Israel Braces for Possible Iranian Proxy Attack From West Bank

Latest Developments​

Along with attacks on other fronts, Iran may use Palestinian proxies in the West Bank to carry out its threatened retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders abroad, an Israeli broadcaster reported on August 5.

According to the Army Radio report, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) scrambled several infantry companies over the weekend to protect civilian communities in the Sharon region, along the West Bank boundary, based on intelligence reports that they could come under imminent attack by Hamas terrorists under Iranian instruction.

The IDF did not immediately comment on the report. Over the weekend, Israeli drone strikes eliminated nine terrorists in the area of Tulkarm, a West Bank city within driving distance of the Sharon, saying some of them were en route to carry out an attack.

Expert Analysis​

“While public attention in Israel and the West rightly is focused on ‘big picture’ threats from state actors like Iran, Hezbollah’s Lebanon, and the Houthis’ Yemen, the Iranians are also seeking a strategic surprise in the form of an October 7-style outrage carried out by Palestinians in or around the West Bank. If successful, it would serve the terrorist axis’ interests by shifting the energies of Palestinian terrorism from the Gaza Strip, where it is waning under Israel’s offensive, to the West Bank.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“Israeli officials have avoided explicitly naming the conduit for Iranian munitions-smuggling to the West Bank: Jordan. The Hashemite Kingdom has seen Tehran try to destabilize it directly, and indirectly through friction with Israel, for many months. Did the Jordanian foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, mention any of this during his landmark visit to Iran this week? Or did he prefer to stay in the comfort zone of condemning Israel, the neighbor that has reliably shored up the kingdom’s security for more than five decades?” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

No Change in IDF Home Front Policy

On August 4, in an apparent allusion to the threats emanating from the West Bank, IDF chief spokesperson RADM Daniel Hagari said in a press briefing: “The IDF and ISA have already thwarted numerous attacks in which Claymore-type explosives were smuggled into the country’s territory. We are determined to continue acting against Iranian terrorism where it may be.”

Noting an uptick in visits by concerned Israeli citizens to the IDF’s Home Front Command in recent days, Hagari emphasized: “We are working to provide you with the necessary warnings to prepare for any threat, and unless stated otherwise, there is no change to the Home Front Command’s defensive policy.” He also announced the introduction of a new service for transmitting security alerts to cellphones, called “Personal Message,” that does not require an app, and which appears immediately on the user’s home screen. 

Related Analysis

“Palestinian Terrorist Murders Two Israeli Civilians Near Tel Aviv,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Commander Eliminated in Israeli Strike Near Tulkarem,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Confirms Hamas Commander Muhammed Deif Killed,” FDD Flash Brief