Residents of Bat Hefer, a community bordering the partition wall between Israel and the West Bank, demanded the IDF clear a buffer zone to protect them against possible attack. their request came after their community was shaken by a series of explosions that were an attempt by Palestinian terrorists to lure IDF troops to the area.
The incident that occurred earlier this week, followed repeated shooting from across the border toward Bat Hefer and after Palestinians were seen climbing over the wall into Israel, seeking work.
Terrorists had attempted to attract soldiers to specific locations in the West Bank and then ambush them, the military said. The Emek Hefer Regional Council of Emek Hefer said an IED was placed approximately 500 meters from the border. "Security forces continue to search for the terrorists," the IDF told the council.
No casualties or damage were reported but the incident added to the residents' concerns. Hamas posted videos of their operatives shooting at Bat Hefer. In another incident, at the beginning of June, the IDF killed two armed terrorists who approached the border from Tulkarm with the intention of carrying out shooting attacks in Israeli towns in the area.
Hamas shoots at Bat Hefer
"For us, this is an escalation. There were shootings at Bat Hefer, there were infiltrators climbing the wall, and now an explosion. What have we come to? It was hundreds of meters from the wall but it indicates their audacity, showing that despite the IDF's activity, they managed to place and detonate IEDs. This event caused panic and raised our level of concern," said one of the residents.
"Their agricultural lands extend almost to the border and any Palestinian who enters the buffer zone should be shot, whether they are terrorists or civilians, he said. "For us, anyone entering the buffer zone endangers us and should be shot. That's the only way to ward off the dangers of terrorism."
Footage of security incident
The residents of Bat Hefer as well as other adjacent towns were demanding security budgets from the government. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently toured the region and received several requests for funding but have so far have received nothing.