Israel must fight the latest wave of terrorism by extending its military operation and sending ground troops into the Palestinian Arab villages in Judea and Samaria, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said Sunday.
“It will not be enough only to surround the villages, but we think that in the end will also need to enter a number of areas and villages and clean them out from weapons,” Shaked told Army Radio. “While the latest attack was carried out with a knife, they also have numerous weapons and we must start talking about and planning a wide-scale operation in the same space.”
“In additions to demolishing terrorists’ homes, we need to operate large forces in the Hevron area. The residents of Hevron and Gush Etzion feel like they are under a war,” she added.
Shaked’s comments came as Israel experienced yet another day of terrorism, with three more attacks in Judea and Samaria.
The first attack took place in Samaria, and tragedy was averted when an alert civilian ran over the female terrorist, preventing her from stabbing her intended victims. Security forces at the scene then shot her dead.
The second attack followed by just minutes, and took place at Kfar Adumim junction, northeast of Jerusalem.
In that attack, an Arab taxi driver attempted to run over several Israeli civilians, and upon failing to do so exited his vehicle and attempted to stab them. In that incident as well the terrorist was stopped by a civilian, who shot him dead with his personal firearm.
Finally, a terrorist stabbed 21-year-old Hadar Buchris at the Gush Etzion junction. Buchris was gravely wounded and was taken to hospital, where she later succumbed to her wounds.
Buchris became the 21st person to be murdered in the latest terror wave, which began when Naama and Eitam Henkin were murdered in Samaria on October 1.
The total number of casualties evacuated to hospitals by Magen David Adom during this period is 213.