Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had ordered preparations for a large-scale attack on the West Bank if credible intelligence indicated that Palestinian Authority forces or affiliated groups were preparing an October 7-style major assault.
Katz’s statement came after reports of a stabbing attack targeting one of the Israelis accused of seizing Palestinian land in the Usarin area near Nablus. The Israeli army said the attacker fled the scene and was later captured and neutralized in the Qabalan area.
Options announced for the West Bank
Under the plan outlined by Katz, Israel could target senior Palestinian Authority officials and security units in the West Bank, as well as facilities it describes as “terror infrastructure.”
The options included in the plan also involve targeted killings, the forced removal of Palestinians from cities and villages, and making Israel’s military presence in the occupied territories permanent. Katz compared this possibility with the occupation zones established in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as previous attacks on the Jenin refugee camp and northern parts of the West Bank.
“We will not allow a return to the prolonged intifada of the past,” Katz said, adding that the plan would be implemented if the security situation seriously deteriorated and intelligence was obtained indicating that Palestinian Authority forces or affiliated groups were preparing a major attack.
Katz also said that Israel’s current policy in the West Bank rests on three priorities: “combating Palestinian terrorism,” expanding Jewish settlements and maintaining security stability.