Israel has warned of a 'full-scale war' against the Palestinian Authority if it is believed to be preparing an attack on Israeli forces or settlements similar to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault. The warning, issued by Defence Minister Israel Katz, follows a stabbing attack that wounded an Israeli settler in the northern West Bank. The military said it had shot and killed the Palestinian assailant. The statement was denounced by Palestinian authorities as an attempt to fuel the conflict during the Israeli election season.

Katz stated that if the Palestinian Authority's security mechanisms or related bodies initiated or were about to initiate a terror attack in the style of October 7, the IDF would prepare for a full-scale war. The operation would target the 'senior leadership and mechanisms' of the Palestinian Authority, as well as 'all terror infrastructure' in the territory. It would include 'targeted killings of senior figures' and the 'evacuation of residents from the cities and villages from which terror activity is carried out', with a permanent Israeli military presence in those areas. The military would emulate the so-called 'security zones' currently operating in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

In a separate statement, the Israeli military said it would continue to 'remove threats' from Hezbollah following air strikes in southern Lebanon. The strikes killed 12 people, including two children, and targeted Hezbollah 'infrastructure sites' and 'several terrorists' transferring weapons. A Hezbollah member was killed in the Beaufort fortress after opening fire on Israeli troops, with two soldiers lightly injured. The militant was later 'eliminated' by the military.

Rawhi Fattouh, president of the Palestinian National Council, criticized Katz's statement, calling it evidence of the 'aggressive and racist nature of the Israeli government'. He said the comments 'confirm that it is not seeking a partner for peace, but rather a permanent fuel for conflict and the spread of chaos and instability'. The Palestinian Authority does not officially engage in militant activity and its security forces have worked to crack down on local militancy in the West Bank. There was no indication that Monday's attack was carried out with the consent or knowledge of the Palestinian Authority.

Following a manhunt, the Israeli military said it shot and killed a Palestinian assailant who had stabbed an Israeli settler in the northern occupied West Bank. The victim was taken to hospital in a moderate to serious condition. The assailant, identified as 34-year-old Mahmoud Mohammed Arabi Mohsen, was reported to have been 'suffering from a mental illness' for around four years. Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas called for 'escalating the resistance and engaging with the enemy soldiers and setter gangs'. Earlier on Monday, the Palestinian health ministry reported a man was killed during a settler attack in the village of Hajja, in the northern West Bank. The Israeli military said troops had been dispatched to the area following a report of friction between Palestinians and settlers. It said Palestinians had thrown stones at soldiers, who 'carried out arrest procedures, including firing warning shots into the air, followed by fire toward key instigators'. The incident was under review.

Violence in the West Bank has surged since Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the war in Gaza. According to an AFP tally based on data from the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 1,106 Palestinians in the West Bank, including both militants and civilians, since the start of the Gaza war. Israeli figures show at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations during the same period.