IDF Chief of Staff Disputes Netanyahu, Katz on West Bank Threat

The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi, and the head of the Central Command, Major General Avi Blout, have publicly disagreed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz regarding the threat of a "reversal of barrels" scenario in the West Bank. Kochavi stated in a security discussion that there is "no intelligence information warning of a reversal of barrels in Judea and Samaria." Blout added that "the discourse on the reversal of barrels is inflammatory."

This disagreement follows a recent stabbing attack in the West Bank where a 19-year-old was seriously injured. Following the incident, Netanyahu and Katz announced they had "instructed the IDF to launch a comprehensive war against the Palestinian Authority." This directive drew sharp criticism from senior IDF officials, who called the minister's statement "dangerous" and potentially capable of "fanning the flames in the territories."

One senior IDF officer told Channel 13 News that the minister's announcement was unnecessary, noting that the "reversal of barrels" scenario has been practiced since the end of the Second Intifada. Defense Minister Katz, however, maintained that the policy in Judea and Samaria is to "powerfully pursue Palestinian terrorism, develop and strengthen Jewish settlement, and maintain security stability." He asserted that terrorism in the West Bank is currently at its lowest level in decades.

Katz further elaborated that if a "reversal of barrels" occurs, or if the Palestinian Authority's security mechanisms and related bodies initiate a large-scale terror attack against IDF forces and Jewish settlements similar to the October 7th attacks, then the IDF has been instructed to prepare for a comprehensive war against PA officials, its mechanisms, and all terror infrastructure in the West Bank. He vowed not to allow a return to a prolonged intifada or an event like October 7th, promising decisive action including eliminating senior terrorists, evacuating residents from areas of terror activity, destroying terror infrastructure, and maintaining an IDF presence in evacuated areas.