The Israeli police deployed thousands of soldiers inside the cities, based on the declaration of a state of high alert, and the Israeli army announced additional reinforcements to the borders of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, after an attack by a Palestinian youth on Tuesday, coinciding with the commemoration of Land Day.
Today, Wednesday, the Israeli police pushed thousands of its members into cities and gatherings in Israel, and deployed its forces in crowded places, central stations and commercial markets, after Inspector General of Police Yaakov Shabtai ordered to raise the state of alert to the highest level.
And Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz decided to support the police with 1,000 soldiers to help in "internal security efforts," and declared a state of alert in preparation for "various escalatory scenarios."
This came during a session to assess the security situation, with the participation of Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. The meeting resulted in the need to focus intelligence efforts on social networks, and the deployment of 4 additional battalions in the West Bank and at seam points, and two battalions in the border area with the Gaza Strip.
The army also decided to allocate 15 companies, some of which are from special units, to intervene in the cities located within the Green Line, according to a statement announced by Kochavi.
The statement added, "It was decided that all soldiers who have been rehabilitated in the third military qualification level will go out to their homes on holidays armed and in accordance with the instructions."
This escalation coincides with the commemoration of Land Day, which the Palestinians celebrate today, and precedes the month of Ramadan, which is expected to witness tension, as happened last year.
Yesterday evening, the Israeli army announced that additional reinforcements had been pumped into the seam area with the West Bank, after the 27-year-old Diaa Hamrasheh carried out an attack east of Tel Aviv, killing 5 Israelis and wounding 6 others, before he was martyred by Israeli police fire.
Army spokesman Avichai Adraee announced in a statement that the army, the Shin Bet and the Border Guard launched a military campaign in the village of Yabad, near Jenin, to arrest wanted men suspected of involvement in yesterday's attack, adding that an "engineering survey of the perpetrator's house was carried out in preparation for its demolition."
The attack is the third in a week, after a stabbing and trampling attack last week in the city of Beersheba (south) that killed 4 Israelis, and a shooting last Sunday in Hadera (north) that killed two.
arrests
At dawn today, Wednesday, the occupation forces launched a campaign of arrests throughout the West Bank, including about 30 Palestinians, and the arrests were concentrated in the town of Yabad.
For the second day, the Israeli police continued a campaign of arrests against Palestinians inside the Green Line, and said today that it arrested an 18-year-old young man from Rahat (south) and 8 others from Wadi Ara (north), before releasing 3 of them.
And the Israeli police announced in a statement today that they had arrested 17 Palestinian workers who did not have work permits in central Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that Israel was facing a "new wave of terrorism", and called for a meeting of the security cabinet. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid also stressed that the security forces were on the highest level of alert since the aggression on Gaza last May.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned yesterday's attack, for which no group has claimed responsibility.