Israel Steps Up West Bank Counterterror Effort, Orders IDF to Prepare Raid on Another Refugee Camp

The office of Defense Minister ישראל כ"ץ said today (Tuesday) that the minister held a security discussion last night on the West Bank with the participation of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and senior officials from the IDF, COGAT, the Judea and Samaria District of the police, and representatives of the Shin Bet and the defense establishment.

According to the statement from his office, "At the conclusion of the discussion, the minister instructed the IDF to prepare to take control of another refugee camp, based on the model used in dealing with the terror camps of Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur al-Shams, which were evacuated of residents, cleared of terror infrastructure, and where the IDF now maintains a permanent presence. Katz’s message to the security leadership: We are changing the rules of the game in the West Bank."

It was also reported that during the discussion, officials reviewed the security situation in the area in light of the recent attacks and concerns about escalation, and presented the operational steps required to thwart terrorism.