Defense minister demands IDF prevent Palestinian celebrations for released prisoners

By Emanuel Fabian

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20 January 2025, 8:03 pm

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Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

A crowd gathers around a bus carrying released Palestinian security prisoners as it arrives in the West Bank city of Beitunia, on January 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the IDF to prevent celebrations and parades by Palestinians during the upcoming releases of security prisoners in the hostage deal with Hamas.

“All measures must be taken to prevent the recurrence of celebrations and mass Palestinian marches in honor of the release of Palestinian terrorists to Judea and Samaria,” Katz says in a letter to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.

Katz adds that the army must attack “any armed Palestinian terrorist who participates in these marches.”