Israel Katz threatens 'all-out war' on PA over West Bank terror threat, 'October 7-style attack'

Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have ordered the IDF to wage a full-scale war on Palestinian Authority officials in the West Bank, should evidence emerge of an impending October 7-style terrorist assault on Israeli troops or settlements. Katz stated that the IDF must prepare to confront senior PA officials, their affiliated bodies, and all terror networks in Judea and Samaria with the goal of swiftly neutralizing them.

The defense minister emphasized that Israel will not tolerate another protracted intifada, as witnessed in previous years. Instead, a comprehensive offensive against the Authority and all terrorist infrastructure in the region is planned, encompassing the elimination of key officials, evacuating residents from terror-prone settlements, the neutralization of terrorists, the demolition of all terror infrastructure, and the evacuation of remaining forces.

The Monday announcement came in the wake of a stabbing incident near Kusra in the West Bank that resulted in one individual sustaining a moderate to serious injury. Prime Minister Netanyahu echoed Katz's sentiments, praising the IDF's response and vowing to continue hunting down terrorists and destroying their infrastructure. The IDF has also been conducting readiness exercises across multiple fronts, including the recent Operation Dawn 2.0 and Operations Advancing the Wall and Southern Wind in Eilat and along Israel's western border.

The West Bank's current volatile atmosphere was underscored by Sunday's discovery of a rocket, weapons, and explosives in Aqaba, northern Samaria, as well as the arrest of a terror cell with plans for a major attack.