'King of Samaria': How a settlement council head is running Israel's West Bank policy

The West Bank has become Israel's most significant counterterrorism success since the October 7 massacre, according to recent opinion pieces. The region has seen a decline in terrorism levels that has not been experienced since before the First Intifada in 1987. With just six Israelis killed so far in 2025, compared to 46 in 2024 and 43 in 2023, the number of wounded from terrorist attacks has dropped by 42% from 2024 to 2025.

This decline is attributed to a radical shift in counterterrorism strategy that began in 2024. Instead of daily and mostly nighttime incursions into PA areas to make preventive arrests, Israel now occupies large refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus where terrorists were concentrated. This change in strategy has led to the systematic destruction of terrorist units almost to the last man.

Additionally, increased costs to terrorists due to Israel's iron-fist policies, such as shooting at rock-throwers, have further reduced terrorism.

The decline in Palestinian terrorism also reduces Palestinian casualties. Hamas spokesmen have acknowledged that harsher conditions imposed in Israeli prisons since 2021 have dampened Hamas recruitment. These developments in Judea and Samaria have also been mirrored in Jerusalem, where political violence has been exaggerated by Qatar-led and Qatar-financed media. In reality, political violence in Jerusalem averages out to below the crime levels of the average city in the United States and many European cities.