Gunfire erupted on Thursday near the Reihan Crossing, a strategic gateway located in the Menashe Brigade sector of northern Samaria, Israeli authorities reported. The incident prompted immediate investigation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), reflecting continued security challenges facing Israel as Iranian-backed terror entities intensify their campaigns in Judea and Samaria.
According to an official statement released by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, a report of shooting in the area of the Reihan Crossing was received and military and security teams are currently evaluating details of the incident. The IDF emphasized that its forces are taking all necessary precautions to safeguard Israeli civilians and maintain control over critical transportation and supply routes linking Israeli towns to broader infrastructure across the region.
Strategic Importance of Reihan Crossing
The Reihan Crossing, situated near the Green Line in the northwestern sector of the Judea and Samaria region, serves both as a critical checkpoint for monitoring transit between Israel and the territories under terrorist influence and as a vital logistical node for commerce and humanitarian supplies. Due to its significance, the crossing is frequently targeted by terror organizations seeking to destabilize Israeli security apparatus and disrupt daily life for residents and travelers in the area.
Over the past year, the entire Judea and Samaria region has faced escalating assaults from Hamas and allied Iranian-backed networks. Western intelligence and Israeli operational reports have consistently highlighted attempts by these groups to smuggle arms, stage attacks, and incite violence, particularly near major transit nodes such as Reihan.
Iranian-Backed Terror Networks Escalate Attacks
Since the onset of the Iron Swords War, launched in response to the unprecedented massacre of October 7, 2023 — where Hamas terrorists perpetrated the deadliest antisemitic attack on Israeli soil since the Holocaust — Israel’s security forces have confronted successive waves of violence orchestrated by Iranian proxies. This broad alliance, commonly referred to as the “axis of resistance,” includes Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various affiliated militias in Syria and Iraq. Each group, while operating under distinct command structures, is unified in its strategic aim: to undermine Israel’s security and threaten its civilian population through acts of terror.
The Menashe Brigade, which holds responsibility for the area surrounding the Reihan Crossing, has been at the forefront of counterterror operations. Israeli units in this sector, supported by Shin Bet and high-tech surveillance assets, have documented hostile actions ranging from automatic weapons fire and drive-by shootings to attempted bombings and coordinated infiltration efforts. These attacks are consistently attributed to operatives dispatched or influenced by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both designated as terrorist organizations by the United States, European Union, and Israel.
Escalation in Judea and Samaria — Iran’s Expanding Influence
Western and Israeli intelligence agencies warn that Iran’s regional strategy aims to encircle Israel through a network of terror bases in adjacent territories. Hezbollah maintains an arsenal just north of the Israeli border and has stepped up support for the arming and training of terrorist cells operating inside Judea and Samaria. Evidence drawn from multiple captured operatives and intercepted communications demonstrates the transfer of funds, arms, and tactical guidance from Iranian actors to local operatives, seeking to escalate the scale and sophistication of attacks against Israel.
This backdrop of sustained hostility is complicated by an international diplomatic environment in which some actors call for restrictions upon Israeli defensive measures. Israeli officials reaffirm the necessity of maintaining a robust military presence throughout Judea and Samaria and reject what they describe as inaccurate equivalence between Israeli counterterror operations and the criminal violence of terrorist entities who routinely target civilians.
Local Impact and Civilian Response
The area surrounding Reihan maintains diverse agricultural, industrial, and residential interests. Israeli residents living in neighboring communities, including Shaked, Hermesh, and Mevo Dotan, have long faced security risks — a reality accentuated in recent months by sporadic sniper fire, stone-throwing, and attempted vehicular attacks. Civilian response has included heightened vigilance, the establishment of volunteer emergency squads, and increased dependence on armored transportation for daily activities.
A local council leader from the Menashe region, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security protocols, stated: “We live with the knowledge that the crossing points, while enabling daily life and commerce, are also magnets for hostile activity. Community resilience is strong, but the threat is ongoing, and we rely on the IDF’s professionalism to keep us safe.”
