The rise in violence in Judea and Samaria comes as no surprise to Israel's defense and security establishment, and the IDF has been preparing for several weeks for the possibility of suicide terrorist attacks. Meanwhile, there is growing concern about copycat terrorist attacks following Sunday's shooting at Tapuach Junction, which left three Israelis wounded, including one in critical condition. Doctors at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva were battling for his life on Monday morning.
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There are a few reasons for the heightened concern. First, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' decision last Thursday to postpone the Palestinian legislative elections, originally scheduled for May 22. Abbas blamed his decision on Israel, on the grounds that Israel had refused to allow Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem to vote in the PA elections, but the major factor in his decision was his fear of a Hamas victory.
In addition to the postponement of the PA elections, Palestinian Muslims are observing Ramadan, which is usually marked by security incidents. The fourth week of Ramadan, generally considered the most difficult, falls next week, coinciding this year with Jerusalem Day, also a fraught date often marked by rioting.
As of Sunday night, the IDF had not yet increased its forces in Judea and Samaria, partly because additional forces were already deployed there at the start of Ramadan. But because the security establishment fears that "successful" terrorist attacks – ones that kill or wound Israelis – will inspire more potential terrorists, the IDF plans to increase its presence on major roads and intersections.
The drive-by shooting at Tapuach Junction on Sunday came after a 60-year-old Palestinian woman attempted to stab an IDF soldier at Gush Etzion Junction that morning.
IDF soldiers at the scene shot the woman in the upper body, neutralizing her. She was evacuated for medical treatment in serious condition. No Israelis were wounded.
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