The IDF and the police knew more about the impending attack on Jit from the Shin Bet than the military’s probe of the episode let on, sources have told The Jerusalem Post.
According to sources, the Shin Bet provided a warning to the IDF and the police at 7:30 p.m. on August 15 that certain Jewish residents from Yitzhar were moving in the direction of Jit. However, the agency did not say the name “Jit” or have complete certainty about their final destination.
Still, given that the Jewish attackers did not arrive at Jit until 8 p.m., sources indicated that had the IDF mobilized parallel to the movements of the attackers already half an hour earlier, they could have potentially prevented them from penetrating the Palestinian town.
Instead, the mobilized IDF forces proceeded to various generic intersections and crossing points, adopting a more passive strategy to potentially intercept the Jewish attackers. The IDF defended its actions, rejecting this narrative.
According to the IDF probe, which Central Commander Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth released on Wednesday, the military received only general warnings but no information about the potential origin or destination of the Jewish attackers.IDF sources on Thursday doubled down on this narrative, denying that there were even partial hints from the Shin Bet about any specific areas they should head to or guard.
The IDF chooses not to act
In contrast, sources said that despite the severity with which the Shin Bet stressed its warning, saying the IDF had 30 minutes to act, the military clearly decided not to do it.
In the end, more than 100 Jewish terrorists penetrated Jit, ransacking and attacking Palestinians and their property, as well as killing one resident.
According to the IDF, it only learned of the attack at 8 p.m. and sent first responder units to the location by 8:06 p.m., but these forces were far too small to prevent or subdue the Jewish attackers.
It took around 30 minutes, the IDF said, to expel the Jewish terrorists from Jit. However, the military did not arrest a single one of them.
Sources said that the IDF found it difficult to arrest the Jewish attackers when all of them ran off in different directions in the darkness of night.
Only later did the Shin Bet provide additional information leading to the arrest of four out of the 100 attackers.