Israel Orders ‘Extended Stay’ in West Bank, Deploys Tanks for First Time in Decades
Israel announced Sunday that it has instructed its military to prepare for an “extended stay” in parts of the West Bank, intensifying an ongoing crackdown on Palestinian groups. The decision follows two explosions on buses in a suburb near Tel Aviv last Thursday, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office termed an attempted mass attack. Though no casualties were reported, Netanyahu has ordered a more “intensive” operation across the West Bank.
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Over the past month, Israel’s large-scale military campaign in the region has forced tens of thousands of Palestinians to leave their homes in refugee camps, with widespread demolitions of residential buildings and infrastructure. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that military forces will expand their operations in the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur al-Shams in the northern West Bank, aiming to dismantle terrorist infrastructure there. He noted that some 40,000 Palestinians had already left these camps amid the offensive.
As part of the expanded operation, Israel will deploy tanks to Jenin—a move not seen in this northern area for more than two decades. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the tank deployment, calling it “a dangerous Israeli escalation that will not lead to stability or calm.” Katz further announced that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been told to halt its activities in the camps. UNRWA has not yet responded to the directive.
