Israel sends 98th Division to West Bank after rise in attacks
The IDF is deploying its 98th Division to the West Bank to take command of forces around Hebron and Bethlehem after a recent uptick in attacks by Palestinian groups and a serious car‑ramming at the Maccabim checkpoint.
Israel is reinforcing the West Bank with a major combat formation after what it describes as a rise in attacks by Palestinian groups.
The Israel Defense Forces announced that the 98th Division will deploy to the West Bank to assume command of the Judea and Etzion brigades, which operate in the Hebron and Bethlehem areas. The move comes amid a recent uptick in unrest and follows a serious car‑ramming at the Maccabim checkpoint.
In that attack, the IDF said, an Israeli reserve soldier from the Binyamin Regional Brigade was seriously injured when a Palestinian driver rammed into him. The attacker was shot and killed at the scene, and the injured reservist was evacuated to a medical facility. Afterward, the IDF closed checkpoints and set up roadblocks in the area.
Assigning the 98th Division to oversee forces in Judea and Etzion signals that the military expects sustained operations rather than isolated raids. Hebron and Bethlehem are already among the most heavily monitored and restricted parts of the West Bank, with a dense mix of Palestinian residents and Israeli settlers.
For Palestinians, a larger deployment typically means more frequent patrols and raids, additional checkpoints and longer waits at crossings that connect communities to jobs, schools and hospitals. For Israeli authorities, it’s a way to concentrate command and resources in an area where they fear the security situation could deteriorate further.
Key signs to watch now include whether the IDF presents the 98th Division’s deployment as temporary or open‑ended, whether the number of attacks in the Hebron and Bethlehem sectors changes, and how Palestinian factions adjust their tactics in response to the new posture.
Sources
- OSINT