# Katz orders preparations for extended West Bank stay

Date: 2025

On 23 February 2025, Israel sent tanks into the occupied West Bank as Defence Minister [Israel Katz](/people/israel-katz) said he had instructed the military to prepare for an extended stay in refugee camps targeted by an expanding operation. Reuters reported that Katz said about 40,000 Palestinians had been displaced from camps including Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams. He said residents would not be allowed to return while Israeli forces remained deployed.

The instruction was not simply a description of combat already under way. It extended the expected duration of the military presence and tied that presence to continued exclusion of displaced residents. Israeli officials said the operation targeted militant infrastructure and armed groups. Palestinian officials and rights advocates warned that prolonged displacement risked becoming more permanent. The record shows the minister's direct order and its stated displacement context without assuming that every displaced person left for the same reason or that the final duration was known on the day the order was issued.

## People

- Israel Katz: https://factrail.ai/people/israel-katz

## Drivers

- Forced-Displacement Scale: https://factrail.ai/drivers/forced-displacement-scale

## Sources

- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-defence-minister-tells-military-prepare-extended-west-bank-stay-2025-02-23/

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/il-katz-orders-extended-west-bank-military-stay-2025-02-23