The IDF's Central Command, led by Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, has banned Palestinian workers from entering Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, allowing limited exceptions for industrial and construction sites upon local request. The move follows a series of attacks across the West Bank over two days, including the stabbing of Itamar Cohen and a deadly shooting near Gilad Farm that killed two Israelis. The IDF says one incident began after civilians entered Palestinian Authority-controlled land; security forces conducted a manhunt and killed a suspect. After a violent clash at Susiya Junction, authorities arrested more than 70 suspects during a large-scale operation.
IDF Bars Palestinian Workers From Israeli Communities After Deadly West Bank Attacks
IDF Central Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth commands soldiers during the manhunt for a terrorist in the West Bank, July 24, 2026. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON
The Israel Defense Forces' Central Command chief, Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, has ordered that Palestinian workers be prohibited from entering Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), a Walla source said Saturday night. Community leaders may request exceptions for entry into industrial zones and for personnel working on construction sites.
Series Of Attacks Prompts Order
The directive follows a string of attacks across the West Bank on Thursday and Friday that targeted Israeli residents of settlements and nearby areas.
Thursday Incidents
On Thursday morning, 51-year-old Itamar Cohen was seriously wounded after being stabbed in the chest by two Palestinians at the Derech Avraham Farm near Elon Moreh. Cohen, a member of the town's security team, had gone to the site to extinguish a fire that was reported to have been set by residents of the nearby village of Beit Furik. The two assailants were killed at the scene.
Israeli security forces at the scene of a stabbing attack near the Israeli settlement of Alon Moreh, in the West Bank, July 23, 2026 (credit: HILEL BEN OR/FLASH90)
Later that day, another attacker stabbed a man in the leg in the Ganim area of the West Bank and was subsequently shot and killed by IDF soldiers.
Friday Shooting Near Gilad Farm
On Friday morning a shooting near Gilad Farm, a settlement southwest of Nablus in the northern West Bank, left two Israelis dead and several others wounded. The victims were later identified as 32-year-old Benayahu Melet and 27-year-old Major Yuval Ezra.
According to the IDF, the incident began after a group of Israeli civilians crossed into Palestinian Authority-controlled territory while hiking. The military said Palestinians confronted the group and began throwing rocks before one individual opened fire. Troops and other security forces exchanged fire with suspected attackers, and the IDF later located and killed a suspected shooter during a manhunt.
Israeli forces located and returned the weapon to the solider. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)
Saturday Clash At Susiya Junction
On Saturday, two Israeli men — one a local farmer and the other an active-duty soldier on leave — were injured during a violent confrontation at Susiya Junction near the Hebron Hills. The IDF clarified that the episode was not a shooting attack as initially reported but a clash in which stones were thrown and an assailant briefly took a weapon from one of the civilians. Shots were fired into the air, and security forces later recovered the stolen weapon and returned it to the soldier.
IDF Response: Following the Susiya Junction incident, Israeli forces launched a large-scale operation on Saturday night, arresting more than 70 suspects across the West Bank.
Details And Context
The ban on Palestinian workers entering Israeli communities is presented by the military as a temporary security measure intended to reduce risk to residents while investigations and operations continue. Exceptions for industrial zones and construction sites may be granted at the request of community leaders to allow essential economic activity to continue.
Local emergency response teams, IDF units and other security forces were involved in responding to the incidents and in subsequent searches and arrests. Walla and the IDF provided official details; James Genn and Amir Bohbot contributed to this report.
Photo caption: Israeli security forces at the scene of a stabbing attack near the Israeli settlement of Alon Moreh, West Bank, July 23, 2026. (Credit: HILEL BEN OR/FLASH90)
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