Powder keg: Soldiers on edge - IDF struggles to defend settlement-packed West Bank

The IDF is struggling to defend hundreds of settlement points in Judea and Samaria amid rising security tensions, a severe attack on the eve of Yom Kippur, and intense nationalist crime activity. 23 battalions are deployed in the sector, but forces are insufficient. Senior military officials warn of a widespread eruption.

The IDF is struggling to defend Judea and Samaria amid rising security tensions, a severe attack on the eve of Yom Kippur, and intense nationalist crime activity. 23 battalions are deployed in the sector - 13 regular and 10 reserve - but forces are insufficient. In the West Bank, there are approximately 130 farms, about 100 outposts, and around 180 settlements, in an area that has grown dramatically in recent months due to the expansion of the settlement enterprise promoted by Smotrich. Senior military officials repeatedly warn that the West Bank is on the verge of eruption, and it will not be long before the Palestinian public can no longer tolerate the violence it experiences from extremists. The tense holiday period, the upcoming elections in Israel and the US, and the start of the olive harvest season add to the tension. The article quotes military sources and notes that the army lacks sufficient funds for reserves and is required to operate in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria as well.