In the wake of the ongoing disturbances by Palestinian rioters in Jerusalem and the increased tension with Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces will increase its troop presence in Judea and Samaria.
Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said the buildup will comprise three battalions, on top of the four that had already been sent in recent days to the area, which has seen an uptick in violence as of late, including in the form of a deadly drive-by shooting and a failed attempt to kill soldiers in a checkpoint.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The decision to bolster the troops in the area was made by Kochavi following a meeting with senior commanders at the checkpoint where three terrorists tried to kill the Border Guard troops on Friday. The incident ended with two terrorists dead and the third wounded.
"Thanks to our fighters here, and particularly thanks to the Border Guard fighters, an attack was prevented; thanks to their hand being on the trigger, they thwarted a terrorist plot that could have influenced the entire nation, and I want to express my appreciation to the fighters and commanders who have trained the soldiers for such scenarios," Kochavi said during his visit to the site, where he was briefed on the incident by senior commanders.
IDF officials are bracing for increased unrest this week as Eid al-Fitr, the three-day holiday marking the end of Ramadan, coincides with Jerusalem day. On top of that, the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah has become a new flashpoint following a court decision that requires Arab residents to vacate homes owned by Jews.
This case has resulted in repeated confrontations with police over the weekend, including on Temple Mount, and at one point Israeli authorities had busses of Muslim worshippers stopped before they could reach Jerusalem because of intelligence suggesting they were going to engage in more disturbances.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
