Hardly anyone was surprised by the arrest raid conducted by the IDF in Jenin on Monday. The only surprise, perhaps, was the fact that it happened only now.
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Security forces have been conducting an anti-terrorism campaign in the West Bank for a year and a half. It began with Jenin, then Nablus, and most recently, the Tulkram area. These areas are known to be strongholds for terrorism, especially in the refugee camp in Jenin and the kasbah in Nablus, and to a lesser extent in other cities and villages.
Until two years ago, such activities were largely led by the Palestinian Authority. The IDF only got involved in exceptional cases that involved senior terrorists or in case of danger of an immediate attack.
But then, due to a series of internal processes, from political power struggles to economic conflicts, the governance of the Palestinian Authority and its security forces deteriorated to almost non-existent. It created a vacuum that terror organizations seized upon, led by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the local Lion's Den group.
The matter led to an increase in terror attacks, leaving the IDF and the Shin Bet security agency no choice but to increase their activity in the region significantly. Israel now conducts almost nightly arrest raids in the area, and lately during the day as well for an element of surprise.
But while the operations usually progress as smoothly as possible, Monday's raid got complicated. The forces were detected, fired at, and seven fighters were injured. On the Palestinian side, five were killed and dozens injured.
The IDF was forced to use attack aircraft for the first time in decades to provide cover and rescue the soldiers. The event reflects the rising level of violence in the region and the need for heavier measures.
The military should consider upgrading the soldiers' weapons to ensure their safety, even at the cost of making them heavier and slower.
The time has come for a more extensive operation in northern Samaria. There is no need to overtake the area, but to position large forces and maximally use our intelligence and operational capabilities in order to reach the most number of terrorists and those linked to terrorism in the shortest time possible.
Such an option has been on the table for over a year, but it seems that now is the time to implement it.
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