Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced five immediate counter-terror measures Friday, including demolition of the terrorist's home, a wide-scale operation in Palestinian villages, reinforcement of forces across Judea and Samaria, separation of traffic routes, and acceleration of establishing new farms, according to a joint statement from the Prime Minister's Office.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday afternoon announced a five-point counter-terror plan following the morning's deadly attack near Kfar Tel in Samaria. The measures, detailed in a joint statement from the Prime Minister's Office, include the demolition of the terrorist's home, a wide-scale operation in villages described as terror hubs – including weapon seizures and revocation of work permits – reinforcement of forces across Judea and Samaria, the separation of traffic routes, and the acceleration of the regulation of existing farms and the establishment of new ones.
The announcement came after a day of rapid developments. At 13:10 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu convened an in-person security consultation with Defense Minister Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and Shin Bet Director David Zini. Shortly after, at 14:37 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that local council heads from Judea and Samaria and bereaved families from the "Returning Home" forum arrived at the scene of the attack and demanded an immediate change in the security reality, including taking over open areas in Areas A and B. Earlier reports from Israeli media outlets (N12, N13, Army Radio) had indicated that such measures were being ordered, and the official statement confirmed them, while also identifying the victim as Binyahu Melat and offering condolences to his family.
The Zioneer has previously reported on the government's security posture amid broader tensions, including in the context of the Lebanon ceasefire and Iran. The current measures represent a direct response to the attack that killed Melat, but the statement did not specify a timeline for implementation or provide details on the scope of the operations.
What remains open: The statement does not elaborate on the duration of the operations or the specific criteria for the farm regularization. The effectiveness of the measures in preventing future attacks will depend on their execution.
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