January 20, 2025 | Flash Brief

‘Significant operations in Judea and Samaria’: Amid Gaza Respite, Israel Sees a New Front Emerging

January 20, 2025 | Flash Brief

‘Significant operations in Judea and Samaria’: Amid Gaza Respite, Israel Sees a New Front Emerging

Latest Developments

  • Lethal Landmine: IDF Sgt. Evyatar Ben-Yehuda, a 31-year-old reservist, was killed and a company commander seriously wounded when their military vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device (IED) on January 20 while taking part in counterterrorism operations near the northern West Bank village of Tammun. Israel has been warning of stepped-up attempts by Iran to smuggle powerful factory-made munitions to the West Bank through Jordan in a year that saw three other IDF soldiers killed by similar explosive devices during operations.
  • General Alert: IDF chief Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi told troops that, along with the mission of safeguarding positions in and around the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire with Hamas, they “must be prepared for significant operations in Judea and Samaria in the coming days,” in order to capture terrorists before they reach Israeli civilians. The IDF did not elaborate, but some members of the Israeli cabinet have called for major sweeps of Palestinian towns where Iranian-backed terrorist organizations are taking root.
  • Palestinian Ex-Prisoners Unrepentant: In exchange for Hamas freeing three Israeli women held captive since the October 7, 2023 terror attacks, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners in the early hours of Jan. 20 – timing designed to prevent celebrations and friction with the IDF. Despite this, Palestinians waved Hamas and Hezbollah flags while standing on top of a bus operated by the International Committee of the Red Cross used to transport and release ex-inmates into the West Bank. In an IDF Radio interview, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for any former prisoner who takes part in such displays to be re-arrested for expressing supporting terrorism, a breach of the ceasefire terms.

FDD Expert Response

“The very success with which Israel has neutralized Iranian proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria has turned the West Bank into an increasingly significant threat. For Tehran, it represents one of the few remaining avenues to strike at the Jewish state. This danger is set to escalate as numerous freed terrorists return in the coming weeks, many eager to resume their jihad.” Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“The image of terrorists waving flags atop the prisoner bus in the West Bank mirrors the sight of rifle-wielding Hamas members atop the jeep that transported the three Israeli hostages out of Gaza. This grim symmetry serves as a chilling representation of how quickly the West Bank could descend into the same chaotic, Hamas-dominated stronghold—an outcome Israel cannot afford to allow.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

FDD Background and Analysis

‘More than 1,000 Terror Attacks in West Bank and Jerusalem Thwarted in 2024,”  FDD Flash Brief

Palestinian Terrorist Murders Israeli Boy in West Bank Shooting,” FDD Flash Brief

Israel Captures Hamas Terrorist Wanted for Murder in West Bank Operation,” FDD Flash Brief

Israel Seizes Deadly Iranian Weapons Destined for West Bank Terrorists,” FDD Flash Brief

Issues:

Issues:

Israel Israel at War

Topics:

Topics:

Iran Israel Syria Hamas Tehran Hezbollah Lebanon Palestinians Jewish people Gaza Strip Israel Defense Forces West Bank Jerusalem Mark Dubowitz Jordan International Committee of the Red Cross Bezalel Smotrich