Katz says Israeli forces will maintain permanent presence in northern West Bank refugee camps

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that the displacement of residents from refugee camps in the northern occupied West Bank and the establishment of a permanent Israeli military presence there had contributed to a sharp decline in Palestinian attacks.

Katz made the remarks following a security assessment attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior security officials at the military’s Central Command headquarters.

According to Katz, the meeting reviewed the security situation in the West Bank, ongoing Israeli military operations and what he described as the “dramatic growth of settlements.” The defence minister said figures presented during the assessment showed that Palestinian “attacks” had declined for a second consecutive year, […]