Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said that Israeli forces will remain stationed at the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera reports.

“We have declared war on Palestinian terrorism in Judea and Samaria,” Katz said, the outlet Israel Hayom reported, using biblical terms for the occupied West Bank.

“The Jenin refugee camp will not return to what it was — after the operation is completed, [the Israeli military] will remain in the camp to ensure that terrorism does not return,” he claimed.

Mohammad Jarrar, Jenin mayor, has said that about 15,000 residents have already been forced to flee the city of Jenin and its refugee camp due to the Israeli operation.