After a week of daily protests following the reopening to Arab drivers of a road in which a couple was brutally shot by Arab terrorists, the IDF has agreed to limit Arab traffic on the Avnei Hefetz access road in Samaria.
Prior to last Thursday's decision, the road had been closed to Arab motorists for two weeks, following a shooting attack on Shaul Nir and his wife Rachel. Shaul was seriously wounded and Rachel was lightly wounded, with a ten shekel coin miraculously stopping one of the bullets and preventing greater wounds.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, together with heads of the town Avnei Hefetz, met with senior IDF commanders tasked with overseeing the region on Friday.
The local leaders asked the IDF sources to return the security to the roads and block the Avnei Hefetz access road to Palestinian Arab traffic.
In the meeting, an agreement was reached according to which the road will be closed to Arab traffic - except for Arab drivers from the two villages adjacent to the town, who will have to undergo a security check on the road.
The IDF commanders promised to raise the military presence and security in the area.
"I very much thank the military sources who came today for a meeting with the residents, and were attentive," said Dagan on Friday morning. "We are certain that the security sources are doing all they can to protect the citizens of the state of Israel."
"We expect at this stage that the political echelon will give the IDF backing, and allow us to receive security on the roads and all that is encompassed by that. We are tired of counting the wounded and the firebombs on the roads."
Shuli Langerman, chairperson of the Avnei Hefetz town council, also thanked the IDF commanders and said, "we strengthen the hands of the soldiers...and we hope that the cell that attacked members of the Nir family will be caught quickly."