Tzeela was killed near Bruchin in Samaria—a mere half-hour drive from Tel Aviv.

Also referred to as the northern West Bank, Samaria (or Shomron in Hebrew) is the northern region of Judea and Samaria.

Ok, and how bad is terrorism in the area? According to a February report by Rescuers Without Borders, 2024 saw over 6,300 acts of Palestinian terror against Jews in Judea and Samaria.

The attacks included:
- 3,668 instances of rock-throwing. (To some, rock-throwing may not sound like “terrorism,” but when the rock is the size of four adults’ fists combined, and is thrown from above at a car traveling at 50 miles an hour—the results can be deadly.)
- 843 Molotov cocktail attacks
- 671 attempts to use laser pointers to blind drivers
- 526 explosive devices
- 364 instances of arson
- 179 shootings

So severe is the terror in Judea and Samaria, that in August 2024 the IDF launched “Operation Summer Camps,” and then “Operation Iron Wall” in January—both of which have targeted Palestinian terror hubs in Judea and Samaria. The operations, in fact, are the IDF’s most intense counter-terror efforts in the area since the wave of Palestinian terror attacks during the second intifada (2000-2005).

Perhaps unsurprisingly, this hasn’t received too much attention in the West, largely due to the war in Gaza. Of course, it has occasionally appeared in the news, such a New York Times article last week, which, in classic NYT fashion, likely left many readers with the impression that Israel’s military is expelling Palestinians for fun.

Well, have the operations worked? While far from perfect, the results are promising. In 2024, according to Rescuers Without Borders, Palestinians murdered 27 Israelis in Judea and Samaria. This year, there have been four deaths so far—Tzeela included. And while the statistical decrease is understandably unlikely to be of much comfort to her family and friends—it is a meaningful drop nonetheless.

Here’s to hoping that next year, that number goes down to zero.

PHOTOS: Use according to Section 27 A