Threat of West Bank terror down 80%, Katz credits IDF's 'powerful offensive' policy
The number of terror attack threats in the West Bank has dropped by 80%, Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed on Sunday in a post on X/Twitter.
Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps were 'hotbeds of terrorism built with Iranian financing, arms, and guidance as an additional front' in the Axis of Resistance's fight against Israel, Katz stated.
These locations were used to launch terror attacks across the West Bank, he added.
In response to the threat, he instructed the IDF to change its counterterrorism policy, launching a 'powerful offensive' against the refugee camps, including evacuating residents, killing terrorists, dismantling and destroying terror infrastructure, and maintaining a military presence until at least the end of 2025, Katz wrote.
'This is the correct model for fighting terrorism: to strike it and pursue it in the West Bank, in Gaza, and everywhere,' he concluded.
Operation Iron Wall a success?
The IDF began a wide-ranging operation on Palestinian terror in Jenin in January, killing several terrorists in the mission that was meant to last a minimum of several days but will potentially be much longer. Known as Operation Iron Wall, the campaign is being led in coordination with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and is targeting armed terror cells, some directly funded by Iran.
Wearing a face mask outdoors in the West Bank will now be punishable by up to six months in prison, the army announced on July 20.
If an individual is caught committing a crime while wearing one, they can be sentenced to a minimum of two years, solely based on the face mask aspect of the offense.
This unusual move is an initiative to make it harder for both Hamas terrorists and Jewish extremists perpetrating violence and nationalistic offenses to avoid arrest.
Yonah Jeremy Bob and Amir Bohbot contributed to this report.
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Fox News
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- Fox News
French-drafted UNIFIL resolution could shield Hezbollah as US stays silent
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Associated Press
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US grand jury indicts one of Haiti's most powerful gang leaders and one of his friends
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CNN
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Armed group posing as aid workers targeted in Israeli strike as international calls mount for more Gaza aid
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