Israel’s Supreme Court ruled Monday that the IDF must provide a defined timeline for the return of Arab residents to their homes in jihadist-run towns across Judea and Samaria. The decision concerns Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams, whose residents were evacuated during a large-scale military operation in the area.
The ruling comes one year and nine months after the launch of Operation Iron Wall in Judea and Samaria, which began in January 2025. According to Israel’s defense establishment, the operation was intended to eradicate terrorist infrastructure and dismantle the jihadist strongholds that had become major centers of terrorist activity. In their decision, Justices Yitzhak Amit, Alex Stein, and Khaled Kabub acknowledged that “the security conditions that would allow residents to return are still not in place.” Nevertheless, the justices emphasized that “a series of measures must be advanced to make this possible, including establishing a timeline” for their return.