A month and a half after the gruesome Independence Day attack in Elad, terrorist activity and security warnings in Judea and Samaria are on the decline.
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While Operation Breakwater in Northern Samaria, launched to quell the wave of terror that began in March, is ongoing, there are no plans for the massive moment of troops at this time. Nevertheless, IDF officials understand that the relative quiet does not mean terrorist elements have lost interest in carrying out the kind of attack that would destabilize the situation.
At the same time, the defense system is focusing on repairing the separation fence and finding solutions for undocumented and unemployed Palestinians in the understanding that stagnation could lead to volatility. Many workers, some of whom have entry permits, have grown accustomed to crossing easily into Israel through the many holes in the separation fence and must now find new ways to find work.
Add to that the poor state of the Palestinian Authority economy, the fact that Palestinian academics are finding it difficult to find work, and the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, and the path to the kind of desperation that could lead some people to carry out an attack is short. The emphasis in Israel, therefore, is on finding a solution for the workers.
In recent weeks, the number of authorized workers entering Israeli cities through security crossings has spiked by over 10% a week. Defense officials say that 80% of entry permits are in use, and an effort is being made to authorize the entry of thousands of workers. To date, 98,000 Palestinians have permits to work inside the Green Line, in addition to the 39,000 who have permits to work in communities in Judea and Samaria.
Last week, the government approved two programs authorizing Palestinians aged 27 and over, including the unmarried, to enter Israel. In the past, unmarried Palestinians of all ages were prevented from entering the country.
The flow of forces to the region and the repair of holes in the separation fence has led to a sharp drop in the number of undocumented Palestinians entering Israeli cities. However, this has led to the rebirth of a troubling phenomenon that sees undocumented Palestinians hide inside vehicles entering Israeli cities. This tactic was popular immediately upon the erection of the separation fence and is now gaining in popularity. Security officials are concerned some of those sneaking into the country could be terrorists.
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