Katz: We will not allow Palestinian Authority to govern West Bank

"Israeli" Defense Minister Israel Katz declared on Tuesday that the Israeli Occupation will not allow the Palestinian Authority (PA) to assert control over the occupied West Bank. His remarks came during a tour of the region alongside far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

In a recorded statement, Katz reiterated "Israel’s" stance against Palestinian governance in the territory, referring to it by its "Israeli" designation. “Just as we crush Palestinian terrorism in the camps of Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams, we will prevent any attempt by the Palestinian Authority to take control of Judea and Samaria and harm Jewish settlements,” he said.

The PA, which has limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank, has long sought full sovereignty over the area as part of a future Palestinian state. However, the Israeli Occupation's current government, which includes hardline nationalist figures like Smotrich, has repeatedly opposed such efforts.