'Every plane at risk': Jewish leaders warn of Oct. 7-like scenario in West Bank

Head of councils in the West Bank sent a letter demanding a shift in the strategic approach regarding the West Bank.

By EFRAT FORSHER DECEMBER 16, 2024 09:19

A man walks with a weapon, amid clashes between Palestinian security forces and terrorists, in Jenin camp in the West Bank, December 15, 2024. (photo credit: REUTERS/RANEEN SAWAFTA)

Leaders of Jewish communities in the West Bank have cautioned of an October 7-like scenario there amid information regarding Iran's attempts to establish a foothold there and the recent conflict that has arisen between Palestinian Authority forces and Hamas terrorists.

In November, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the IDF intercepted a large shipment of weapons smuggled from Iran into the West Bank.

Among these were rockets, RPG launchers, powerful remote-controlled explosives, mortar launchers, bombs, rifles, and ammunition.

"The shipment was intercepted, but how many shipments weren't?" asked Yisrael Gantz, Chairman of the Yesha Council and Head of the Binyamin Regional Council.  

"Even a single missile that may have been successfully smuggled into the country, which we are unaware of and is hidden in someone's home, is enough to put every plane landing at Ben Gurion Airport at risk," he says," he further stated. 

Yisrael Gantz (credit: AVSHALOM SHOSHANI)

He noted he had warned about a similar scenario, "Three weeks before October 7."

"The area must be cleared to protect the lives of Israeli citizens. We need to achieve 100 percent certainty—not 90 percent, not 95 percent. We cannot afford to make the same mistake again as we did on October 7," Gantz further asserted. 

Demanding a strategic shift 

On Sunday, heads of councils in the West Bank sent a letter to the ministers of the Security Cabinet, warning of an October 7-like scenario and demanding a shift in the strategic approach regarding the West Bank. 

"Unfortunately, Iran's entrenchment in Judea and Samaria has tangible consequences, evident in various attacks with severe outcomes and numerous foiled attempts," the letter read. "The security situation in Judea and Samaria is not a matter of fate but the result of policies initiated under the Oslo Accords—it is within your power to change this, and it is your duty to do so." 

The letter called for the dismantling of terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank by relocating populations residing in areas associated with terrorist activity.

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They also requested a change in traffic policies on the roads by reinstating military checkpoints, making it more difficult for terrorists and weapons to move across the area.

"It doesn't make sense to leave the issue of our security in the hands of the Palestinian Authority," it noted.

"On one hand, it supposedly fights terrorism, but on the other, it funds terrorism and pays money to terrorists. To eliminate terrorism, we need to fight it ourselves—not rely on the Palestinian police, which isn't truly a police force but rather a fully armed army, trained in Afghanistan for territorial conquest."