Escalating conflicts are of particular concern during Israel’s three-week holiday period, which begins next week with the Jewish New Year
The terrorist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are offering cash incentives for shooting attacks against Israelis. A $200 reward is offered to those who post a video of the attack on social media, particularly on TikTok.
The two groups are offering these rewards to encourage more attacks as Israel enters its three-week religious holiday period, which begins with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, next week, Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported. Israeli security officials are concerned that these videos of shootings will create so-called “Internet heroes” encouraging others to follow suit, according to the report.
To try to prevent future attacks, in addition to arrest operations in the West Bank, Israeli security forces also intend to stem the flow of money used to finance or encourage attacks, according to the report. The head of military intelligence for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Major General Aharon Haliva, warned on Tuesday that terrorist groups are trying to encourage similar actions in the West Bank. At a conference at Reichman University in Herzliya, Haliva said that he will assume a security strategy considering the possibility of escalating conflicts.
According to the political scientist specialized in the Middle East and executive president of StandWithUs Brazil, André Lajst, “this is further proof that Hamas, the terrorist group that rules Gaza, has no intention of building a peaceful environment and improving the lives of Palestinians. A government paying for its population to attack citizens of the neighboring country by shooting them and posting their actions on the internet is unacceptable.”
IDF soldiers are also being constantly targeted during night raids in the West Bank. The military launched this operation to capture terrorists hiding in areas of the region, including refugee camps – in Jenin, for example – following a series of deadly attacks that took the lives of 19 people between mid-March and early May.
According to the Shin Bet security agency, more than 2,000 suspects have been detained since the operation began.
*** Translated by the DEFCONPress FYI team ***