Israel threatens senior Palestinian officials with 'all-out war' in occupied West Bank
Israel will launch an "all-out war" in the occupied West Bank if any military operations are discovered being planned by groups linked to the Palestinian Authority, Defence Minister Israel Katz has said.
Katz said on Monday that in such an operation they would wage a broad campaign against senior PA officials, its security apparatuses and "terrorist infrastructure" in the occupied territory.
He told reporters that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the Israeli army to prepare for such an operation if the security situation "deteriorated".
“We will not allow a return to the reality of an intifada lasting for years, as was the case in the past,” he said.
“We will not allow a return to the reality of October 7 - we will ensure the security of Israeli residents and communities everywhere.”
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Fighting in the occupied West Bank between 2000 and 2005 - commonly referred to as the Second Intifada - claimed thousands of lives, mainly Palestinians and Israeli settlers.
Groups associated with the PA took part in the fighting, including the al-Aqsa Martyr Brigades group linked to the ruling Fatah party.
In the wake of the intifada, however, the PA has been widely criticised for its cooperation with the Israeli security services and involvement in suppressing Palestinian campaigners and armed groups in the West Bank.
Katz said any major operation against the PA would emulate the so-called "security zones" established in Gaza and Lebanon.
On Monday, the Israeli military said it shot and killed a Palestinian who had stabbed an Israeli settler in the north of the West Bank.
Israel's Magen David Adom emergency services said a man in his 20s had been taken to hospital in a moderate to serious condition.
Jewish settlers also shot and killed a Palestinian man in Hajeh village, east of Qalqilya, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The ministry confirmed the death after earlier reports that Israeli forces and settlers had opened fire on Palestinians in the village, wounding several people.
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