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By: Sveta Listratov, TPS and United with Israel Staff
Following the release of three Israeli hostages from 471 days of captivity, Israel released 90 imprisoned Palestinian terrorists on Sunday, prompting the army to reinforce its forces in Judea and Samaria on Sunday.
“We’re on high alert,” a reserve soldier stationed near Hebron told The Press Service of Israel.
The reservist said he was originally scheduled to go home for a few days off, but had to stay due to the lockdown. “We need all available resources right now to deal with the threat, especially considering the volatile situation,” he explained.
The Israel Defense Forces said it was increasing patrols and checkpoints.
Members of “The Watchers – Forum of the Wives of the Enlisted” said they were concerned over the implications of the ceasefire, pointing to ongoing violence in Shechem (Nablus) and Jenin.
According to Moriya Michaeli, a representative of the forum, the threat of terrorism continues to grow as terror cells receive weapons from Iran smuggled through Jordan.
“This isn’t just a threat to the residents of Judea and Samaria, but to the entire population of Israel, from Ben Gurion Airport to the northern Golan Heights and beyond,” Michaeli told TPS-IL. “The only solution to halting this escalating threat is a full-scale military operation aimed at dismantling the terror infrastructures in these areas. The situation in Judea and Samaria should be seen as an existential threat to the state of Israel, requiring an immediate and decisive response.”
Protesters gathered outside the Ofer Prison, from where the Red Cross transported the freed terrorists to release points around Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem. The demonstrators referred to comments by Ronen Bar, head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), who told government ministers on Friday that 82% of the 1,027 prisoners released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit exchange returned to terror.
Yaakov Uri, a resident of Karnei Shomron in Samaria shared his unease.
“The deal threatens the security of many Israeli citizens. Over half of the hostages are not being released in this deal, so it also seems flawed and risky. But we have no fear of terrorists returning to the region; it would not deter us from continuing to defend our homes,” he told TPS-IL.
Israel National News reported Monday that Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan has called for a “strategic security change now – to end the old mindset.”
“The war on terror must continue with greater force, and we must focus now on Judea and Samaria,” he said, calling for “the return of all checkpoints, the launch of a real military operation in northern Samaria – including the relocation of terrorist populations, and treatment of terror from the root.”
“I demand that in any march where terrorists from any organization parade with weapons – the Air Force should be instructed to arrive with a helicopter and take them down from above,” he added.
The first phase of the ceasefire will see 33 Israeli hostages freed over several weeks in exchange for hundreds of Arab terrorists imprisoned in Israel. The exact number will depend on how many of the 33 hostages are alive. Israel’s High Court of Justice rejected a legal petition against the release of the terrorists on Sunday morning.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’ attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 94 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead.
(TPS & UWI)
