The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, held a situation assessment and initial debriefing today (Friday) at the scene of the attack in the village of Tel Sheva, in the Samaria Brigade, along with the Commander of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the Commander of the Judea and Samaria Division, Brig. Gen. Kobi Heller, the Head of Operations Directorate, Brig. Gen. Barak Hiriam, the Commander of the Samaria Brigade, Col. D., the Commander of the Judea and Samaria Border Police, Superintendent Niso Guetta, and additional commanders.
As part of the situation assessment, the Chief of Staff ordered the continued reinforcement and strengthening of forces in the area and approved plans for continued offensive operations. The Chief of Staff expressed condolences to the family of Master Sergeant (Res.) Benayahu Melt, z”l, and the family of Major Yuval Ezra, z”l, and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded.
The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, said: “This is a severe and painful terrorist attack. I share in the grief of the families and send wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded. We are in pursuit of all the terrorists involved in this terrorist attack, we will reach them all and hold them accountable.”
“In recent weeks, we have reinforced the forces in Judea and Samaria. This morning, we deployed many additional forces to strengthen defense and offensive operations against terrorist infrastructure in the sector,” the Chief of Staff continued. “We are in a series of events – our goal is to thwart terror, ensure the security of the citizens of the State of Israel, and prevent escalation. We will deepen offensive operations, continue to operate wherever necessary, and consistently and decisively strike terrorists and terrorist infrastructure.”
“In recent months, brigades, including the 411th Brigade, have carried out impressive and thorough offensive operations in all combat sectors. The IDF, the Israel Police, and the Shin Bet are solely responsible for maintaining law and order and fighting terror in the area. We will continue to operate with determination and strength to ensure the security of the citizens of the State of Israel.”