Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Monday that he has no intention of permitting evacuated residents of refugee camps in Judea and Samaria to return, despite recent High Court of Justice notices on the matter. According to Katz, the High Court must completely refrain from interfering in IDF operational activities in Judea and Samaria aimed at safeguarding the lives of soldiers and civilians, stating this holds true “even at the cost of enacting dedicated legislation in the Knesset.”
Katz noted that immediately upon assuming the defense portfolio, he formulated a fundamental shift in Judea and Samaria security doctrine alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He instructed the IDF to discard its previous recurring “in-and-out” raid pattern in the Jenin refugee camp in favor of fully taking and holding the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams. These hubs, Katz explained, had evolved into Iranian-backed terror hornets’ nests where jihadist battalions organized, launched, and exported terror attacks throughout Judea and Samaria and deep into Israeli territory.
According to the defense minister, all 40,000 residents of these camps were evacuated as the IDF eliminated operatives, dismantled extensive terror infrastructure—including numerous structures and narrow, booby-trapped alleyways—and established an enduring, permanent military presence inside the camps. Katz stated that as a direct consequence of this shift, the overall volume of terror in Judea and Samaria dropped by 80% to its lowest level on record, with the capacity to orchestrate attacks inside Israel severely degraded. “Many lives were saved and many injuries were prevented—though considerable challenges remain,” he noted.
Katz emphasized that retaining IDF forces inside the camps over the long term is not a legal matter, but an imperative operational-security necessity required to protect Israeli soldiers and civilians against acute threats. He highlighted persistent efforts by external jihadist elements backed by Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood to stage an October 7-style massacre out of Judea and Samaria.
“It is not the High Court’s business to intervene in security calculations of this nature—just as it has no standing to intervene in operational combat in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, or Iran,” Katz asserted. The defense minister reiterated that his stance is unwavering and that he intends to ensure it guides every forthcoming deliberation on the subject. “On this matter, I will not compromise—even if it necessitates extraordinary legislative procedures in the Knesset. This is our fundamental obligation to our soldiers and citizens, and we will uphold it,” he concluded.