The Israel Police officially inaugurated the YITAR (Initial Response Unit) of the Yehudah and Shomron District during a moving ceremony held Wednesday evening at the Mearas Hamachpeilah.

This new and innovative unit is made up entirely of volunteers who are residents of yishuvim in Yehudah and Shomron.

Formed in response to critical lessons learned from the security events of October 7, the YITAR unit was created to deliver a fast, professional, and effective first response to terrorist threats and criminal incidents and increase the sense of personal security among residents.

In emergency situations, YITAR’s primary responsibility is to provide an immediate response to terror incidents until Israel Police and IDF forces arrive, taking advantage of its in-depth knowledge of the area and its ability to respond immediately. In routine situations, the unit will work to strengthen personal and public safety by handling criminal events and increasing visibility and deterrence in settlements and along roads. In routine periods, the unit will focus on enhancing public safety by responding to criminal activity and increasing visibility and deterrence in settlements and along roads.

Over 100 volunteers have been trained in recent weeks in counter-terrorism combat training and received advanced combat equipment, including weapons, tactical uniforms, and personal protective equipment.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir hailed the unit’s establishment as a milestone: “The establishment of the YITAR unit in the Shai District is great news for the yishuvim—another important step to strengthen security and deterrence in Yehudah and Shomron. The volunteers are part of the community and provide a rapid response on the ground—that is their advantage. This is another stage in the tremendous reform that we have led in the rapid response teams, with over 1,000 rapid response teams that we established throughout the country.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)