Israel announced on Sunday that it is expanding its military offensive across the occupied West Bank and has deployed tanks in the northern West Bank city of Jenin for the first time in over 20 years.
The country is preparing for its troops to remain in some refugee camps for the next year. Defence Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the army had “evacuated” three refugee camps in northern West Bank and had been ordered to remain there “to prevent the return of [Palestinian] residents”.
In a statement Katz said,
“So far, 40,000 Palestinians have evacuated from the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams, which are now empty of residents.”
He added,
“I have instructed [soldiers] to prepare for a prolonged presence in the cleared camps for the next year and to prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism.”
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, instructed the military to carry out an “intensive” operation in the West Bank in response to explosions on Thursday on empty buses near Tel Aviv.
Spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, condoned Israel’s decision to deploy tanks in the region. “This is a dangerous Israeli escalation that will not lead to stability or calm, and we warn of this dangerous escalation," he said.
Since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire came into effect in the Gaza Strip on 19 January, Jenin and its refugee camp have been under Israeli siege. At least 27 Palestinians have been killed there.