Israeli Minister: “Palestine May Be Recognized on Paper—We’re Cementing Facts on the Ground”
Israeli Defense Minister declares defiance of international pressure, steps into evacuated site near Jenin amid sweeping raids, arrests, and settler violence across the occupied West Bank.
Watan-On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz declared that Israel will build a “Jewish Israeli state” in the West Bank, a day after the Israeli cabinet approved the construction of 22 new settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.
In a statement from his office, Katz framed the move as a “firm response to terrorist organizations” and a direct message to French President Emmanuel Macron and his allies:
“They will recognize a Palestinian state on paper, and we will build the Jewish Israeli state here—on the ground.”
Katz made these remarks during a high-profile incursion into the evacuated Israeli site of “Tarsala”, near the town of Jaba’, south of Jenin. The visit was accompanied by helicopters and a heavy military presence, marking a provocative step to reinforce Israel’s expansionist policies.
Israeli forces simultaneously launched wide-scale raids across the West Bank, including Jenin, Hebron, Nablus, Qalqilya, Tulkarem, and Ramallah, resulting in injuries, arrests, and property destruction, with settlers also carrying out organized attacks on Palestinian towns.
Katz emphasized that the West Bank will witness enhanced settlement expansion, stating:
“Macron and his friends can keep their paper recognitions—we’ll bury them in the trash heap of history. We will not bow to sanctions or threats.”
Among the newly authorized settlements are reinstated outposts such as Sanur, which had been evacuated in 2005, along with Homesh, Ganim, Kadim, and the Dothan-Araba military camp.
Military raids in Idhna (Hebron) resulted in six Palestinians shot with live ammunition, while settlers from Telem and Adora staged provocative marches under Israeli army protection. Occupation forces also sealed roads and blocked Palestinian movement with earth mounds.
Elsewhere:
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In Tulkarem, homes in Allar and Sida were raided.
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In Nablus, forces stormed al-Lubban al-Sharqiya and Deir Sharaf.
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In Qalqilya, youth Anas Qur’an was arrested.
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In Jenin, soldiers arrested relatives of resistance fighter Abdul Karim Sanubar.
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In Siris, more home invasions occurred.
Meanwhile, settler attacks escalated, including the blocking of Gaza-bound aid trucks, organized by far-right group “Tzav 9.” Participants included the father of released hostage Omer Winckert, who stated:
“No aid to Hamas. That’s the only way to save our hostages and our country.”
In Ramallah, hundreds of settlers gathered between the settlements of Atarot and Halamish, waving Israeli flags and threatening nearby Palestinian communities. Similar violence occurred in Umm Safa, where prior settler raids had torched vehicles and homes.
In the Jordan Valley, settlers set up a new outpost near Umm al-Qaba, including a livestock pen and water tanks, effectively blocking Palestinian access to pasture lands. More land was fenced off in Ein al-Hilweh, further eroding Palestinian rural rights.
As violence spreads, the Palestinian monitoring center Ma’ta reported nearly 900 settler attacks since January 2025, revealing the scale of systematic settler violence.
In Jerusalem, Israel’s ban on waste collection trucks from crossing the Qalandiya checkpoint has led to a 150% accumulation of garbage in Kafr Aqab, creating severe health and environmental risks. Trucks are now forced to take hours-long detours, worsening delays and sanitation breakdowns.
