Hamas aims to revive suicide bombings as IDF continues largest operation in Judea and Samaria in 20 years

IDF chief Halevi vows to improve security in Jordan Valley with more forces

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Senior Hamas official Khaled Meshal said the terror group aims to renew suicide bombing attacks against Israel, as the IDF continued a large-scale counter-terror operation in Judea and Samaria following a failed suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.

Meshal said a “limitless struggle,” including suicide attacks was the only way to deal with the current situation, according to Israel's KAN news outlet. The former leader of Hamas’ politburo also called on Arab nations to attack Israel and for the “Arab and Islamic street” to return to mass rage.

The Israeli army began its counter-terror operation after intelligence had linked the attempted suicide bomber to one of the towns in northern Samaria.

Dismantling the deeply entrenched terror networks in the towns and camps in the area, mainly those in Jenin and Tulkarem, is the operation’s primary focus.

Terrorists in northern Samaria are planting landmines in civilian areas. We are currently operating to eliminate the threats that these explosives cause to Israelis and Palestinians alike. pic.twitter.com/SLUoWc6KwK
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 28, 2024

“The targeted brigade-level operations have not brought the desired results so far,” a military source told Army Radio.

“Terrorist threats in Israel only increased, and we realized that something had to be done to change this reality. We don’t want Judea and Samaria to become an arena that prevents us from fighting in Gaza or Lebanon,” the source added.

On Wednesday, the IDF confirmed it had eliminated nine armed terrorists in airstrikes and fire exchanges so far. Israeli forces also arrested numerous suspects, confiscated weapons including rifles, ammunition and other military equipment, and located charges planted under several roads.

The IDF denied allegations by Al Jazeera that it called on residents of the Nur a-Shams camp to evacuate their homes. According to the army, it told the citizens they would be able to leave the area during the fighting if they chose to do so.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited local leaders in the Jordan Valley region on Wednesday, vowing to increase security in the area following a recent spike in terror attacks.

“We will be here as much as we can with more forces and more resources, in order to build a better security infrastructure, which will create better security for the settlements,” Halevi said.

One main concern in Judea and Samaria has been the renewed threat of explosive charges, including suicide bombs and roadside Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which was at its height during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s, but has since been largely extinguished.

כוחות צה"ל, שב"כ ומג"ב החלו הלילה במבצע לסיכול טרור בג׳נין ובטול-כרם.

במהלך הלילה כלי טיס תקפו וחיסלו מהאוויר בג׳נין שלושה מחבלים חמושים אשר היוו איום על הלוחמים בשטח>> pic.twitter.com/ghHxAm5DpP
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 28, 2024

According to Army Radio, the scope of the operation, potentially the largest in the area in nearly 20 years, was shaped by lessons learned since Oct. 7.

The IDF chose to act preemptively, focusing on the terrorists' intentions rather than waiting for a deadly attack, according to Army Radio military correspondent Doron Kadosh.

In planning the operation, the IDF applied insights gained from recent large-scale operations, such as last year’s “Home and Garden” in Jenin. This included surrounding the four central hospitals in the area to prevent terrorists from using them as hiding spots or operational bases.

Ambulances and patients were only allowed to enter the hospitals after being checked by soldiers, Army Radio reported.

Israel Defense Forces also used as many soldiers as possible to “saturate” the area, thus preventing the terrorists from escaping and forcing them to fight.

The IDF is reportedly using the equivalent of two entire infantry brigades in the operation, which include the Kfir Brigade and the Menashe Regional Brigade.

The massive operation, along with reports of nine deaths and dozens of wounded Palestinians, have already provoked condemnations by the Palestinian Authority – whose loss of control in the areas necessitated Israel’s incursion – as well as the Kingdom of Jordan and the United Nations.