Lieutenant Colonel A., the commander of the Tavor Battalion, describes in an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News the battalion's intensive operations in the area of Husan in Gush Etzion, which include the defense of the area's roads and communities, as well as offensive activies in the villages.

"We are conducting operational activity in the Etzion Brigade, it is a very intense activity which includes daily defensive operations on the roads and the communities in the area."

According to him, the most recent operation was conducted during the day "since we understand that there is terrorism that is trying to lift its head lately and trying to attack the roads. We decided to go in during the day, when the village sees and feels our presence, to arrest several wanted individuals, terrorists who carried out acts of unorganized terrorism on the road."

Since October 7th, 2023, the brigade has been highly aware of extreme scenarios, "Since October 7th we've been highly aware, in an attempt to prepare the forces for an extreme scenario of a surprise invasion like what happened in the Gaza envelope. We work on this very significantly.

"I can tell you that since October 7th, there have been offensive operations that were a lot more aggressive and a lot more significant. The brigade operates in every village, everywhere, there is no place where our forces don't reach," A. says and adds: "We are doing everything to practice for this scenario and to prepare the troops in the best way so we don't find ourselves at a disadvantage, and even if we're surprised, we won't be defeated, that's the aim."

The forces' activities include intelligence-based arrests, interrogations, and the retrieval of wanted individuals, as well as searches for weaponry. "There are a lot of weapons searches where we get intelligence tips about arms caches in houses in the villages. It happens constantly, both during the day and at night. All these activities are meant to reduce terror, to deal a blow to terror."

LTC A. emphasizes that the troops are working to prevent and foil terror attacks, not just as a response to incidents. "The forces are operating very intensively. Most of the day the forces are out, deployed in locations that we have determined to be centers of terrorist activity. Most of the time, my men are inside the villages, during the day as well, and they defend the road from inside the village, that way they prevent the terrorists from coming.

"Of course, we conduct offensive activities as a defense, such as shooting ambushes at various points on the road, from which we are able in some instances to stop and hit terrorists."

He explains that the threats in his area of operation are different than those in northern Samaria, but still exist. "The characteristics of the villages in my area are not similar to the characteristics of the villages in places like northern Samaria, where terrorism is a lot stronger. However, it is not out of the question that we'll find ourselves under threat of gunfire at our troops from within the village, where we know there are weapons. We are certain about this and we have been finding these weapons. The operations do go relatively quietly for our forces, but there are still dangers and threats here, and we will do what we need to stop that terror in these villages."