Itongadol.- Concerned by the high number of attempts by Palestinian terrorists to kidnap IDF soldiers, the military\’s Judea and Samaria Division is taking a series of steps to ensure that soldiers are aware of the dangers, a senior army source told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
The source stressed that the murder of 20-year-old soldier St.-Sgt. Tomer Hazan, who was lured to a West Bank village by Nidal Amar, a Palestinian colleague who worked with him at a Bat Yam restaurant, "has set off alarm bells" in the Command and raised concerns that soldiers – and Israeli civilians – may not be aware of the real risks associated with entering Area A of the Palestinian Authority.
"Israelis enter Area A by the dozens every day. It\’s a violation of the law, and endangers the people entering. The excuses we hear are the same – they went to fix their cars, to shop, or they got lost – despite the big signs warning of the risks of entering," the source said.
"We take a grave view of this. People are risking their lives," he added. Referring to the threat of kidnappings for ransoming the release of Palestinian security prisoners, and the precedent set by the kidnapping and release of Gilad Schalit, the source said, "At the end of the day, small incidents can turn into bigger strategic ones."
Most Israelis who enter Area A return without authorities knowing about it, while a handful are caught by Palestinian Authority police and returned to Israel.
"We have thwarted more than 30 attempts to kidnap soldiers this year," the army source said. "The feeling in the division is that the threat is high enough to continue being a serious concern. The division is coming up with creative ways to raise awareness among soldiers and civilians to ensure they do not enter Area A."
He added, "Even if some have forgotten the Schalit kidnapping, I can assure you that brigade commanders and other senior officers have not."
In the event of a future kidnapping, detailed response plans are in place for immediate responses. They are based on a two-pronged operational and intelligence response to a kidnapping.
Despite the threats, Israel\’s intelligence grip of the West Bank sector remains solid, the source said, pointing out the fact that it took security forces less than 24 hours to reach Nidal Amar at his home in Beit Amin near Kalkilya.
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