The Israeli army is considering arming “alert teams” (alert teams) in the occupied West Bank settlements with anti-tank missiles, under the pretext of confronting events similar to the Al-Qassam attack on the 7th of last October.

This came according to what Haaretz newspaper reported on its website, today, Wednesday. The Israeli army confirmed, according to the newspaper, that this step is “under review and research,” under the pretext of thwarting a vehicle attack targeting settlements in the West Bank.

The newspaper said, "The Israeli army held discussions about the possibility of arming alert teams in isolated settlements adjacent to Palestinian towns with anti-tank missiles, during which the leaders did not express their opposition to this step."

According to the newspaper, the implementation of this step is subject to “the final approval of the senior leadership in the army and security services.”

It added, "The proposed step aims to (provide appropriate weapons) to deal with a scenario in which saboteurs (according to her expression) raid settlements with cars, similar to what happened on October 7 in the 'Gaza envelope' area."

The newspaper stated that this step comes “against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the West Bank and pressure exerted by senior right-wing officials, as well as military security centers in the settlements, since the start of the war” on the Gaza Strip.

"Alert teams" are armed civilian groups made up of citizens that perform security functions in emergency situations and fall under the army's Home Front Command.

The newspaper reported that the army has strengthened its arming of "alert teams" in the occupied West Bank settlements, including supplying them with large quantities of weapons and ammunition. After the outbreak of the war, these teams were provided with “thousands of pistols, M16 rifles, and MAG machine guns.”

According to the proposal, the anti-tank missiles will be distributed to the commanders of the “alert teams” and they will be asked to keep them in a weapons depot or in any other way that the Israeli army may determine.

Those responsible for using anti-tank missiles will be "commanders of alert teams and military security centers in the settlements."

The newspaper quoted the Israeli army as saying, “This step aims to strengthen the defense of the settlements, so that their residents can respond quickly in the event of a mass and vehicle raid, as happened in the massacre that took place around the Gaza Strip.”

The army added that Hamas members "used cars and motorcycles (on October 7), and until the arrival of the Air Force, members of the security forces and citizens who were defending themselves found it difficult to confront these vehicles."