IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi ordered the army to prepare for an escalation of terror activities in the wake of the major counterterrorism operation in Jenin on Thursday morning.

Senior Israeli security officials warned that Israel must be prepared for a “significant escalation” following the operation, including the chance of rockets being launched into Israel from Gaza.

The Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups called for an urgent meeting following the operation. The Islamic Jihad spokesperson said that if Israel doesn’t stop acting in Jenin, “all options are on the table.”

The IDF published head cam footage of the operation on Thursday afternoon. A senior IDF officer said after the operation that “this cell was a ticking time bomb that was planning a series of significant attacks. If we wouldn’t have acted, they would have acted.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)