Israel May Have Stopped A Bigger Massacre From The West Bank

On October 7, 2023, over 1,000 Palestinian Arab terrorists invaded Israel and committed atrocities killing 1,400 people and taking as many as 240 people hostage. The attacks emanated from Gaza and killed people for many miles around the entire region as laid out in a StandWithUs video.

Israel was caught completely by surprise, as the Hamas terrorists effectively stormed the barrier separating Gaza from Israel. The government of Israel has been roundly condemned for failing to protect its citizens, in not gathering or acting upon intelligence about such a massive operation which had many months of planning.

But it is possible that the Israeli government stopped an even larger massacre from occurring from Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank.

Since the fall of 2022, West Bank Arabs have been pushing for terrorist attacks inside of Israel at levels that approached Gazans’ thirst for Jewish blood, as shown in Palestinian polls over this time.

The West Bank demand for terrorism launched new terrorist groups loosely affiliated with Hamas. Lions’ Den and Jenin Battalion became household names with wide Palestinian support. They committed several attacks inside major Israeli cities including Tel Aviv and Bnei Brak.

In response, Israel launched raids into Jenin and surrounding areas to arrest and eliminate terrorists planning attacks. These actions may have retarded the genocidal aims of the terrorist groups on October 7.

The security barrier between Israel and the West Bank is a mix of wire fence and concrete wall. It runs for many miles and separates densely populated Israeli towns like Kfar Saba, Ra’anana, Rosh Ha’ayin, Modi’in and Jerusalem, which are mere steps from the 1949 Armistice Lines. Had West Bank Arabs been able to launch an attack similar to Gazans into those Israeli towns, the carnage would have killed over 10,000 civilians.

When Israel reviews its failures in detecting the Gaza attack, it should similarly explore whether it prevented an even worse catastrophe from West Bank Arab terrorists. The findings may underscore a need for continued preemptive action to thwart terrorism and save thousands of lives.