Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the IDF to prepare for a major counterterrorism operation in another Palestinian camp in Judea and Samaria, as Israeli security officials warn of rising tensions across the region.
Katz did not name the target camp or give a timetable for the operation. But he said the military should be ready to apply the same model used in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur al-Shams, where Israeli forces moved against entrenched terrorist networks, weapons depots, and Iranian-backed infrastructure.
The message was direct: Israel is not waiting for another Oct. 7-style surprise to erupt from Judea and Samaria.
The IDF launched Operation Iron Wall in Jenin in January 2025 and later expanded it to Tulkarem and Nur al-Shams. Those areas had become armed strongholds, with terrorist factions exploiting dense urban camps as bases for attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Katz’s office said the government’s offensive policy has contributed to an 80% drop in terrorist activity in 2025 and 2026. He has repeatedly argued that Israel must dismantle terror infrastructure before it matures into a larger threat.
The order comes after a deadly shooting last Friday and amid concern that violence could spread across Judea and Samaria. Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, head of IDF Central Command, described the situation as tense and said the army was using “every means” available to prevent further escalation.
What looks to foreign observers like another localized raid is, for Israelis, part of a wider effort to prevent Iran-backed terror groups from turning Judea and Samaria into a second Gaza or southern Lebanon.
Katz’s new order suggests Israel intends to keep pressing the initiative, even if the next operation brings renewed international criticism. The alternative, Israeli officials argue, is allowing armed camps to grow until the cost of removing them becomes far higher.
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates
