Israeli officials sound alarm on heightened threat of kidnappings, terror attacks at home and abroad

Among the new security measures, IDF personnel are now required to obtain prior approval from their superiors for all overseas flights.

By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner

Israeli officials are warning of a heightened threat of kidnappings and terrorist attacks targeting Israelis at home and abroad, particularly during Hanukkah, following the deadly massacre at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

During a closed Security Cabinet meeting last week, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, Maj. Gen. (res.) David Zini, warned of an elevated risk of kidnappings targeting Israelis amid mounting tensions and growing hostility at home and abroad, the Israeli news outlet Ynet reported on Tuesday.

“The threat of kidnappings has not declined — it has intensified and will continue to intensify, as a result of the compromises made to secure the hostages’ release,” Zini reportedly told government officials, referring to the thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including many convicted terrorists serving life sentences, released under the US-backed ceasefire agreement to halt fighting in Gaza.

Israel is now weighing new security measures amid growing threats, as intelligence reports indicate that the release of security prisoners and convicted terrorists has heightened incentives for terrorist groups to conduct further kidnappings.

“Kidnapping Israelis is profitable and provides them with benefits, fundamentally altering the nature of the threat,” a senior Israeli government official told Ynet.

This latest warning follows several previous reports indicating that Hamas has expanded its terrorist operations beyond the Middle East, exploiting a long-established network of weapons caches, criminal alliances, and covert infrastructure that has been quietly built across Europe over the years.

Earlier this year, West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center released a study detailing how Hamas leaders in Lebanon have directed operatives to establish “foreign operator” cells across Europe, collaborating with organized crime networks to acquire weapons and target Jewish communities abroad.

On Tuesday, in the wake of Sunday’s deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia that killed 15 people and injured at least 40, the Israel Defense Forces’ Operations Directorate released new security guidelines for soldiers serving abroad.

Among the new measures, personnel are now required to obtain prior approval from their superiors for all overseas flights.

Soldiers are also required to review the list of restricted countries before planning any trip, including any transit or connecting stops, and ensure their flight routes avoid traveling to or through any prohibited locations.

However, the threat to Israelis and Jews is also growing at home, with new figures showing that intelligence agencies have thwarted a rising number of attempted terrorist attacks within the country.

According to Israel’s Channel 12, the Shin Bet has foiled more than 1,250 major terrorist attacks since the start of the year, though 54 attacks could not be prevented, taking place in Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem.

On Tuesday, an IDF spokesperson confirmed that the military arrested a terrorist involved in arms trafficking at the Al-Amri refugee camp near Ramallah and seized weapon parts from his vehicle.

So far this year, the Shin Bet has prevented an average of roughly 100 major attacks per month, reflecting a growing number of attempted atrocities.

By comparison, only about 560 major attacks were thwarted in Judea and Samaria in 2019, compared with over 1,200 last year.

Last week, a senior IDF official also warned of a growing terrorist threat from Judea and Samaria, noting that Iranian-backed arms smuggling could spark an Oct. 7-style attack.

Concerns over the presence of significant Iranian-supplied firepower in the hands of Palestinian terrorists in Judea and Samaria has prompted Israeli intelligence and security forces to intensify operations across the territory.