The IDF has withdrawn the forces stationed in the city of Modi’in Ilit since the beginning of the war due to physical and verbal assaults by members of the "Jerusalem Faction" group within the city.

Galei Tzahal reports that following a situational assessment, the IDF has reduced the number of soldiers in the area, and changed operations to include only patrols outside the city’s perimeter.

The soldiers who were withdrawn from the city expressed disappointment and fears that any response to security incidents would be too late. Many residents of the city see the move as a surrender to extremism.

An IDF statement claimed there is no impediment to any operations in the city.

The Modi’in Ilit municipality commented that, “The IDF has prepared a plan for special defense of the city, and has drafted security forces for full defense of the city’s perimeter.”