A total of 26 battalions are now operating across the sector, with a security official warning on Sunday that the situation was "a snowball rolling downhill."Follow us on Google IDF soldiers operate in the village of Tell, near the West Bank city of Nablus, July 25, 2026.(photo credit: NASSER ISHTAYEH/FLASH90)ByAMIR BOHBOTJULY 27, 2026 09:39Senior military officials have described the situation in the West Bank as "highly volatile and extremely dangerous," and, amid the escalating tensions, the decision has been made to reinforce forces in the area.A total of 26 battalions are now operating across the sector, with a security official warning on Sunday that the situation was "a snowball rolling downhill" and cautioned that "it will be difficult to stop."According to a senior security official's assessment, a large-scale operation targeting terrorist infrastructure and incitement is expected to be postponed until after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the United States. The aim is to avoid a scenario in which the Palestinian issue dominates his meeting with US President Donald Trump, instead of the security establishment's current priorities: Iran, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip.For over a week, the IDF has maintained that the incident near Gilad Farm last Saturday, which led to a spike in tensions across the area, was not an act of deliberate arson.IDF soldiers conduct a manhunt for a terrorist who shot Israeli hikers in the West Bank, July 24, 2026. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)"We have videos and photographs, and we clearly understand what happened. There were two suspects, and the police released them,” a senior officer in the IDF Central Command said“The fire was caused by a discarded cigarette, and about two hours later it developed into a wildfire."Since the incident, numerous clashes have been reported between Israelis and Palestinians, along with a series of violent attacks across the West Bank, during one of which a company commander and a member of a local security squad were killed, while an off-duty IDF soldier was moderately wounded.Zamir instructs commanders to prevent West Bank escalationIDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir has instructed commanders to prevent incidents of friction that could further inflame the situation.Despite those directives, the security establishment failed to prevent several suspected nationalist crime incidents over the past 48 hours, including the arson of a mosque, buildings, and vehicles.Despite the diplomatic sensitivity surrounding Netanyahu's upcoming visit to the United States, the IDF has launched an operation in Nablus to arrest wanted suspects, question detainees, and locate weapons. However, the security establishment assesses that a broader operation will be postponed until after the prime minister returns.Follow us on Google