Israel warns of 'full-scale war' if Palestinian Authority launches Oct. 7-style attack

Israel on Monday threatened a "full-scale war" against the Palestinian Authority if it prepared an attack against Israeli forces or settlements similar to the one launched by Hamas from Gaza on October 7, 2023. The unusual warning, denounced by Palestinian authorities as an attempt to fuel the conflict during the Israeli election season, comes as violence surges in the occupied territory. The remarks from Defence Minister Israel Katz followed a stabbing attack that wounded an Israeli settler in the northern West Bank, with the military saying it had shot and killed the Palestinian assailant. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Recent months have seen soaring attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, often with little or no legal consequence. "If... the Palestinian Authority's security mechanisms and related bodies initiate, or we know with certainty that they are about to initiate, a terror attack in the style of October 7 against IDF forces and Jewish settlements – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the IDF to prepare for the opening of a full-scale war," Defence Minister Israel Katz said. Watch moreNetanyahu condemns violence in West Bank Ka...