IDF: 26 Attempted Abductions Foiled

The IDF attributed the rise to the Palestinians' success in brokering the Shalit deal, which saw 1,027 prisoners released in exchange for the then-Hamas-held soldier. Gaza's terror groups have developed “an appetite” for prisoner exchange deals, a military source said.

The increase has also been attributed to the growing unrest in the West Bank since the Palestinian Authority’s status upgrade at the UN; as well as to the agitation felt on the ground over the Palestinian security prisoners' hunger strike.

IDF orders, as well as other security forces and agencies in Israel, prohibit servicemen from hitchhiking—a known abduction method among terror groups. In recent years, the military and the Shin Bet [Israeli internal security] have increased enforcement of their hitchhiking regulations. The IDF is also running an ongoing awareness campaign to that effect.