Israel – the attacks of recent weeks have shaken the sense of stability to which Israelis have become accustomed

International Crisis Group  /  April 9, 2022

Four attacks by Palestinians inside Israeli cities in the last two and a half weeks killed fourteen Israelis, marking the largest such wave in years. Israeli security forces have stepped up operations in various West Bank locales, arresting over 150 Palestinians since 31 March and killing three Palestinians in Jenin in clashes with a local militia affiliated with Islamic Jihad.

International Crisis Group expert Mairav Zonszein says the attacks have shaken the sense of stability that Israelis have become accustomed to, and taken Israeli intelligence by surprise, as it has trouble anticipating and foiling such attacks.

Meanwhile, Jerusalem has remained relatively calm during the first week of Ramadan, as police have refrained to an extent from exerting the type of force they used in April-May 2021, which in part triggered the deadly escalation with Hamas in Gaza.