Defense minister urges fortifying military presence in Judea and Samaria to prevent ‘Oct 7-style attack’

Katz said recent operations in Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur al-Shams have prevented 80% of potential terror attacks in the area.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, addressing the IDF’s Judea and Samaria Division, warned soldiers to be prepared for an attack similar to the one Hamas perpetrated on Oct. 7, 2023, in the south.

He urged military forces to “prepare to respond to a possible Oct. 7-style attack on communities in Judea and Samaria and along the seamline.”

The attack on Oct. 7 involved the mass infiltration of thousands of terrorists and claimed the lives of 1,200 people, with 251 taken captive.

Katz also said the military should build upon progress achieved in the past year during its operations in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur al-Shams, which he said have prevented 80% of potential terror attacks in the area.

The defense minister said the army should re-create the success of these operations to prevent a large-scale attack similar to the one on Oct. 7.

He added that just as the IDF has served as a necessary buffer preventing attacks on Israel from Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, it should adopt the same strategy in Judea and Samaria to protect the country.

With this goal in mind, he encouraged the establishment of additional military bases in northern Samaria. “It is a historical rectification of both defensive and settlement importance, and the return to northern Samaria strengthens security and stability in the area,” he said.

Earlier this month, a report from Israel’s Channel 14 featured a warning from a senior IDF official about the presence of Iranian-supplied firepower in the hands of Palestinian terrorists in Judea and Samaria.

In response, the IDF has intensified its operations in the area.

“We have to start from the clear fact that weapons in Judea and Samaria [Israel’s preferred name for the West Bank] could upset the current stalemate,” the IDF official told Channel 14.

“We shouldn’t see this scenario only as an attack on dozens of communities. A single deadly strike is enough—we must also prepare for lethal, localized attacks,” the IDF official said. “Our responsibility is to protect both individuals and the broader community.”