During the pursuit of the suspect, he also attempted to stab a soldier, according to The Zioneer. Following the attack, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have instructed the IDF to prepare for a full-scale war against Palestinian Authority officials and terror infrastructure in Judea and Samaria, with the goal of a swift and complete defeat. Katz outlined measures including targeted eliminations of senior figures, evacuation of Palestinian cities and villages from which terror activity is conducted, destruction of terror infrastructure, and a lasting IDF presence on cleared ground, similar to the models in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
Today (Monday), a stabbing attack occurred in Samaria. According to The Zioneer, the assailant attempted to stab an IDF soldier during the pursuit that followed the attack. In response, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced at approximately 11:53 Jerusalem that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have instructed the IDF to prepare for a full-scale war against senior Palestinian Authority officials, its mechanisms, and all terror infrastructure in Judea and Samaria, with the goal of a swift and complete defeat. Katz outlined measures including targeted eliminations, evacuation of Palestinian cities and villages from which terror activity originates, destruction of terror infrastructure, and a lasting IDF presence on cleared ground, explicitly comparing this approach to the security zones established in Gaza and southern Lebanon. This directive marks a significant escalation in Israel's security posture in the region.
The earliest reporting on this development came at 11:53 Jerusalem, when The Zioneer published initial details of the attack and Katz's statement. A subsequent update at the same time added specifics about Katz's comparison to the Gaza and Lebanon models, and a fuller bulletin was later published at 14:43 Jerusalem consolidating the details. Prior to today, The Zioneer reported on July 24 that Netanyahu and Katz announced five immediate counter-terror measures after a previous attack in Samaria, including home demolition and village operations. Broader policy evolution was tracked in June and July 2026, when Katz repeatedly stated that Israel would not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and northern Samaria, framing these as a critical lesson of October 7, 2023 (The Zioneer, July 1). On June 12, The Zioneer reported that Katz explicitly linked the security zone doctrine to preventing threats like those that led to the October 7 invasion.
This policy trajectory has been consistent. As The Zioneer reported on July 1, Katz and Netanyahu visited southern Lebanon and articulated a policy of indefinite presence in buffer zones. The defense minister has described the maintenance of these zones as a 'critical lesson' of October 7, emphasizing proactive presence rather than waiting for threats to reach borders (The Zioneer, June 12). The current directive extends this logic to Judea and Samaria, applying the same 'security-first' doctrine already implemented in northern Samaria refugee camps like Jenin and Tulkarm (The Zioneer, July 28 background). In the July 28 assessment, Katz instructed the IDF to prepare for the capture of another refugee camp, noting an approximately 80% reduction in terror activity in 2025–2026.
It remains unclear whether the 'full-scale war' directive will lead to an immediate operational shift or represents a preparatory step. The specific timeline and scope of operations have not been detailed. The response of the Palestinian Authority and international actors is also yet to be determined.
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Source and signal
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