Smotrich calls on Netanyahu to reject the return of Palestinians to the West Bank camps

Tel Aviv - Ofoq News - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Army Minister Yisrael Katz to issue instructions to the army not to implement the decision of the Israeli Supreme Court regarding the return of displaced Palestinians to the Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps in the northern West Bank, warning that their return may allow the armed Palestinian factions to rebuild their infrastructure in the region.

In a statement, Smotrich accused the three judges who issued the decision of endangering Israel's security, considering that allowing the return of residents might lead to the re-establishment of what he described as the "terrorist infrastructure" in the northern West Bank.

He also called on the government to prevent the re-establishment of what he called "strongholds of terrorism" inside the camps.

The Israeli minister's statements came following a decision issued by the Supreme Court, on Sunday, in which it demanded that the authorities present a timetable explaining the remaining steps to enable the displaced residents to return to their homes, while examining the possibility of accelerating the implementation of the procedures, and responding to allegations related to deficiencies in the humanitarian aid provided to those affected.

According to Israeli media, the court’s decision did not include an order for the immediate return of residents or the withdrawal of the army from the camps. Rather, it acknowledged that the security conditions that the Israeli authorities consider necessary for the return of the displaced have not yet been created, and called on the government to specify the expected period for completing the required procedures. The court set November 23 as a deadline for submitting the state’s response.

In January 2025, the Israeli army began a large military operation in the Jenin camp, before it later extended to the Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps, which led to the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians, while continuing to prevent them from returning to their homes.