Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned of attempts to spark a wave of terrorism in the West Bank, following the capture Sunday morning of four Palestinian terrorists responsible for killing Yehuda Dimentman, 25, and wounding two other yeshiva students on Thursday.
“We have witnessed in recent weeks attempts by terrorist organizations to rear their head in Judea and Samaria,” Bennett said at the opening of Sunday’s cabinet meeting. “At the same time, there are terrorist attacks by lone actors, inspired by the regular incitement that may change its platform – in the past it was Facebook and now it’s TikTok – but the incitement is the same incitement.”
אני מברך את שב"כ, צה"ל וימ"מ על סגירת מעגל מהירה, בשילוב זרועות ובשיתוף פעולה, שהביאו לתפיסת המחבלים מהפיגוע בשומרון. במהלך הלילה הגעתי לחפ"ק כדי לעמוד מקרוב על המרדף. הכוחות פעלו באופן מרשים, יחד, ושמו את ידם במהירות על המעורבים בטרור. >> pic.twitter.com/8SZYoq9Eg6
— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) December 19, 2021
The IDF, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and all other security forces are prepared, he said.
“There is not one terrorist that we will not chase down and reach, whatever it takes,” Bennett said.
His remarks come after several Palestinian terrorist attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank in recent weeks, including the shooting near the Western Wall that took the life of Eli Kay, 26, in November, a Palestinian teenage girl who stabbed an Israeli mother walking with her children in Jerusalem and a 15-year-old Palestinian boy who stabbed an Israeli man outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City this month.
Bennett spent Saturday night in the Shin Bet situation room and was present when the terrorists were attacked. The security forces did “nice and impressive work,” he said, commending the cooperation between the Shin Bet, IDF, Special Forces, and others.
“When we work together and the goal is clear before our eyes, we succeed,” Bennett said. “It was a success to close the circle around the terrorists in a short time and not let them disappear in the field for a long time.”Defense Minister Benny Gantz praised the security forces for their “quick, professional and determined action to find the terrorists responsible for the murder of Yehuda Dimentman, of blessed memory. We will continue to chase the terrorists and bring to task anyone who will hurt or try to hurt Israeli citizens.”
We will increase our vigilance and readiness to thwart terror in Judea and Samaria, and will continue to take any measures necessary in facing terror groups in the area.
— בני גנץ - Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) December 16, 2021
The terrorists were members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and one had previously been in an Israeli prison.According to Palestinian reports, Majed Saleh Jaradat, one of the terrorists arrested, is the son of Salah Jaradat, a PIJ official who was killed by Israeli forces in 2003. According to later reports, two others arrested are Ghaith Jaradat, 17, and Omar Ahmed Yassin Jaradat, 20.
Tzvi Joffre contributed to this report.