Defense Minister Yisrael Katz held a security assessment Monday evening on the situation in Yehuda and Shomron, attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Head of the Operations Directorate, the Head of Military Intelligence, the Commander of Central Command, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Commander of the Yehuda and Shomron Police District, the Defense Minister’s military secretary, and representatives of the Shin Bet and the defense establishment.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the minister instructed the IDF to expand its offensive operations against Palestinian terrorism and to prepare to take control of another “refugee camp,” following the model used in the terror camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur al-Shams, where residents were evacuated, terrorist infrastructure was cleared, and the IDF now maintains a permanent presence.

The Defense Minister’s Office said this policy was introduced by Katz, with the backing of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, upon his assumption of office.

It added that, according to data from the defense establishment, the policy led to an approximately 80% decline in the level of terrorist activity during 2025, with the decline continuing throughout 2026.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)