Fear of another flare-up in Samaria: "The transition is too abrupt"

Following a wave of nationalist crime and violent friction in the village of Kussra in Samaria, the IDF reinforced the area with Battalion 51 of Golani, which had just completed operational deployment in Lebanon. The soldiers created friction when they evacuated Palestinian residents and took over homes for observation. A security official criticized the lack of mental training, and commanders said the transition was too abrupt. Haruv reconnaissance fighters are expected to arrive, but Battalion 51 is still in the field.

The violent events in the Palestinian village of Kussra in Samaria have again highlighted the challenge for IDF soldiers in dealing with civilian populations and nationalist crime. Following a wave of nationalist crime and violent friction between Israeli civilians and Palestinians, it was decided to reinforce the area with Battalion 51 of the Golani Brigade, which had just completed operational deployment in Lebanon. The forces rushed to seize the area and isolate it to prevent the entry of Israeli lawbreakers. In practice, the soldiers themselves created friction when they decided to evacuate Palestinian residents and take over their homes for observation and operations, an activity that caused additional media attention on the international stage. A security official said that instead of calming the area, they created a commotion, not out of malice but due to a lack of appropriate mental training. He emphasized that a battalion trained to fight terrorists in Gaza and Lebanon does not know how to deal with a civilian population, certainly not Israeli, and this is law enforcement and order, not combat. Among the soldiers, there was also sharp criticism of the senior command, and one commander noted that the transition was too abrupt and that significant preparation is required between combat and dealing with a population. In the first stage, the mission was changed and Border Police fighters were called in, and later Haruv reconnaissance fighters are expected to arrive. However, a Walla investigation shows that Battalion 51 is still in the field and has not yet been replaced. In the background, security officials warn that more violent incidents are just around the corner, and that the Judea and Samaria Division must receive more resources. It was decided that Military Intelligence will increase involvement in the area, along with targeted reinforcement of the Border Police. The district commander called for transferring civilian enforcement powers to the police and formalizing the "operational headquarters."