On Sunday morning, Police Commissioner Yaakov (Kobi) Shabtai briefed forces joining the search for the two terrorists who carried out the deadly axe and knife attack in Elad on Thursday night.
Shabtai told police and Border Police officers: "This incident is a difficult one. We will not rest until we lay our hands on these terrorists.
"Our starting point is that the terrorists are on the ground," Shabtai continued. "They are like wounded animals, they have been without food and water for a long time and they are liable to strike out and attempt a fresh terror attack, or to try to stay alive and take advantage of one of our weak points."
The commissioner added, "They can hear the helicopters, they see everything and they are on the defensive. That's why everyone should have his eyes peeled." Shabtai thanked the police forces for their efforts over the past month: "We have people here who have barely slept during this time. In the end, we get results. We are using all our tools and capabilities together with the army and the Shabak to locate these terrorists."
More than two days have passed since the attack in which Oren Ben Yiftach, Boaz Gol and Yonatan Havakuk were murdered. Defense Minister Benny Gantz, during a visit on Saturday night to the command post of the Israel Police, the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), said, "We will capture the terrorists and reach all those involved in this incident. We are in the midst of tense days in the face of brutal terrorism. The IDF, the Shin Bet and the police are cooperating in all cases and we are examining and considering our steps."
Gantz implicitly referred to the possibility that Israel would eliminate the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and said, "We will make our decisions and do so in the right forums, and only in them."
Meanwhile, following a situational assessment, it was decided on Saturday night to extend the closure on Judea and Samaria, as well as on the Gaza border crossings, until Monday.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said that exceptions will be made only for humanitarian, medical and other unusual cases, and in accordance with approval from COGAT.