Prime Minister Naftali Bennett likewise convened a security consultation, meeting with Gantz, Kochavi, Bar, Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev, Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and others, following another deadly terrorist attack in central Israel, the third in a week.
5 Israelis Dead in Bnei Brak Terrorist Shooting, Attacker Identified
Bennett ordered the IDF to beef up forces along the seam line and the Israel Police to be ready to reinforce areas throughout the country, including at schools and daycares.
The Defense Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Public Security Minister, the IDF Chief-of-Staff, the Director of the ISA, the Israel Police Inspector General, the Director of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister’s Military Secretary, the head of the IDF Intelligence Directorate, the head of the IDF Operations Directorate and additional officials all participated in the meeting.
Israel’s Security Cabinet will convene Wednesday afternoon to discuss additional measures, the prime minister’s office said.
Speaking at the start of the meeting, the prime minister said in a statement, “Israel is facing a wave of murderous Arab terrorism.
“My heart is with the families who have lost their loved ones this evening. I am praying for the recovery of the wounded.
“The security forces are at work. We will fight terrorism with persistence, diligence and an iron fist.
They will not move us from here. We will prevail.”
Defense Minister Benny Gantz held an emergency situation assessment with security officials an hour prior to the meeting.
Gantz met with IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, and other defense officials.
Following the assessment, Kochavi ordered a four-battalion reinforcement of military and security forces along the seam line and in Judea and Samaria. In addition, two more battalions will be transferred to the Gaza Envelope.
“It’s been a very difficult evening,” Gantz told reporters after the assessment. “We participate in the grief of the families. We have gone through difficult times as a people and as a country in the face of waves of terror, and we have always won with determination and strength and so it will be this time as well.
“The entire security system – the IDF, the Shin Bet and the police – will work by all means to restore security to the streets of Israel and a sense of security to the citizens.”
Israel Police spokesperson Eli Levy told Israel’s Channel N12 News that the Shin Bet and Israel Police are conducting a joint investigation after the attack.
“The goal is to rule out the possibility that there are more accomplices and more terrorists,” he said, noting that there were no concrete alerts of terrorist plans. “We do not know at this stage whether there is a connection to ISIS,” he added.
Israel Police and Shin Bet agents are slated to search all construction sites in Bnei Brak on Wednesday to rule out the presence of illegal, unauthorized workers.
