Katz says Israeli forces will maintain permanent presence in northern West Bank refugee camps

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that the displacement of residents from refugee camps in the northern occupied West Bank and the establishment of a permanent Israeli military presence there had contributed to a sharp decline in Palestinian attacks.

Katz made the remarks following a security assessment attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior security officials at the military’s Central Command headquarters.

According to Katz, the meeting reviewed the security situation in the West Bank, ongoing Israeli military operations and what he described as the “dramatic growth of settlements.”

The defence minister said figures presented during the assessment showed that Palestinian “attacks” had declined for a second consecutive year, reaching what he described as “unprecedentedly low levels.”

Katz attributed the decline to the Israeli government’s intensified military policy in the West Bank, including operations in refugee camps in the north.

He specifically cited Israeli directives to evacuate refugee camps, destroy what Israel claims to be militant infrastructure and maintain a permanent military presence inside the camps, saying the measures had significantly weakened Palestinian armed groups.

Large-scale Israeli military operations in the northern West Bank have resulted in prolonged displacement from refugee camps, particularly in the Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams areas, alongside extensive demolitions and changes to the camps’ infrastructure.

Earlier on Monday, Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister had conducted an assessment at Central Command headquarters focusing on what it described as security challenges in the West Bank.

Palestinian authorities and humanitarian organisations have raised concerns about the displacement of camp residents and the destruction of civilian property during Israeli attacks.