Israel expands West Bank offensive, says troops to remain ‘for next year’

Israeli officials have stated that they are expanding their military operations in the occupied West Bank and are preparing to have troops stationed in some refugee camps for "the coming year." This move indicates a further strengthening of Israel's military presence in the West Bank and could have a profound impact on the lives of local residents, potentially leading to increased tensions and restrictions.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that the military had "evacuated" three refugee camps in the northern West Bank and had been ordered to remain there "to prevent the return of [Palestinian] residents." He claimed: "So far, 40,000 Palestinians have been evacuated from the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams refugee camps, which are now empty." Katz added that he had instructed soldiers to "prepare for a long-term stay of one year in the cleared camps and to prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism," suggesting a prolonged period of control and surveillance.

For more than a month, Israeli forces have been raiding Palestinian homes and using bulldozers to destroy key infrastructure. These attacks have been mainly concentrated in Jenin and Tulkarem, causing significant damage and displacement. The Israeli military stated that tanks were deployed in Jenin for the first time since the end of the Second Intifada in 2005, marking a significant escalation in the use of force. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, condemned the decision to deploy tanks in the northern West Bank, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Abu Rudeineh stated: "This is a dangerous Israeli escalation that will not bring stability or calm, and we warn against this dangerous escalation." Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp have been under Israeli siege since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in the Gaza Strip came into effect on January 19, during which at least 27 Palestinians have been killed there. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to conduct "intensive" operations in the West Bank after an explosion on an empty bus near Tel Aviv, which Netanyahu's office called a large-scale attack attempt. The explosion caused no casualties, and no organization has claimed responsibility for it, leaving the motive and perpetrator uncertain.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Israeli forces and settlers also continued to launch attacks throughout the West Bank on Sunday. In Nablus, at least eight people were arrested in Israeli raids, and another two were detained in Beit Hanina, a community north of East Jerusalem. WAFA stated that Israeli bulldozers also destroyed power lines and water pipes in the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, and added that Israeli soldiers once again set up a military checkpoint at the entrance to Al-Isawiya, another neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 800 Palestinians in the West Bank, reflecting a significant increase in violence and casualties in the region.