Questions Arise Over Delayed Actions After Deadly Hebron Attack

Following a fatal attack near the Judea Junction in Hebron that claimed the lives of two IDF soldiers, serious questions are being raised about potential failures that preceded the incident. The article points to un-demolished structures and delayed responses as key issues, questioning why actions were taken only after the tragedy rather than proactively.

During the attack, soldiers from the Ari Battalion were positioned near Hebron. A squad of 12 soldiers, led by Sergeant Major Ron Yonatan Reitman, was stationed at a pillbox near the Judea Junction. Seven soldiers were deployed to a checkpoint outside the pillbox to scan the area and prevent terrorists from exiting Hebron towards Route 35 or ambushing vehicles. Despite being surprised by initial gunfire, the soldiers engaged the terrorists in a 20-minute firefight until they were neutralized.

While the checkpoint's location was strategically sound for preventing vehicle movement, it was operationally vulnerable. The presence of 18 illegal structures in the vicinity provided cover for the terrorists, allowing them to approach the soldiers and use the buildings as shields during the exchange of fire. The article criticizes the response of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, suggesting their statements about prior warnings are insufficient. The author argues that leadership should not merely issue warnings but must take decisive action, such as imposing a lockdown on Judea and Samaria or curfews in problematic areas.

Netanyahu stated that the soldiers bravely stopped the terrorists and that a broad IDF operation in Judea and Samaria, the largest since the Six-Day War, is planned and will be timed appropriately. However, the article questions why, given intelligence about Hamas activity in Hebron, the Al-Ja'aba clan's history of terror, and plans for attacks around the elections, the IDF's Central Command and the Yehuda Brigade did not act preemptively against the clan's stronghold. The piece concludes by posing further questions about other vulnerable IDF positions, potential stockpiles of weapons in terrorist strongholds, and the necessity of large-scale IDF operations in areas like Hebron to prevent future attacks.