The IDF and security agencies are conducting ongoing assessments and preparations ahead of Ramadan following a rise in Jewish nationalist crime in the West Bank, Israeli public broadcaster KAN News reported Sunday.
Some 55 incidents of nationalistic crime were recorded in the West Bank over the past month, security sources noted. Ten of those incidents resulted in injuries to Palestinians, and five involved deliberate attacks on Israeli security forces.
In January, the IDF admitted that it failed to sufficiently reduce the volume of Jewish extremist violence against West Bank Palestinians.
In 2025, the number of “nationalistic” Jewish incidents, a term the IDF uses to refer to both violent attacks and vandalism targeting Palestinian property, spiked to 867, up from 682 incidents in 2024.
Defense officials noted that Ramadan is a particularly sensitive time in Israel, and that any attack, whether a nationalist crime or an act of terror, could be a catalyst for broader escalation in the country.
Authorities said the preparations include bolstering forces, broader deployment of units in the field, and increased intelligence activity, KAN reported. They added that the measures aim to maintain security and stability while protecting civilians and security personnel.
“Any unusual incident, whether nationalist crime or a terror attack attempt, could act as a trigger for wider escalation,” a security official told KAN. “The current preparations are aimed at reducing clashes, preventing attacks, and maintaining relative calm during this sensitive period.”
IDF Chief of Staff pushes for accountability for nationalistic crime
Last week, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir addressed the rising nationalist crime rate in the West Bank and called on security forces to act against attacks targeting uninvolved Palestinian civilians.
“It is the operational and ethical duty of IDF commanders and soldiers, and other security organizations, to act immediately and not stand by when they identify illegal actions by violent groups, and to protect uninvolved civilian populations,” Zamir said.
This comes as the Arab death toll in 2026 hit 32 people last week. Police responded to a call regarding a shooting near Beit Berl, north of Kfar Saba, and found three young men aged 25-30, critically wounded inside their vehicle.
Critics argue the crime wave has worsened since Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician, became National Security Minister in 2022.
Also, last week, a group of Arab teenagers was attacked by a group of Jewish yeshiva students during a school trip to the Jordan Valley.
The yeshiva students spat on students from Sakhnin, sprayed tear gas and pepper spray, and beat them.
The group consisted of 36 middle school students and four teachers. Following the incident, which occured at the Ein Shokek park outside Beit She’an, 13 students were evacuated to Emek Medical Center, according to N12 News.
Yonah Jeremy Bob and Maya Zanger-Nadis contributed to this report.