Emerging capital of terrorism?

The Tulkarm district has not traditionally been one of the most challenging and hostile districts in Judea and Samaria. From among the territories administered by the Palestinian Authority, it is areas such as Jenin and Nablus that have, over the years, been seen as a hotbed of nationalist extremism that continually breeds terrorist groups and orchestrates attacks. For years, the security services have actively responded to intelligence alerts, targeting terrorist groups and preventing attacks throughout Judea and Samaria.

Examples include Operation Defensive Shield, the lengthy Operation Breakwater, and thousands of arrests over the past decade alone. In the specific period since October 7, 2023, more than 4,000 terrorists were arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria area by the IDF, the ISA, and special police units. Of those terrorists, 314 lived in or near Tulkarm.

The city of Tulkarm and its surrounding area, including the refugee camps and Nur Shams, made headlines recently because of videos on Telegram in which armed and masked young Palestinians documented themselves shooting across the Green Line at Hefer Valley communities and threatening Israeli citizens. Throughout the months of the War of Iron Swords, operational activity in and around Tulkarm intensified to…