(JNS) A breakdown of Arab terror attacks in 2024 showed that Judea and Samaria bore the brunt of the violence, according to the annual report released by Hatzalah Judea and Samaria, an emergency response service, on Monday.
While an overall 48 people were killed and 443 more injured in attacks across Israel, the report’s breakdown showed that 56% of the fatalities and 69% of the injuries took place in Judea and Samaria.
“People are used to Judea and Samaria residents getting pummeled by rocks, lasers, gunshots, and car rammings,” Natalie Sopinsky, the emergency response organization’s director of development told The Press Service of Israel. “Most people don’t care, including those residents themselves. We got used to that.”
The statistics reveal the alarming scale of ongoing violence: 3,668 incidents of rock-throwing, 179 shooting attacks, 526 explosive devices, and 843 Molotov cocktails. The report also documented 12 car-ramming attacks and nine stabbings.
The report also noted 1,040 attacks foiled nationwide.
According to the report, rock-throwing was the most frequent and under-reported attack. The most frequent hot spots for rock throwing were on a highway between Jerusalem and Hebron, and around the Palestinian Authority village of Huwara in Samaria.
“I’ve been in two minor rock attacks,” Sopinsky recalled. “You can hear it, some drivers keep going, and then pull over to check the damage. But there’s really no safe zone—it’s just us and the terrorists on the road.”
The consequences of these attacks are dire. Head injuries, shattered windshields, and loss of control often lead to fatal accidents, she said..
“Especially for little kids — babies don’t know to close their eyes,” Sopinsky explained. “That’s the goal of these attacks: to cause accidents and kill.”
Sopinsky told TPS-IL, “Jews are a target no matter where we are in the world, especially today. If you hide who you are and try to blend in, it actually makes it worse. If you stand tall and become a fighter, then you have a better chance of survival and prosperity.”
