Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the IDF to prepare to seize another refugee camp in the Judea and Samaria, as part of expanding offensive operations against terror organizations in the area. The directive was issued Monday night following a security assessment attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and senior defense officials.
According to Katz’s directive, the IDF will prepare for an operation following the model used in the terror camps of Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur al-Shams. Under that approach, the camps were evacuated of their residents, Israeli forces cleared them of terror infrastructure, and the IDF has remained in them permanently.
2+The Defense Minister’s office explained that the operations are designed to counter terror that is “trying to raise its head again.” According to officials, the policy was set by Katz with the backing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he took office as defense minister.
Sharp Drop in Terror Activity
According to defense establishment data, the policy has led to an approximately 80% drop in terror activity during 2025, and the trend has continued into 2026. Now the defense minister wants to expand the model to another camp, whose identity has not yet been disclosed.
2+The meeting was attended by the head of the Operations Directorate, the head of Military Intelligence, the commander of Central Command, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the commander of the Judea and Samaria District in the police, the defense minister’s military secretary Col. Hisham Ibrahim, and representatives from the Shin Bet and the defense establishment.
The meeting took place just days after the deadly terror attack near Gilad Farm, in which Maj. Yuval Ezra and reserve Staff Sgt. Beniyahu Melet, a member of Gilad Farm’s rapid response team, were murdered. Additional Israelis were wounded in the attack.
Manhunt for Terrorists Continues
Hours after the attack, fighters from the Duvdevan unit, under the command of the Samaria Brigade and with Shin Bet intelligence, raided a hospital in Shechem (Nablus). During the operation, forces arrested two terrorists who were wounded in the attack and had been taken for medical treatment.
2+The IDF and Shin Bet made clear that the identities of all the terrorists involved are known. Security forces continue to operate to arrest the remaining terrorists and bring them to justice.