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Israeli Defense Minister: IDF Preparing for Possibility of War with Palestinian Authority
(Times of Israel) Emanuel Fabian - Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz briefed ministers at the weekly Cabinet meeting on the military's preparations in Judea and Samaria, telling them that the IDF has been ordered to be ready for a scenario of war with the Palestinian Authority. A "reference scenario" for the IDF "stipulates that preparations must be made for the possibility of an attack by jihadist elements against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, as a lesson from the events of Oct. 7." Katz said the IDF "is preparing for a scenario in which the Palestinian Authority security forces and the Tanzim organization affiliated with it turn their guns against Israeli civilians and IDF troops. In such a case, war would be declared against the Palestinian Authority, and the IDF would launch a comprehensive offensive in accordance with a detailed plan formulated and approved by Prime Minister Netanyahu and by me, based on the principles outlined for the IDF." Such a campaign against the PA "would be short and forceful and would include the use of ground and air forces and special means, the elimination and expulsion of senior officials, the destruction of weapons, and the large-scale evacuation of residents and destruction of terror infrastructure inside the cities and in all refugee camps...in accordance with the Gaza and Lebanon models....There will not be an intifada lasting years as there was in the past, but rather a short and forceful war with a clear decision and a change in the reality."