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Shin Bet report: terror increase originating from West Bank

The 2013 Shin Bet report indicates a rise in terror activities originating in the West Bank, attributed partly to the resignation of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and the weakening of Fatah security mechanisms.
HEBRON, WEST BANK, PALESTINIAN TERRITORY, SEPTEMBER 23: Israeli soldiers on patrol on September 23, 2013 in the West Bank city of Hebron. Unknown gunmen shot and killed an Israeli soldier in the city of Al-Khalil (Hebron) in the occupied West Bank on Sunday and troops are searching for the shooter, the military said. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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Israel’s Shin Bet is summing up 2013. The General Security Service, which is charged with preventing terrorist attacks in the country, released on Jan. 27 a detailed report covering 2013. The main data of this annual report points to a significant rise in terrorist attacks as compared to 2012. The number of attacks doubled in that time, from 578 in 2012 to 1,271 in 2013.

According to the Shin Bet’s data, there was a drop in the number of casualties from terrorist attacks, with six in 2013, as compared to 10 in 2012. However, two reservations should be considered when making that comparison. The first is that in 2013, five Israelis were killed in attacks launched from the West Bank, as compared to zero in 2012. Furthermore, among the Israeli casualties listed by the Shin Bet for 2012 are the six soldiers who were killed in Operation Pillar of Defense in the Gaza Strip.

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