Source: Israeli military Spokesperson’s Unit
On December 14, the Israeli military and security forces arrested 40 suspects during a security operation in the Western Bank. According to a press release of the military, 37 of the suspects are operatives of the Palestinian Hamas Movement.
“The IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] will continue to thwart terror and preserve security,” the Israeli military added on Twitter.
A day earlier, two Israeli soldiers were killed and another was severely injured in a shooting attack that took place in the northern part of the city of Journalism. The attackers were not reportedly among the suspects who were arrested during the operation in the Western Bank.
Following the security operation, an unarmed Palestinian sneaked into the Israeli settlement of Beit El in the Western Bank and attacked an Israeli soldier with a knife and a rock. The soldier was evacuated for medical treatment, according to the Israeli military. However, the attacker is still at large.
The Western Bank witnessed a series of protest by the Palestinians as a result of the recent arrests by the Israeli military, which also steeped up its presence around the Palestinian region in the last few days. Activists said that several protestors were injured by Israeli security forces.
Local observers believe that this new wave of escalation in the Western Bank is a direct result of the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last year.
