Israel’s foreign minister has faced widespread criticism for advocating the displacement of Palestinians from their homes in the occupied West Bank during a major Israeli military operation initiated on Wednesday.
Shortly after the raid commenced, Israel Katz posted on X, suggesting that the response to the [terror] threat in the West Bank should mirror the approach taken against terror infrastructure in Gaza. This includes the “temporary evacuation of Palestinian civilians and any other necessary measures.”
Katz later clarified that such “temporary evacuations” would occur “in specific instances of intense combat,” where Palestinians would be relocated “from one neighborhood to another within the refugee camp to prevent civilian casualties.”
These remarks were made as Israel launched its most extensive operation in the West Bank in decades. Drones targeted Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas, while troops engaged with Palestinians on the ground. According to the Wafa news agency, at least 17 Palestinians were killed.
Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, warned on X that “the major Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank should not set the stage for a broader conflict from Gaza, including widespread destruction.” He added that Katz’s comparison, particularly regarding the evacuation of Palestinian residents, “risks escalating instability.”
Borrell later told reporters that Katz’s remarks were “utterly unacceptable” and expressed hope that EU ministers would denounce them.
In response, Katz accused Borrell of spreading “a blatant lie,” akin to his “previous falsehood” concerning Katz’s statements about Gaza. Katz reiterated on X that he “oppose[s] the displacement of any population from their homes.”
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi described Israel’s actions in the West Bank as “a dangerous escalation that must be halted.” He emphasized that the region’s security should not be held hostage by the radicalism of Israel’s government, insisting that international law must be enforced.
A former senior Jordanian official, speaking anonymously to MEE, described Israel’s offensive and Katz’s comments as “a nightmare scenario” that Jordan has long feared.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry also condemned Israel’s actions in the West Bank, labeling the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as “the primary threat to international security.”
Humza Yousaf, the former Scottish first minister, also condemned Katz and questioned the “temporary” nature of the displacements. “Who does he think he is fooling? There was nothing temporary about the forcible displacement and removal of Palestinians from their homes in 1948,” Yousaf said on Instagram. He added, “There is nothing temporary about Gazans being forced to flee as Israeli bombs rain down on them.”
He further stated that the removal of people from their land to be replaced by others of a different ethnic origin is “the textbook definition of ethnic cleansing.”
Since the onset of Israel’s assault on Gaza in October, violence and human rights abuses in the occupied West Bank have sharply escalated. According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 628 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank and East Jerusalem between 7 October and 27 August.
Reports from human rights organizations and NGOs indicate that over the past 10 months, more than 10,000 Palestinians have been detained, 1,000 displaced, and nearly 160,000 adversely affected by demolitions.
