West Bank rockets from lone wolf, not Hamas - source

The IDF views the rockets launched in the West Bank as a 'TikTok incident' rather than as a major new threat of its own.

Members of Hamas ride on a truck as they display a rocket during an anti-Israel rally in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip May 28, 2021 (photo credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)
Members of Hamas ride on a truck as they display a rocket during an anti-Israel rally in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip May 28, 2021
(photo credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)

The rockets fired by a Palestinian in the Jenin area of the West Bank on Monday and which failed to fly beyond the launch area were launched by a lone wolf and not by Hamas, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

This confirmed finding comes despite Hamas' claims that it was linked to the incident and despite the fact that the IDF has not yet revealed who launched the rocket.

Further, the Post understands that the IDF does not regard the launching of the two rockets (both which lacked any explosive materials and flew less than 100 meters from the launch site) as a major new threat of its own. 

Rather, the IDF believes its past and ongoing actions to eliminate Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials who were trying to build more sustained and systematic rocket firing capabilities on Israel have been and will continue to be successful.

IDF: West Bank rocket launches were a TikTok incident, not a serious threat

In addition, the IDF views the incident as being primarily a TikTok incident, or an exercise in public relations not all that different from the dummy rocket that the IDF recently found.

Israeli military vehicles are seen during clashes with Palestinians during a raid in Jenin in the West Bank January 26, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/RANEEN SAWAFTA)
Israeli military vehicles are seen during clashes with Palestinians during a raid in Jenin in the West Bank January 26, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/RANEEN SAWAFTA)

The IDF is even disappointed in the media depiction of the rocket launches as a serious threat, as this depiction may have achieved other terror groups' broad goals of creating fear and instability among the general population.

In contrast, the IDF is extremely concerned by the recent succession of Hamas and other terror organizations shooting attacks in places like Eli, Hermesh and against the Dee family.

The IDF absolutely views these incidents as a dangerous escalation which could get out of hand.

After all of these IDF perspectives, the fact is that in 2005 terror groups succeeded in firing multiple rockets from the West Bank and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) director Ronen Bar warned of the threat as a serious one in recent months.