ILTV accompanied the IDF on a special operation to locate and confiscate weapons in Yatta, a village in the Hebron Hills of Judea and Samaria.
ILTV JOINS IDF OP
Throughout the Gaza war, the IDF has been battling on multiple fronts—from Lebanon to Yemen, Iran, and the Gaza Strip. But what has received far less media attention are its ongoing efforts in Judea and Samaria to prevent the opening of yet another front.
Hebron is a known stronghold of radical activity. In April, The New York Times reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been working to flood Judea and Samaria with illegal weapons to destabilize Israel. This effort relies on a complex network of criminal organizations, intelligence agents, and terror groups. Weapons are often smuggled from Iran through Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, or Jordan. But as Israel has succeeded in disrupting many of these routes—particularly in Syria and Lebanon—Iran has increasingly turned to Jordan, prompting the need for operations like the one ILTV joined.
“We’re looking for any signs of prominence—maybe weapons used against Israeli citizens living in this area, maybe even inside Israel,” one soldier explained. “This is a very important job. We've been doing it for 44 days now. You can’t underestimate this. I mean, this could be something that’s a felony, that could escalate really quickly into a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv, and it’s our responsibility to stop it here.”
During the search, troops encountered a suspect who fled.
So far, the operations have been highly effective in preventing a major escalation in Judea and Samaria.
In April alone, the IDF conducted daily operations throughout the West Bank, arresting 290 individuals and confiscating numerous weapons.