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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A senior member of the Palestinian terrorist group Lion's Den was reportedly killed in an explosion in the West Bank's city of Nablus on Sunday, with the organization blaming Israel for the attack.

Tamer Kilani's motorcycle exploded at 1:30 a.m. in what the Lion's Den labeled an "assassination," accusing Israel for attached a bomb to the vehicle. The group threatened a "harsh, agonizing and painful revenge" for his death.

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Surveillance camera footage released by the group shortly after the incident showed someone placing an explosive on the motorcycle, which exploded when Kilani walked by it in the Kasba hotbed of terrorism, the Kasba at the city center. Palestinians say the perpetrator of the killing was a collaborator with Israel, which considers Kilani a wanted terrorist for the recent spate of attacks on Israelis in recent weeks, particularly in the northern Samaria area, including the deadly drive by shooting of IDF soldier Ido Baruch and the dispatching of a terrorist to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, which was thwarted by security forces.

Kilani was known as a prominent member of the Nablus-based group, which took responsibility for several shooting attacks in Judea and Samaria over the past few weeks. According to the organization's statement his funeral will be held on Sunday.

Kilani, 33, has previously been locked up in Israeli prisons for his involvement in terrorism.

In mid-October Israeli troops arrested another Lion's Den member, Hamza Al-Azzi, although the organization reportedly denied that one of its operatives was apprehended. Some of the group's members had prior affiliations with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

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The past weekend has been relatively calm in Judea and Samaria for two reasons: Israel's offensive posture, especially in Nablus; and the reinforcement of troops inside Israel, especially in the Jerusalem area. 

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The offensive posture is designed to counter the "Lions' Den" terrorist group that has out of thin air become the leading threat to Israelis in the West Bank. Although the IDF has continued to engage in counterterrorism operations in the Jenin Refugee Camp, the main focus is on Nablus, because if that city descends into chaos the entire Palestinian Authority could buckle. 

The Lions' Den became a strong force thanks to TikTok, and it has gotten funding from Hamas because of the attacks it has waged. It has also received glory among Palestinians by and large, and it showed this strength when it called for a day of rage in Jerusalem earlier in October, which saw 24 hours of violent confrontations. This prompted Israel to make it clear to the PA that it expects tougher action against the group. The IDF has also imposed more restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians, with the hope this would result in internal pressure on the gang. 

The efforts have become somewhat successful, with roughly 10 Lions' Den members already handing over their arms to the PA in exchange for a promise that they would join its security forces. Israel has already made it clear that it would not grant such recruits immunity if it turns out that they have been involved in terrorist attacks, but it has so far stopped short of acting against them. The main focus is on using actionable intelligence to arrest the 25-30 gang members who have not laid down their weapons. 

Israel has also managed to get the group's TikTok account suspended, potentially striking a major blow to the organization because of its online dependence on bolstering its image, filling its coffers, and getting more recruits. This would also make it easier for the PA to restrain its members. 

The second part of Israel's operations over the weekend is the bolstering of troops in Jerusalem, with several Border Guard units being called up from reserves to help deal with the riots in the Arab neighborhoods. The main challenge comes this week, as Israelis celebrate the final days of the Feast of the Tabernacles (Sukkot) and with many expecting to reach the Temple Mount. Although the Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque were relatively calm, a senior Israeli security official has warned that "the current combustibility on the ground could have any small incident explode into a widespread conflagration in Jerusalem and the West Bank." 

Israel will shut down crossings from Judea and Samaria until Sukkot ends on Monday night. The official said that once the holiday is over things will calm down, but the high alert will continue until the Nov. 1 election and beyond because of the increase in chatter on plotted terrorist attacks. The official also warned that right-wing Israeli extremists might also cause things to deteriorate if they wage revenge attacks on Palestinians.

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