Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF last week to prepare to capture and evacuate an additional Palestinian refugee camp in Judea and Samaria, replicating the Jenin model, according to a report by Army Radio journalists. Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Blot opposes the move, arguing that no camp currently has terror infrastructure warranting such a broad operation and that recent attacks did not originate from camps. The IDF said it would not elaborate on operational plans.
The report by Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio) reveals a new point of friction between Defense Minister Israel Katz and Central Command commander Maj. Gen. Avi Blot. According to the report, Katz instructed the IDF last week to prepare for the capture and evacuation of another refugee camp in Judea and Samaria, modeled on the operations in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur a-Shams, which involved clearing residents and maintaining a permanent IDF presence. However, Central Command's professional assessment is that no camp currently houses terror infrastructure on a scale that justifies such a comprehensive operation. The command argued that recent attacks did not originate from refugee camps. The command acknowledged that large-scale military operations could be conducted in camps like Balata in Shechem or Kalandia near Jerusalem, but only in a targeted manner focused on arrests and searches, not full capture and evacuation.
The IDF responded that it would not elaborate on operational plans or discuss closed-door discussions, but stated that it is prepared to implement the directives of the political echelon.
The report adds to existing tensions between Katz and Blot, which previously surfaced over the case of Tal Yanon Dardik, an Israeli resident of Judea and Samaria held in administrative detention. The Zioneer reported on July 28 that Katz had instructed the IDF to prepare for the capture of another camp, and on August 3 that MK Avichai Buaron (Likud) called on Blot to implement the defense minister's instructions.
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