Katz Says Displaced Palestinians Cannot Return to Hebron Neighborhoods Until Hamas Issues Are Resolved

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not allow Palestinians displaced from their homes in Hebron to return until it had resolved what he described as problems with Hamas in the city.

Katz said around 2,000 Palestinians had been displaced from their homes in Hebron.

He said they would be barred from returning to their neighborhoods “until we resolve all the problems with Hamas in Hebron.”

His remarks made their return conditional on Israel’s assessment of its unresolved issues with Hamas, rather than setting a date for residents to go home.