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The IDF's Operation Against the Iranian Terrorist Army in the West Bank
(Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs) Yoni Ben Menachem - The IDF's current operation in northern Samaria is a pre-emptive strike against a terrorist army established by Iran, aimed at taking control of Judea and Samaria and renewing suicide attacks within Israel. Over the past three years, terrorist groups established by Iran, with support from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have taken control in areas like Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus, pushing out the PA security forces. According to Israeli security sources, 800-1,000 armed terrorists, equipped with weapons and explosives smuggled from Iran via the Jordanian border, are operating in these regions. They are referred to as "Iran's terrorist army," established by Iran's Revolutionary Guards, in collaboration with Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Recently, these groups have escalated their use of explosive devices, setting up laboratories to produce large explosive bombs, car bombs, and suicide belts. The writer, a veteran Arab affairs and diplomatic commentator for Israel Radio and Television, is a senior Middle East analyst for the Jerusalem Center.