ISA Director Yoram Cohen. Photo: WikiCommons.

Israel’s Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen told the Israeli government’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday that the recent spate of Palestinian-Arab terrorist acts against Israelis is the result of internal problems plaguing the Palestinian Authority, and is not a backlash against the “apparent failure of talks” between Israel and the PA, Israel’s Channel 10 reported on Wednesday.

Providing government officials and cabinet ministers with an updated assessment of Israel’s security situation, Cohen said that over the last few years approximately 2,000 acts of terrorism have been committed across Judea and Samaria, characterized by gun fire and the hurling of Molotov Cocktails. According to the report, Cohen asserted that in many cases, the crimes have been perpetrated by minors.

Cohen conveyed that the violence seems to be increasing of late, telling the committee that in November of last year, 160 terrorist acts were committed in Judea and Samaria, and in December, 100 such crimes were perpetrated, Channel 10 said.

Cohen added that the Shin Bet has recently foiled several attempts by Palestinian Arabs to kidnap Jewish civilians and soldiers, according to the report.