The Israel Defense Forces is constructing a security fence surrounding the new road that bypasses the central Samaria terrorist hotspot of Huwara, the military told reporters on Wednesday.
The decision to erect a fence around the new highway, which was opened only a year ago, was taken in response to repeated stone-throwing attacks from Arab villages, HaKol HaYehudi reported.
“The decision to construct a fence around Huwara was made in accordance with security considerations and provides additional protection to residents of the Samaria sector,” the IDF said. “The IDF works defensively and offensively to counter terrorism in the Samaria area and to maintain the safety of the citizens.”
The Fighting for Life NGO, which organizes protests against terrorism, told HaKol HaYehudi, “The stone-throwings on the Huwara bypass road shows that the defensive method does not bring security.
“The time has come to adopt a simple rule in Judea and Samaria: ‘I will pursue my enemies and I will overtake them, and I will not return until they are destroyed’ [Psalm 18:38]. Instead of more fences—to pursue, destroy and subdue,” the protest group added.
The outlet cited an unnamed local resident, identified as a lieutenant colonel in the reserves, as warning that the fence could “create a significant risk by confining residents like a herd of cattle in a pen.
“If there is a [terrorist] incident, this only prevents an effective pursuit of the terrorists or the escape of the attacked from the scene,” he said.
Numerous attacks
After numerous terrorist attacks against Israelis traveling through Huwara, which is located 4.5 miles south of Nablus, Israeli Transport, National Infrastructure and Road Safety Minister Miri Regev inaugurated the main section of the bypass road on Nov. 12, 2023.
“The inauguration of the first and important section of the Huwara Bypass Road is an exciting closing of the circle for me. This life-saving road will provide the pioneers [in Samaria] with greater safety and security,” said Regev at the ceremony.
“The new section will allow residents to travel on the road safely, not through the hostile village where many attacks against Israelis have taken place, including in the recent period,” added the minister.
The road offers Israelis traveling to and from central Samaria towns, including Yitzhar, Elon Moreh, Itamar and Har Bracha, a safer route than the one through Huwara.
Four Israelis were killed in Huwara in 2023—brothers Hallel and Yagel Yaniv in February and father and son Shay Silas and Aviad Nir Nigrekar in August.
Dual Israeli-U.S. citizen David Stern, 41, narrowly survived a shooting on March 19 while he was driving through Huwara with his wife on their way to Jerusalem. Six days later, two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a drive-by shooting in the village.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan had been the main driving force behind the initiative to construct a bypass road and, together with families of terrorism victims, pushed the project for about six years.
In 2017, the Israeli government approved an 800 million shekel (around $220 million) plan to construct bypass roads throughout Judea and Samaria, including the Huwara bypass road between the Tapuach and Yitzhar junctions.
Work on the road began in 2021, with several delays in the beginning. The construction received a boost in the form of an additional 50 million shekels ($13.2 million) following the murder of the Yaniv brothers.
A public opinion poll conducted in March of last year showed that 71% of Palestinians supported the murder of the Yaniv brothers. Twenty-one percent of those surveyed were against it and similar terrorist attacks.
(JNS)