28-Jan-18: In Itamar tonight, two uniformed infiltrators are thwarted

One of tonight's two suspected
infiltrators, healthy and well and
being interrogated [Image Source]

The armed security, cameras and boom gates that are a regular feature of almost every Israeli community in Judea and Samaria are there for pragmatic and fully-justified reasons. Those are on public display this evening as news emerges around 7 Sunday evening of a thwarted terrorist infiltration in Samaria.

According to JPost.com, a Palestinian Arab was arrested this evening outside Itamar

and searches are being carried out for another suspect on suspicion that the two tried to enter the village wearing IDF-style uniforms, according to the Itamar Security Team.

From Times of Israel:

Army foils attempt by 2 Palestinians in IDF uniforms to infiltrate settlementArmy says one of the suspects captured but was apparently not armed, while troops search for the other around Itamar in the northern West Bank
January 28, 2018 | 8:13 pm
A pair of Palestinians dressed in IDF uniforms tried to infiltrate a Jewish settlement in the northern West Bank on Sunday, the army said. One of the suspects, who was detained by IDF troops near Itamar, had a pair of binoculars, but no weapons. Troops were interrogating the suspect who was caught in order to determine whether the pair had been attempting to carry out a terror attack or had criminal motive, Hadashot TV news reported. Soldiers were scouring the area between the settlement and the Palestinian village of Beit Furik for the second suspect, the army said.

Infiltrators dressed in IDF uniforms are a frightening thought. But as the photo above indicates, and with due respect to the news sources that claimed otherwise, it's not at all clear to us that these two Arabs in khaki were wearing IDF uniforms. Whether they had terror on their minds is also still a question though it's obvious their presence inside Itamar was not intended to benefit the local residents. (We're certainly not casting doubt on the need for tonight's intruders to be stopped and apprehended, whatever their agenda.)

Israel National News says the infiltration attempt was done via Itamar's back entrance - and local authorities in the area have instructed residents to stay in their homes for now until the second suspected terrorist is found and taken into custody.

Itamar, an Israeli community located about 5 kilometers south-east of Nablus/Shechem that was first settled in 1984, has a population of about 1,200. Nearly seven years ago, we wrote ["19-Apr-11: What happened that awful Sabbath night in Itamar?"] of the hideous massacre by Palestinian Arab terrorists of five members of the Fogel family, residents of the community. Wikipedia notes that

Itamar and its residents have been targeted several times by Palestinians terrorists in the past, three such incidents taking place between May and July 2002, a fourth in August 2004 and another [the Fogel atrocity] in 2011, which have caused more than a dozen deaths...

UPDATE Monday January 29, 2018 at 10:00 am: The search for the second thwarted intruder continues this morning but there have been some developments. Times of Israel reports:

Soldiers combing the area where two Palestinians apparently tried to sneak into a West Bank settlement found six Molotov cocktails, the army said Monday. The incendiaries were discovered near the settlement of Itamar... near the area where the two Palestinians were spotted, the army said. It said searches were ongoing. The army said Sunday night it was investigating if the Palestinians had planned to attack Israelis. The suspect who was caught had a pair of binoculars, but no weapons, the IDF said.

A Palestinian Arab news source, WAFA, says

"Clashes erupted on Sunday night in Beit Furik, to the east of Nablus, following an Israeli army raid of the village, according to Palestinian security sources... Soldiers raided the village after allegedly arresting a Palestinian believed to be from Beit Furik near the illegal settlement of Itamar. The army claimed the Palestinian was wearing army uniform. Another one got away, said the army."