Archive · 7 Sep 2026
Israel Threatens Full-Scale War Against Palestinian Authority After Attack
Israel’s defence minister warned that Israel could begin a much larger war in the West Bank.
He said this would happen if the Palestinian Authority prepared an attack like Hamas’s October 7 attack.
The warning came after a Palestinian was accused of stabbing an Israeli settler.
Israeli soldiers said they shot and killed the attacker.
Israel says it would target Palestinian leaders and armed groups.
It also said some residents might be moved from places where attacks happen.
Hamas responded by calling for more resistance against Israeli soldiers and settlers.
The October 7 attack killed 1,221 people in Israel, according to an AFP tally.
Israel’s military response in Gaza has killed at least 73,651 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Israel could launch a full-scale war against the Palestinian Authority if an October 7-style attack were being prepared.
Katz said any campaign would target Palestinian Authority leaders, security mechanisms and alleged terror infrastructure in the West Bank.
The warning followed an Israeli military report that soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian who allegedly stabbed an Israeli settler.
Israel said the campaign could include targeted killings, evacuations and a permanent military presence in affected areas.
Hamas called for intensified resistance, while the October 7 attack and Israel’s Gaza offensive have caused thousands of deaths and hostage-taking.
- Who
- Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Israeli forces, and a Palestinian attacker were involved or mentioned.
- What
- Israel warned it could launch a full-scale war against the Palestinian Authority if an October 7-style attack were prepared, following a stabbing attack in the northern West Bank.
- When
- The warning and stabbing attack were reported on Monday; the referenced Hamas attack occurred on October 7, 2023.
- Where
- The immediate incident occurred in the northern occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority is based in Ramallah, and the broader conflict includes Gaza.
- Why
- Katz said the threat was intended to deter or respond to a possible attack by Palestinian Authority security bodies against Israeli forces or Jewish settlements.
Israeli Government Position
Palestinian and Hamas Position
Response to possible attacks
Israeli Government Position
Israel says it must prepare for a full-scale campaign if Palestinian Authority security bodies are about to launch an October 7-style attack against Israeli forces or Jewish settlements.
Palestinian and Hamas Position
Hamas urged Palestinians to escalate resistance and confront Israeli soldiers and settler groups after the West Bank stabbing incident.
Military measures in the West Bank
Israeli Government Position
Israel says it could target Palestinian Authority leadership and alleged terror infrastructure, including through targeted killings, evacuations and permanent military deployments.
Palestinian and Hamas Position
The article reports Palestinian objections through Hamas’s call for resistance, but does not provide a separate Palestinian Authority statement on the proposed measures.
Interpretation of security actions
Israeli Government Position
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue eliminating terrorists, pursuing those who send them and destroying alleged infrastructure in the West Bank.
Palestinian and Hamas Position
The article places these actions in the context of increased West Bank violence and rising attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, often with little or no legal consequence.
- Israeli warning
- Israel Katz said Israel could prepare a full-scale war against the Palestinian Authority if an October 7-style attack were imminent.
- Potential targets
- Katz named the Palestinian Authority’s senior leadership, security mechanisms and alleged terror infrastructure.
- Possible tactics
- The proposed campaign could include targeted killings, evacuations and a permanent Israeli military presence in affected areas.
- Immediate incident
- The Israeli military said it shot and killed a Palestinian attacker after an Israeli settler was stabbed in the northern West Bank.
- Israeli casualty
- Magen David Adom said an Israeli man in his 20s was hospitalized in moderate to serious condition with multiple stab wounds.
- Hamas response
- Hamas called for an escalation of resistance and engagement with Israeli soldiers and settler groups.
- Reported war tolls
- An AFP tally based on Israeli official figures said the October 7 attack killed 1,221 people and involved 251 hostages; Gaza’s health ministry reported at least 73,651 deaths from Israel’s offensive.