Israeli Military Deploys Tanks to West Bank, Restricts Return of “Evacuated” Residents

For the first time in over two decades, the Israeli military deployed tanks into the occupied West Bank on Sunday, a move Palestinian authorities have decried as a significant escalation of aggression, CNN reports.

This deployment is part of “Operation Iron Wall,” an ongoing Israeli military campaign focused on the northern West Bank that began last month.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) deployed a tank platoon to Jenin, as Defense Minister Israel Katz announced orders to prepare for a “prolonged presence” in Palestinian refugee camps for the “coming year,” aiming to “prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism.” Katz stated that around 40,000 residents have been “evacuated” from the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams camps. According to CNN, some residents who fled Jenin refugee camp said the Israeli military had ordered them to evacuate and they did not know when they would be allowed to return home.

The IDF stated on Sunday that it was operating in “additional towns” in the Jenin area. Jenin Mayor Mohammad Jarrar told the media outlet that Israeli forces have destroyed private property and infrastructure in the area including more than 100 residential buildings, each consisting of multiple apartments. Hundreds of other residential buildings have been partially destroyed, he said.

The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the “deployment of heavy tanks” as a “step towards escalating its aggression and expanding its crimes against the Palestinian people.”