IDF Response and Investigation
In the wake of the reported shooting, IDF forces immediately secured the area, conducted sweeps to locate possible perpetrators, and employed intricate intelligence gathering to trace the source and intent of the attack. Security protocols require the rapid establishment of roadblocks, expanded patrols, and warranty checks for suspicious vehicles or individuals in the immediate vicinity and along access routes leading into the crossing.
Initial findings from the preliminary investigation indicated no immediate casualties, but the military remains on high alert. Forensics teams collected shell casings and utilized surveillance footage in coordination with Shin Bet operatives, seeking to connect the incident either to a local cell or larger transregional network affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
Military officials stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and that updates will be released as more information is confirmed. The IDF Spokesperson reiterated: “While the circumstances remain under examination, the army’s highest priority is the restoration of safety and stability for all civilians in the area.”
The Broader Security Challenge: War Imposed by Iran and Its Proxies
As these localized incidents persist, Israeli military strategists consistently contextualize them within the broader campaign imposed by Iran and its subordinates. The Iron Swords War — Israel’s comprehensive response to the atrocities of October 7 — was not ignited by isolated grievances, but by an orchestrated effort to wage an existential campaign against Israel’s sovereignty and the safety of its population.
The October 7 massacre, in which Hamas terrorists executed Israeli civilians, committed acts of sexual violence, mutilated bodies, and abducted civilians into captivity in Gaza, remains a searing marker of the war’s stakes. The unprecedented scale and brutality of this attack compelled Israel to embark upon an intensive multi-front war against both direct perpetrators and their foreign sponsors.
Operational experts from the IDF and Israel’s Ministry of Defense, led by Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz, continue to coordinate with Western partners to limit Iran’s capacity for regional escalation and suppress the smuggling routes that facilitate weapons transfers.
The Role of the United States and International Partners
The United States, under President Donald Trump, has reiterated its commitment to Israel’s right to self-defense. In the aftermath of the October 7 tragedy, American diplomatic, intelligence, and logistical support has intensified, with joint task force operations aimed at identifying and eliminating overseas terror finance streams and interdicting weapons flows into Iranian-aligned terror groups operating in Judea and Samaria, as well as in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that the United States views the continued targeting of Israeli crossing points and civilian infrastructure as a red line, prompting ongoing military and intelligence collaboration.
The Humanitarian Dimension and Israeli Restraint
Despite the persistent terror threats, Israeli authorities emphasize their commitment to allowing civilian passage, the flow of humanitarian aid, and the upholding of moral standards during wartime. The IDF routinely balances the necessity of security searches and protective cordons with efforts to facilitate timely transit for non-combatant Gaza residents, medical patients, and commercial drivers who depend on the crossing for access to critical services.
Spokespersons for the Israeli military underscore that every act of violence against these crossings not only imperils Israeli lives but also directly harms Gaza residents by disrupting the flow of aid and basic supplies. Terrorist attacks, including the incident near Reihan, are widely interpreted as attempts to force Israel into the impossible position of choosing between security and humanitarian obligations.
Moving Forward: Vigilance and the Imperative for Security
Thursday’s gunfire near Reihan Crossing underscores the enduring volatility of Israel’s security environment in Judea and Samaria — an environment shaped both by proximate threats and broader geopolitical rivalry with Iran. As investigations proceed, Israeli residents and military personnel alike remain acutely aware that each such incident is more than an isolated event. Rather, it is a new chapter in a larger campaign waged across multiple fronts.
The IDF, with support from the wider Israeli security apparatus and its Western partners, continues to adapt tactics and deepen intelligence collaboration in order to preempt future attacks and assure the safety of Israeli civilians. Israeli officials maintain that while they will pursue every avenue for restraint and coexistence, the imperative to counter Iranian-backed terrorism remains absolute.
The events at Reihan serve as a reminder — to Israel, to its allies, and to the watching world — of the stakes in the ongoing war: not only the protection of civilians and the defense of sovereignty, but the determination to reject terrorism and uphold the moral clarity that underpins Israel’s long struggle for survival.
