Israel's army on Sunday announced an expansion of its operations in the occupied West Bank by deploying a tank division in the Jenin city. The announcement follows a directive from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to increase operations in response to bomb blasts on buses in central Israel on Thursday.
"IDF (military), Shin Bet (security agency), and border police forces continue their counterterrorism operation in northern Samaria (West Bank) and are expanding offensive activities in the area," a military statement said. It added that “a tank division will operate in Jenin as part of the offensive effort,” read a statement.
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This is the first such deployment since the end of the second intifada (uprising) in 2005, AFP reported.
The army also “evacuated” refugees from three camps in northern areas of the West Bank to “prevent the return of residents.”
“So far, 40,000 Palestinians have evacuated from the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams, which are now empty of residents,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
{{/usCountry}}“So far, 40,000 Palestinians have evacuated from the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams, which are now empty of residents,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
{{/usCountry}}He also instructed the armed forces to prepare to stay in some of the West Bank's urban refugee camps “for the coming year” to prevent a “resurgence of terrorism.”
“I have instructed (troops) to prepare for a prolonged presence in the cleared camps for the coming year and to prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism,” Katz said.
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Days after the phase one ceasefire with Hamas took effect on January 19, Israel began its ‘military operations’ called the “Iron Wall” targeting refugee camps near Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas cities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that the operations were a “very important work against Hamas and other terrorist organisations' desire to harm us.”
According to the United Nations, at least 51 Palestinians, including seven children, and three IDF soldiers have been killed since Israel's assault began.
The Palestinian health ministry accused Israeli troops of killing a 13-year-old girl by “live fire.” A 13-year-old boy was also killed near the West Bank city of Hebron, it added.
Violence in the West Bank has surged since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Israel's offensive in the West Bank has displaced at least 40,000 people.
(With agency inputs)