Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the signing of an amendment to the security order aimed at combating the phenomenon of waste fires in Judea and Samaria.
The newly-signed order will be enforced immediately and will include drastic measures, alongside broad applicability to means used for waste transportation, arson, and illegal waste dumping.
The amended order allows for the enforcement of measures such as the seizure and confiscation of vehicles and equipment used in these offenses, with the goal of deterring offenders and preventing air pollution and health damages caused by the fires.
Sources close to Minister Katz noted that "the initiative is intended to protect the national security of the State of Israel and prevent the health damage caused by these fires to the citizens of the State."
Last month, the Knesset Interior Affairs Committee convened to discuss the burning of waste in the Arab territories in Judea and Samaria, with MKs presenting the implications of the phenomenon on the health of the residents and the environment.
MK Tzvi Succot (Religious Zionists) warned of the severity of the situation, saying: "During the Meron disaster, 45 people were killed; here, thousands of people are being killed. People here are dying from the fires, there are stillbirths, and people are lying in the hospital. It is shameful. As a member of the coalition, I'm embarrassed to say this, unfortunately, the IDF is not involved.
He added, "This is terrorism that injures and kills thousands of people. We may have to form a commission of inquiry. We have to send the Air Force and tell them to shoot anyone who starts a fire."
Committee Chairman MK Yitzhak Kroizer and Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman second the aggressive classification of the issue, and said: "It is true that it's terrorism. Anyone who starts a fire must be shot. Terrorism must be treated as terrorism."
Other MKs referred to the wave of arson as a "security threat" and called for decisive action by the security forces, including the use of the Air Force and stopping the perpetrators in real-time.