Even while the Israeli Air Force is flying non-stop sorties over Iran, the IDF is preparing for the final front in the ongoing war for Israel’s existence. This comes after solid proof that Palestinians are planning an Oct. 7th-style attack emanating from the Arab strongholds in Samaria, targeting all of Israel.
Lost among the headlines about ballistic missile strikes were relatively tame reports that the IDF was bolstering its presence and preparedness in Samaria. Astute news hounds noted that reassigning military assets to internal areas was unusual. The ground war against Hamas in Gaza is still being fought. The northern borders still require vigilance with a new regime in Syria, and Hezbollah’s status is unclear. In the north, the IDF says it is mobilizing troops to be ready to defend or attack if needed.
But the IDF is uneasy about the Palestinians in Samaria. On Friday morning, at the same time F-35s carried out preemptive strikes against Iran, ground troops surrounded all Palestinian cities in Samaria, reinforcing all border fence areas between the Palestinian and Jewish portions of Judea and Samaria. Soldiers have shifted to conducting inspections and monitoring traffic routes and village exits. The IDF accelerated the formation of the newly established Gilad Division (the 96th Division), which will be responsible for securing the eastern border and preventing infiltration attempts from Jordan.
In addition, the security establishment is concerned about reports of possible incursions by Iranian-backed groups to smuggle militants and significant quantities of weapons into Israel via the eastern front.
The IDF Central Command set the entire area on emergency status, and all Palestinian towns are under lockdown until further notice. The military called up reserves and reinforcements, including units redeployed from Gaza for all fronts and parts of Judea and Samaria, nearly increasing manpower by 50%.
In addition, last month, the IDF revealed that it had compiled a bank of targets to be attacked in the case of an Oct. 7-style terrorist attack in Judea and Samaria. The plan would see Israeli Air Force fighter jets, drones, and helicopters bomb access roads to Jewish communities in the area, as well as other strategic targets, to slow down the terrorists’ advance.
The IDF’s Judea and Samaria Division and the IAF, together with local security coordinators, are currently building plans for aerial defense of Judea and Samaria, according to the report. Military drills involving the air force have already been held in some communities, including Eli in Samaria.
This comes after the IAF’s inadequate response to the invasion
This reflects a concern of many Israelis. A poll, published by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs and conducted by the Lazar Research Institute, reported that 81% of the Jewish Israeli respondents have concerns about a large-scale terror attack emanating from Judea and Samaria. The survey also found that, in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 massacre in southern Israel, 70% of Jews oppose establishing a Palestinian state along the country’s pre-1967 lines.
This fear seems justified. In September, Israeli authorities filed an indictment against a member of a terrorist squad based in Jenin who planned to infiltrate Jewish civilian communities in Samaria and carry out an Oct. 7-style attack.
In February, Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed that security forces recently discovered Hamas files proving the terrorist group had plans to carry out a large-scale assault on communities in Judea and Samaria and along the Seam Line security barrier.
“Hamas files have been seized that had a purpose of attacking towns in Judea and Samaria and along the Seam Line,” Katz said in remarks to heads of regional councils, Israel Hayom reported.
“The communities in Judea and Samaria are the protective wall of most of the State of Israel,” the defense minister declared. “When Judea and Samaria are protected, the large cities are protected. We must be on the offensive in Judea and defeat the enemy.”
