Iran is working to destabilize both Jordan and the Palestinian Authority-controlled West Bank by smuggling weapons and funds through the Hashemite Kingdom. In an August 12 post on X, Katz noted that “a serious and dangerous situation is unfolding,” revealing that units from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “are collaborating with Hamas operatives in Lebanon to smuggle weapons and funds into Jordan with the aim of destabilizing the regime.” On April 9, The New York Times reported that Iran is employing a network of militants, criminals, and intelligence operatives to flood the West Bank with weapons. Iranian officials told the Times that Tehran’s goal is to fuel unrest against Israel.
“Mapping Terrorism in the West Bank,” by Joe Truzman
“Lethal Mines Supplied to Terrorist Organizations in West Bank,” FDD Flash Brief
“IDF Eliminates Five Terrorists in Northern West Bank,” FDD Flash Brief
“The West Bank: A 3-year crisis led by Palestinian Terrorist Groups,” by Joe Truzman
This is what happens when the situation is allowed to deteriorate beyond repair. Most of this should have been addressed long before Oct 7.
Endless use of the Arab term, ‘West Bank.’ How about Judea and Samaria for a blessed change?