Security forces report 80% drop in Ramadan terror attacks, after West Bank crackdown
IDF and Shin Bet credit Operation Iron Wall for decline in Palestinian terrorism; only 3 attacks reported this year compared to last year’s 27
Stav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
There was a significant decrease in terror attacks in the West Bank this Ramadan compared to last year, according to a joint statement released by IDF and Shin Bet on Wednesday.
Ramadan 2024 saw 27 major attacks originating from the West Bank, while this year, only three occurred, marking an 80 percent drop, the statement said.
The IDF and Shin Bet attributed this downturn to intensified security efforts and counterterrorism operations, particularly in the northern West Bank. The offensive, dubbed Operation Iron Wall, was launched on January 21.
The security forces said they arrested 401 wanted suspects, eliminated 13 terrorists, and seized 105 weapons during Ramadan this year.
Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is observed by Muslims worldwide as a period of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community, commemorating the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.
This year, Ramadan lasted from February 27 to March 29. The month’s end is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, marking the beginning of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which was celebrated this week.
This Ramadan marked the second one since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, which triggered a multifront war.
In recent years, Ramadan has often served as a flashpoint for existing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, sometimes leading to violent escalations, most notably in 2021 during a previous Israel-Hamas round of fighting known as Operation Guardian of the Walls.
That military campaign against Hamas in Gaza erupted during the heightened tensions of Ramadan, following clashes in Jerusalem and rocket fire on Israeli cities.
The collapse of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last month, in the middle of Ramadan, sparked fears of a similar escalation. However, these fears did not come to fruition.
Along with increased security measures in the West Bank, law enforcement bodies were also on high alert in Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month. The Old City was under heavy police presence as some 90,000 worshipers reportedly attended prayer services at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount.
Despite the decrease in terror activity, tensions in the West Bank remain high.
Settler violence against Palestinians has been on the rise. On Tuesday, a group of some 50 Israelis attacked homes in the northern West Bank village of Duma, with three Palestinians reportedly injured as the settlers torched property and assaulted residents.
Additionally, it was reported in February that tens of thousands of Palestinians had fled Israeli military operations across the northern West Bank — allegedly the largest displacement in the territory since the Six Day War in 1967.
The IDF and Shin Bet emphasized that counterterrorism efforts will persist to prevent further threats.
The Times of Israel Community.