Israel Threatens Full War on Palestinian Authority Over Terror Attacks

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared on Monday that Israel is preparing for a comprehensive war against the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its mechanisms should they initiate a terror attack on the scale of October 7th. Katz stated that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have instructed the IDF to prepare for such a scenario, emphasizing that Israel will not permit a return to prolonged intifada-like realities.

The remarks followed a stabbing attack at the Ma'oz Yehuda farm in the Samaria region, where a young man was injured. Katz vowed that the IDF would pursue and apprehend the perpetrator. He clarified that any large-scale offensive would target senior PA officials, their security apparatus, affiliated bodies, and terror infrastructure in Judea and Samaria, aiming for their swift and complete defeat.

Potential Israeli actions in such an escalation could include targeted assassinations of senior figures, evacuation of residents from areas used for terror operations, elimination of terrorists, destruction of terror infrastructure, and continued IDF presence in evacuated areas. Katz likened this potential response to Israel's operations in security zones in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as in the refugee camps of Jenin and northern Samaria.

Katz asserted that Israel's policy in Judea and Samaria is to vigorously pursue Palestinian terrorism, strengthen Jewish settlement, and maintain security stability. He claimed that terrorism in the region is currently at its lowest level in decades and that Israel is committed to preventing its resurgence, ensuring the safety of Israeli residents and communities.