Netanyahu Holds Urgent Security Meeting After Deadly West Bank Attack

Following a deadly shooting and lynching attack near Givat Gilad in the West Bank on Friday morning, which left one Israeli civilian dead and three others wounded, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an urgent security consultation. Netanyahu plans to convene Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the IDF Chief of Staff shortly to discuss necessary response measures. The Prime Minister emphasized a strong stance against terrorists and their supporters, stating, "We will act forcefully against the terrorists and their senders and will not allow terror in Judea and Samaria to raise its head."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, en route to the security meeting, demanded a policy shift, equating the punishment of terrorist towns and villages in the West Bank to that of Beit Hanoun in Gaza. He called for IDF actions to demolish terrorists' homes using bulldozers and to impose heavy costs on terrorists, asserting, "For every Jew murdered, the enemy must suffer loss of land and homes. This is the language spoken in the Middle East, and as we spoke it in Gaza, it is time to speak it in Judea and Samaria as well."

In contrast, Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, criticized the government's handling of security, describing the attack on Jewish hikers as a failure of control. He condemned any hesitation in confronting terror, stating, "Terror understands only strength, determination, and an iron hand." Lieberman extended condolences to the victim's family and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

The attack has intensified security tensions in the West Bank and sparked sharp political reactions, with the government preparing to consider robust retaliatory measures.