General closure is being imposed Monday night at midnight on Judea and Samaria, to last through the first two days of the Passover holiday. The closure was a decision made by the new Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. No traffic will be permitted except for humanitarian and other special cases.
On Sunday, one day ahead of the closure, a joint operation of the IDF, the ISA (Israel Security Agency or Shin Bet) and the Israel Police apprehended five Arabs who played a role in the rock-hurling incident near the Israeli city of Ariel on March 14, the IDF Spokesperson’s office reported.
The Arabs responsible for the attack hurled rocks at Israeli civilian vehicles traveling on a main road near Kifl Haris, striking several vehicles. As a result, a resident of the community of Yakir, who was traveling with three of her daughters, lost control of her vehicle and hit a truck. The driver and two of her daughters were moderately injured, and a third was critically injured and remains hospitalized.
Security forces took immediate action in order to identify those responsible for the attack. During the investigation, five residents of Kifl Haris confessed to their involvement in the attack. The investigation is still ongoing.
The past few months saw an increase in similar acts of terrorism by rock hurling. The serious results of Kifl Haris incident convey how lethal this type of “mischievous” act can be.