The terrorist attack near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem on Wednesday raises several questions, alongside one clear exclamation mark: For the first time in the current wave of terrorism, a group -- albeit without any affiliation to one of the major terrorist organizations -- attempted to carry out a large terrorist attack, foiled only thanks to the rapid and efficient response of the Border Police. Since the surge of Palestinian violence began several months ago, over 200 terrorist attacks have been carried out, mostly by lone terrorists. The defense establishment was and is unable to prevent such attacks, because their "lone wolf" nature gives no prior indication of the terrorist's intentions, nor does he have accomplices or leave any traces behind. This, alongside the fact that in many cases these attacks were spur-of-the-moment decisions by their perpetrators, is why the Shin Bet security agency struggles to thwart them. Wednesday's attack was different. A lone terrorist no more, this was the work of a group, whose members brandished more than knives: They used automatic weapons and were carrying pipe bombs, to maximize casualties. This was also not a localized attack, one carried out near a military checkpoint. They were targeting Jerusalem, no doubt to maximize the impact, both figuratively and literally. This type of operation requires planning, and that will be the focus of the Shin Bet investigation: Did the terrorists have accomplices? Where did they get their weapons: Did they carry them all the way from the Palestinian village of Qabatiya to Jerusalem, or did they obtain them in the capital? If so, how were the weapons not detected by anyone en route to Jerusalem? Did the group arrive in Jerusalem together or separately, and was anyone harboring them- These questions are critical not only for investigation purposes, but also to prevent future attacks. Terrorist organizations, especially Hamas, have recently begun investing considerable efforts to carry out major terrorist attacks. Given the shortage of standard explosives and bomb engineers, shooting attacks have become "the next best thing." Unlike stabbing attacks, which are thwarted for the most part or fail to maximize casualties, a shooting attack, especially when carried out by multiple terrorists, has a much more lethal potential. Given Palestinian youth's penchant for imitation, we can expect to see a series of copycats who will undoubtedly try to follow in the groups' nefarious footsteps. The defense establishment's decision to minimize any infringement on the Palestinian fabric of life over the security escalation stands, and the collaboration with Palestinian security forces will ensure that, for the time being at least, the Israeli effort will continue to be defensive in nature, excluding thwarting efforts. Additional forces will most likely be deployed in checkpoints, known flashpoints, and areas prone to Palestinian violence. The goal is clear: Prevent the next attack, not only to minimize civilian casualties, but also to minimize potential political fallout. Further security escalation could undermine Israel's fragile relations with the Palestinian Authority, as well as disrupt the brittle equilibrium achieved opposite Hamas. Hamas, for its part, has intensified its efforts to rebuild its grid of terror tunnels, indicating that just like before 2014's Operation Protective Edge, security tensions in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria could cause the situation in the south to spiral out of control.
