The manhunt for the terrorists who murdered Lod resident Rina Shnerb, 17, on Friday at Danny Spring near the settlement of Dolev in Samaria's Binyamin Regional Council is in full swing and is currently focused on intelligence gathering. Past experience has taught us that the terrorists are on borrowed time and won't be able to stay in hiding for much longer.
The investigation into Friday's attack has been placed under a gag order, but according to available details, the explosive device used by the terrorist was planted ahead of time on a path known to draw many Israelis as well as Palestinians. This means that the cell was probably watching the area, to make sure they target Israelis.
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The IDF secures Danny Spring every Friday, to ensure the safety of those who bathe in it, and the terrorists were probably aware of that. The terrorists may have triggered the device when they did to allow themselves enough time to escape the scene before security forces arrived.
That investigation aside, the defense establishment must also look at the bigger picture and the rise in terrorism in Judea and Samaria, which cannot be ignored.
The fact that four terrorist attacks have taken place in Judea and Samaria in just two weeks indicates that motivation is high and is only getting higher, and defense officials have warned that copycat attacks may soon become more prevalent.
It is currently unknown whether the terrorists who murdered Shnerb mounted the attack independently or on orders from one of the Gaza Strip-based terrorist groups. This is a key issue that must be clarified because if they were doing an organization's bidding – particularly Hamas – Israel will not be able to look the other way.
Hamas has never made it a secret that it seeks to create terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank, but to actually have West Bank-operatives carry out a terrorist attack against Israelis – certainly a high-profile one – will leave Israel little choice on whether to retaliate.
Hamas is playing with fire and the flames could surge out of control at any moment, despite the fact that its leaders are trying to avoid an outright war.
Desperate to lift the blockade imposed on Gaza, Hamas' efforts with this respect are directly linked to the mitigation that Israel affords the Strip and, of course, the flow of Qatari money into the coastal enclave.
But the situation in Gaza is racing toward the point of no return, as is evident by the growing number of attempts to breach the border fence. Hamas security forces are trying to prevent such incidents, but much like in Judea and Samaria, this spells a gradual escalation: the situation on the ground is simmering, emotions are running high, mediation attempts are only partially successful and it seems that the slightest provocation – certainly in the form of a terrorist attack that claims civilian lives – could set the entire sector off.
Tensions are bubbling in Judea and Samaria, as well. The Palestinians see election season as a time of weakness on Israel's part, and this time, the election will be followed by the High Holidays. The IDF will need to do more than just reinforce its deployment on the ground, as will Israeli civilians, who must exercise extra caution.
