The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, arrived at the scene of the shooting attack near the Yehuda Junction in the Judea Regional Brigade area, where he conducted a tour and situation assessment with the Commander of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the Commander of the 98th Division, Brig. Gen. Meni Liberty, the Acting Head of the Civil Administration, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Ilan Malka, the Commander of the Judea Brigade, Col. D., the Commander of the Judea and Samaria Border Police, representatives of the General Security Service, and additional commanders.
“The outcome of the engagement with the terrorist cell is painful, but the initial debriefing indicates that as a result of the actions of the Ari Battalion’s force, a severe attack against Israeli civilians was prevented,” said the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. “We will act with force, we will pursue and reach all those involved in the attack.”
“In accordance with the situation assessment, we prepared for the possibility of escalation in Judea and Samaria, reinforced the forces, and deployed the 98th Division headquarters and many additional forces to the Judea and Samaria sector. Our forces’ operations in the area have prevented and thwarted many attacks recently. We will act with force and pursue all those involved in the attack. Anyone who tries to harm us will know that we will reach them.”
“We are at a state of high readiness and alertness across all fronts,” added the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. “Our paramount mission is to thwart terror and ensure security and stability for the citizens of Israel. We will continue to attack and initiate wherever necessary and will act with composure. We will not be dragged into situations and will not allow our enemies to influence us, especially in light of the sensitive week we are entering. We will also debrief this attack to learn and draw lessons for the future.”
“I share in the deep sorrow of the families of Sergeant Major Ron Yonatan Reitman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Suilam, z”l, who fell while defending the citizens of the State of Israel and prevented an even more severe attack, and I send wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded.”
