Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Shabbos evening visited the site of the fatal Erev Shabbos shooting attack, near Yishuv Otniel in the Southern Hebron Hills area. Lieberman was accompanied by IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Major-General Yair Golan, Central District Commander Major-General Roni Numa and other commanders.

Lieberman explained the first item on the agenda is to apprehend the terror cell which perpetrated the attack. He explained that deterrent measures have been taken that were not implemented for a long time towards preventing additional attacks. The IDF is maintaining a ring around many PA (Palestinian Authority) villages in the Southern Hebron Hills area, making arrests and monitoring the activities of residents. The security ring impacts 700,000 PA residents.

In addition, permits were granted for 42 additional apartments in Kiryat Arba, which Lieberman explains tells terrorists that all they will accomplish with terror is a strong Jewish presence in the area.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu following the attack announced that monies paid by the PA to families of terrorists will be removed from the Israeli-collected PA tax funds prior to the money being released to the PA.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)