Against the background of threats from Hamas organizations and Islamic Jihad, there is a growing fear in the security establishment of terrorism and the phenomenon of lone terrorists. It is estimated that Hamas is trying to ride the latest wave of attacks to try and expand it to a new "knife intifada" as it was in 2015.
Israel is preparing for the possibility of a new wave of individual terrorism that could mimic the "knife intifada" that erupted in September 2015, the preparation is through reinforcing police forces in Jerusalem and increasing vigilance in IDF units in the West Bank, after assessing the situation in the IDF. In the territories of Judea and Samaria, except at the crossings following the car bomb attack at the Fig Crossing in Samaria yesterday.
Against this background, the announcement by Hamas and Islamic Jihad last night that they are considering resuming escalation on the Gaza border in light of the impasse in implementing the lull and restructuring of the Gaza Strip while criticizing Egypt, which serves as Hamas' main mediator, should be seen.
The main task of the security forces these days is to stop the phenomenon of lone terrorists while hostile and not allow it to spread.
Fear of the phenomenon of imitation
The IDF fears the imitation phenomenon of individual terrorists, especially the imitation of the knife and trampling phenomenon.
Hamas even tried to incite and drag Israeli Arabs to terrorist attacks in the cities involved in the wake of the flag march in the cities of Lod-Ramla, which eventually passed successfully following proper police assessments.
In November, there were 3 terrorist attacks: a stabbing attack in the Old City of Jerusalem in which 2 border guards were wounded, a shooting attack by Hamas terrorist Fadi Abu Shahidam in which an Israeli citizen was killed, a stabbing attack in the city of Jaffa in which a civilian was moderately injured.
At the beginning of the month, there were already two terrorist attacks, a stabbing attack near the Nablus Gate in Jerusalem in which an Israeli citizen was seriously injured and another trampling attack at the Tanim crossing in Samaria in which an Israeli security guard was seriously injured.
Hamas is trying to carry out terrorist attacks inside Israel and the West Bank again after suffering a severe blow when Israel arrested earlier this month scores of Hamas terrorists.
The targeting of this terrorist activity in Jerusalem and the West Bank is from the Gaza Strip, Turkey and Lebanon through Hamas '"West Bank headquarters" with the planning mind being Saleh Al-Aruri, the head of Hamas' military wing in the West Bank.
Hamas is trying to carry out a showcase attack that will serve as a role model and fuel for the arson that has already begun in East Jerusalem.
The assessments in Hamas are that Israel is having a hard time dealing with the phenomenon of lone terrorists, the attacks of lone terrorists come spontaneously in the eruption of waves so one should try and ride every wave as soon as one recognizes its beginning so that it does not fade. The main "enemy" of the phenomenon of individual threats from the point of view of Palestinian terrorist organizations is the security coordination between the Israeli security forces and the security mechanisms of the PA.
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas understands that this is a double-edged sword that could harm his government, in recent days he has changed direction and ordered his security forces to stop the knife phenomenon and stop the incitement.
The phenomenon of individual threats is mainly the domain of the younger Palestinian generation, which continues to be fed by incitement on Palestinian social media and media.
Many of the young people who are harmed are frustrated, they come from families in a difficult economic situation and are looking to become "heroes" in Palestinian society that cultivates the "martyrs" myth.