Coming Home: Gilad Shalit returns to Israel, October 2011, after more than five years? imprisonment by Hamas in Gaza. Image by Haaretz

There has been a significant increase in attempts to abduct soldiers in recent months, a source in the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday.

This has prompted the army to strictly enforce safety measures and remind soldiers of directives intended to prevent such incidents, he said.

Since the beginning of the year, the IDF has counted 27 attempted or planned abductions of soldiers, mainly by terrorist cells, the source said. This is the same number as for the whole of 2012.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

On Tuesday, two female soldiers reported an attempted abduction on their way to their base near Hadera. They said several men tried to push them into a car, but they resisted and the car drove away. Police said it wasn’t clear whether the perpetrators were terrorists.

On New Year’s Eve, the IDF captured a group of Islamic Jihad operatives near the Eyal checkpoint. The men carried items apparently intended to help in an abduction, and the army said this incident posed a “very high threat.”

Read more at Haaretz.com.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount