Authorities in Israel have bolstered security nationwide following three terror attacks since March 22, resulting in 11 deaths and over a dozen injuries. The number of fatalities and injuries has marked March as one of the deadliest months in Israel’s recent history. Not since the November 2014 Jerusalem synagogue attack has the country experienced such devastating acts of terror.
The Israeli government has taken several steps to mitigate the risks of further possible attacks and to alleviate tensions between the Jewish and Arab communities of Israel. While the possibility of further attacks cannot be ruled out, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has pledged that Israel will face this “wave of Arab terror” with “persistence, diligence, and an iron fist.”
Spate of Terror Attacks
On March 29, in the central town of Bnei Brak, a predominately ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Tel Aviv, a Palestinian from the West Bank town of Yabed shot and killed five people. The assailant began opening fire with an assault rifle, killing two Israeli civilians, two Ukrainian citizens, and one Israeli-Arab police officer in at least two different locations in Bnei Brak. The assailant—according to Israeli authorities—had spent six months in jail for links to a militant group and was in Israel illegally.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, authorities suspect the assailant of having ties to Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, a coalition of armed groups in the West Bank. The militant group has also praised the attack, as has the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip. However, Mahmoud Abbas—the President of Palestinian Authority—issued a rare condemnation of the attack, stating that the killing of Israeli and Palestinian civilians only prompts the situation to deteriorate.
The attack March 29 in Bnei Brak transpired two days after two gunmen opened fire in the northern city of Hadera March 27, killing four people and wounding at least 10 others. The assailants were Arab-Israeli citizens who hailed from the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm in Israel. Authorities previously jailed one of the attackers for attempting to join the Islamic State (IS) militant group. IS claimed responsibility for the March 27 attack via its Amaq news agency.
March 22, five days earlier, an assailant killed four people in Be’er Sheva in a stabbing and vehicle-ramming attack at a fuel station and outdoor shopping center. The perpetrator—an Arab Bedouin citizen of Israel—in Be’er Sheva had been imprisoned previously for confessing his intention to join IS.
Religious Observances Convergence Likely to Escalate Tensions
These attacks have materialized days before the month of Ramadan, which will occur April 1-May 1. Remarkably, Ramadan this year coincides with the Jewish festival of Passover – occurring April 15-23 – and Easter, which will be observed April 17. The convergence of Jews, Muslims, and Christians at shared religious sites in Jerusalem will almost certainly escalate tensions and could prompt communal violence. Ramadan-linked tensions triggered the 11-day conflict in May 2021 between the Gaza-based militants and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
While the terror attacks have occurred within a span of a week, they do not belong to a larger, coordinated plot. Instead, the attacks March 27 and 29 appear to have been inspired by the one occurring March 22. Israeli security officials call such a situation an “attack begets attack” phenomenon. It is repeated acts of terror that could quickly devolve into a sustained cycle of violence.
Interestingly, these attacks are occurring in cities and places that lie beyond the regular hotspots of terror attacks, such as the West Bank and Jerusalem. The main aim of such acts of violence is to bring about fear and panic across Israeli society.
Enhanced Security Measures & Likely Disruptions
Authorities have already taken a series of significant steps to end this new wave of terror in Israel. The IDF has deployed thousands of soldiers to the West Bank and increased security along the Israel-Gaza Strip border. Additionally, security forces have expanded their street presence across the country.
Meanwhile, the Shin Bet—Israel’s internal security agency—has begun scanning social media platforms to track and stop further planned attacks. The IDF will also begin raiding and searching residences with possible ties to suspected militants in an effort to disrupt other plots and attacks inside Israel. Authorities will also likely establish security checkpoints. These measures will almost certainly result in transport and business disruptions.
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