The Israel Dog Unit (IDU), a nonprofit specializing in defending Israeli localities at high risk of terrorist attacks, has been called to a series of violent incidents that have throughout the Samaria region over the past week. The organization worked with Israel's official armed services, including the IDF and Israel Police, to restore order and a sense of safety to the public.
IDU volunteers and their eponymous working dogs helped to secure an effort by residents of the Israeli town of Kohav Hashachar, near the Jordan Valley, to prevent residents of the PA town of Al Mughayyir from blockading the Allon Road, which constitutes a major artery for the region. Channel 12 News reports that an Israeli car was damaged, and the driver was attacked, as part of the blockade attempt.
An eyewitness report alleges that an IDF patrol witnessed the incident but did not act to prevent it until a violent altercation developed, prompting the IDF to disperse the crowd. One PA resident, a 16-year-old male, was killed by IDF fire during the incident.
Earlier in the week, security forces arrested a suspicious individual approaching a bus stop at Tapuah Junction. Shots were fired as part of the arrest. The suspect discarded a knife and was taken for questioning. An IDU UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) was dispatched to the scene to secure the area and check for possible accomplices.
Another Israeli was attacked by a congregation emerging from Friday prayers in the PA town of Burqin, suffering injuries to all parts of his body. His dog was beaten to death at the scene. The victim has made contact with the IDU with the intention of taking on a new dog trained to protect itself and its handler.
Yesterday (Sunday), the IDU joined Israel Police in their search for a resident of Lod, who escaped police custody during an arrest on Route 1. Volunteers employed a variety of specialized equipment alongside the Israel Police's Operations Division in the attempt to recapture the suspect.
IDU director Yekutiel Ben-Yaakov noted that the entirety of the IDU's activities are conducted by volunteers and funded by donations, and stressed the need for the public's support to continue the IDU's extensive efforts for Israel's public safety. "Our operating budget is 80,000 ILS a month and our organization numbers four hundred volunteers for all of Israel. We are facing more frequent acts of terror and more complex search and rescue cases recently, and we will be there to meet them, 365 days a year, on Shabbat and holidays if the need arises."
