'Politicians encourage hundreds of lawless teens': security establishment criticizes events in Kutsra
The IDF Central Command is pushing back against criticism over violence and the evacuation of illegal outposts in Kutsra in the northern West Bank, claiming it has brought Palestinian terrorism to its knees. However, the command acknowledges the situation is tense and that forces are being reinforced in the area. According to command data, there has been a sharp decline in attacks and fatalities from 2023 to 2026, but the phenomenon of lawless teens, estimated at about 500, is growing with encouragement from politicians.
The IDF Central Command today (Sunday) pushed back against criticism that has developed around the violence and evacuation of illegal outposts in Kutsra in the northern West Bank, stating: "The IDF has brought Palestinian terrorism in Judea and Samaria to its knees." However, the command clarifies that the situation is very tense, hence the reinforcement of forces around Kutsra, both to deal with violence and "public order," and to prevent the spread of violence toward Palestinian civilians to other areas. Despite political criticism of the IDF, the government obligates the military to preserve the Palestinian Authority as a governing address and to operate in security coordination with PA mechanisms. Contrary to claims by politicians, this is not a choice of Central Command chief Avi Bluth, but a political-state choice of the government and the political echelon. For example, the Oslo Accords have not been canceled by the current government. The IDF's method includes conflict management that deals with many new movements in the field calling for the establishment of illegal outposts, and the phenomenon, according to the Central Command, is growing week by week with encouragement from politicians. This process connects to about 500 "disruptive youths" according to IDF estimates who carry out the activity in the field and receive political, local, and legal backing to be released as quickly as possible if arrested. Therefore, the Central Command claims that records are being broken, and there were illegal outposts evacuated almost 30 times. According to Central Command data: in 2023, 847 attacks were recorded; in 2024, 260 attacks; in 2025, 57 attacks; and in 2026, so far, 20 attacks. In 2023, 41 Israelis were killed by Palestinian terrorism; in 2024, 35; in 2025, 20; and in 2026, so far, three were killed by Palestinian terrorism and one more attack by an Arab-Israeli terrorist. The Central Command also claims that unlike recent years, IDF forces in the Judea and Samaria Division have dismantled the phenomenon of 'katibas' (organized terrorist forces in companies, battalions, and brigades), and as a result of IDF operations, they were killed, wounded, arrested, or fled from refugee camps to villages in the area. Another achievement they seek to highlight relates to armed marches, which they claim no longer exist at all throughout the West Bank. Also, there has been no planting of IEDs on routes or throwing of explosives at forces for a long time. The Central Command clarifies that in light of the political decision to approve 104 new settlements in Judea and Samaria, and 150 individual farms, the IDF's responsibility has grown, and the number of battalions increased from 20 to 22. They also claim that an offensive approach has been maintained, combined with Shin Bet, Border Police, and police forces.