Too much technology? IDF securing Judea, Samaria with advanced border system that failed on October 7

Hamas mostly neutralized those on the Gaza border on Oct. 7; army says the systems are now better protected.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The IDF is planning to install numerous remote firing platforms to safeguard villages in Judea and Samaria from Palestinian attacks, Army Radio reported Sunday.

The “Shoot on Sight” systems, which are already being produced, consist of an observation tower strewn with cameras and intelligence-collection equipment and a firing system that soldiers can control remotely, thereby minimizing the operators’ contact with the enemy.

Female observers of Unit 636, the intelligence collection unit of the Judea and Samaria Division, will be trained to use the systems. In case of need, they will also be able to fire manually at terrorists attempting to infiltrate the Jewish communities, the report said.

In the initial stage, the IDF will set up the platforms in places it defines as the most threatened, with dozens planned for either the entrances to villages or commanding positions in the area.

The systems have been in use since 2008 but only on the border with Gaza.

Critics have questioned their efficacy. During the Hamas invasion last October 7, the terrorists neutralized most of the platforms in less than a minute by sending 140 drones simultaneously to drop explosives on the cameras and firing systems, rendering them useless.

The few that were not hit operated effectively, killing dozens of terrorists, but overall, the IDF’s forward “eyes and ears” were lost, leading to an inability to form an accurate picture of what was happening and successfully slowing down the army’s response.

The IDF has reportedly said that it has learned its lessons from what happened last year and has improved the platforms’ defensive capabilities against such aerial threats and upgraded their operating systems.

Other Hebrew-language media questioned whether the IDF was again deciding to rely too much on technological means to secure the country’s citizens.

In Judea and Samaria specifically, the regional council heads have begged for years for the IDF to be proactive instead of reactive, considering the danger that the Palestinian Authority poses to their communities in its active encouragement of terrorism and the number of men it has under arms.

“The Palestinian police…are an army for all intents and purposes, armed with automatic weapons and undergoing military training,” which can easily be turned against Israel instead of Hamas, the leaders wrote in an open letter to the security cabinet Sunday, after the PA sent forces into Jenin to fight its Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas rivals.

The “Shoot on Sight” systems are expected to become operational in the coming months.