It may have taken a week but the writing was on the wall.
With the release of US President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century,” there was no way around the violence that broke out in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
The IDF has been on heightened alert in the West Bank since the plan’s release on January 28, deploying additional troops to the area – six battalions as well as attached combat battalions to every regional brigade able to respond to attacks and violent riots.
The move proved necessary as there have been daily clashes between IDF troops and Palestinians since, including deadly riots.
Three Palestinians have been killed in less than 24 hours by Israeli fire: Mohammed al-Haddad, 17, was killed in Hebron, and Yazan Abu Tabikh, 19, and Sgt. Tarek Badwan – a PA police officer who was shot while in uniform posing no risk to troops – in Jenin.
Another man from the North was shot dead after he opened fire toward Border Police officers outside the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
On Thursday morning, after a vehicular ramming attack in central Jerusalem wounded 12 Golani troops, including one critically, IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Hidai Zilberman said, “We are experiencing a relatively violent week.”
The driver fled the scene but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was “only a matter of time” before the perpetrator of the attack was caught.
“Terrorism will not overwhelm us. We will win,” he said.
The driver was later caught in a joint IDF, Shin Bet and Israel police operation.
Meanwhile, Hamas applauded the attack, saying “the spreading resistance and clashes by our people in the West Bank and their resistance in the heart of occupied Jerusalem is an active response against the destructive Trump deal.”
Later on Thursday, another soldier was lightly wounded in a drive-by shooting near the settlement of Dolev. Miraculously, the bullet grazed the back of his helmet.
That puts the total number of deaths at four with hundreds more, both Palestinians and Israelis, injured.
What was Trump thinking? That his deal would see Palestinians in the street throwing flowers and candy at IDF troops rather than Molotov cocktails and bullets?
While the Palestinian street does not want another intifada, Palestinians will not passively stay home, either. Especially young people.
The violence against the IDF is not large and organized by groups like Hamas or other terror organizations, rather small groups of Palestinian youths. The shooting attacks like the ones in Jerusalem and outside Dolev were likely perpetrated by lone wolves.
Lone wolf attacks, the IDF has admitted, are much more challenging to thwart than attacks planned by groups. If you don’t have an organization, you don’t have the signature of preparedness. Despite the challenges, the great majority of attacks are nonetheless thwarted by security forces.
But, the number of attacks in such a short period indicates the flames of violence are growing in the West Bank. And as long as Palestinians have no hope and have nothing to lose, it is easy for terrorist groups to radicalize them to carry out more violence.
The volcano that has been rumbling for months is coming closer and closer to erupting.
;
