“We assume that if Israel resumes negotiations with the Palestinians, there will be more attempted shooting attacks. When [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu was in Washington there were two shootings. Fortunately all the terror cells were caught,” Colonel Guy Hazot said Tuesday, following the capture of a terrorist cell.
IDF commanders have previously warned that Hamas and other terrorist groups will double their efforts to attacks Israelis if the diplomatic process moves forward. While the Fatah-led PA agreed for a brief period of time to negotiate with Israel, many groups rejected negotiations, among them Hamas, Islamic Jihad, breakaway Fatah groups, and the PFLP.
The cell that was nabbed most recently was part of the Abu-Moussa brigade, a group that split from Fatah and is now affiliated with Hamas. Its members were responsible for shooting and wounding a man and his pregnant wife as they drove to Be'er Sheva fr m their community southwest of Hevron.
The cell had also planned to kidnap Israelis, Hazot revealed, adding that most terrorist cells hope to kidnap an Israeli. “They understand very well that a kidnapping has an impact that goes well beyond the tactical significance.”
Israelis who break the law by entering villages in “Area A,” which are under full PA control, are particularly at risk, he said. The captured cell had planned to target Israelis who bring their cars to the town of Dahariya, near Hevron, for repairs.