Road used in Halamish terror attack reopened to PA vehicles

A road that had been closed to Palestinian Authority vehicles following the gruesome murder of members of the Salomon family was recently reopened to all traffic.

By: World Israel News Staff

Following a horrific Sabbath evening terror attack in July during which 19-year-old terrorist Omar al-Abed snuck into Halamish and murdered several members of the Salomon family, who had gathered to  celebrate the birth of a new grandson, Road 450 in Samaria was closed to vehicles bearing Palestinian Authority (PA) license plates.

After installing hi-tech sensors and other equipment to thwart terror attacks around Halamish, the IDF reopened the road to PA vehicles, Israel Hayom reported on Tuesday.

According to an IDF spokesperson, reopening 450 to PA drivers represents the culmination of months of security preparations to protect residents.

Notwithstanding such efforts, Halamish residents expressed trepidation about the reopening of the road. These sentiments were especially strong for reidents of the town that live close to the road.

The July terror attack occurred amid a wave of Palestinian violence, including riots, murders, and property damage, which exploded after terrorists killed two Israeli police officers on the Temple Mount. This attack led Israeli officials to install additional security measures there, a move Palestinian leadership distorted into a change in the status quo of the the holy site, which is technically under the supervision of the Islamic waqf.

Following the Halamish attack, the murderer’s mother was caught giving out candies to celebrate the horrific crime.