Israeli tanks have moved into the occupied West Bank for the first time since 2002, shortly after the Defence Minister stated troops will stay “for the coming year” in elements of the territory and indicated that Palestinians who’ve fled can not return.
Associated Press journalists noticed a handful of tanks move Sunday (February 23, 2025) into Jenin, lengthy a bastion of armed battle towards Israel.
Israel is deepening its crackdown on the Palestinian territory and has stated it’s decided to stamp out militancy amid an increase in assaults. It launched the offensive in the northern West Bank on January 21 — two days after the present ceasefire in Gaza took maintain — and expanded it to close by areas.
Palestinians view such raids as a part of an effort to cement Israeli management over the territory, the place 3 million Palestinians dwell beneath navy rule. The lethal raids have prompted destruction in city areas.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the navy to “improve the depth of the exercise to thwart terrorism” in all refugee camps in the West Bank.
“We will not allow the return of residents, and we will not allow terrorism to return and grow,” he said.
Earlier, Mr. Katz said he had instructed the military to prepare for “an extended stay” in some of the West Bank’s urban refugee camps, from where he said about 40,000 Palestinians have fled, leaving the areas “emptied of residents.” That figure was confirmed by the United Nations.
The camps are home to descendants of Palestinians who fled or were forced to flee during wars with Israel decades ago.
It was not clear how lengthy Palestinians can be prevented from returning. Mr. Netanyahu stated Israeli forces will stay “as long as needed.”
Tanks were last deployed in the territory in 2002, when Israel fought a deadly Palestinian uprising.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called the Israeli moves “a dangerous escalation of the situation in the West Bank,” and urged the worldwide group in a press release to intervene in what it termed Israel’s unlawful “aggression.”
Under interim peace agreements from the early Nineties, Israel maintains management over giant elements of the West Bank, whereas the Palestinian Authority administers different areas. Israel frequently sends troops into Palestinian zones however sometimes withdraws them as soon as missions are accomplished.
The U.N. says the present Israeli navy operation is the longest since the Palestinian rebellion of the early 2000s.
Violence has surged in the West Bank all through the Israel-Hamas warfare in Gaza. Israel has carried out raids, however with preventing in Gaza and Lebanon on maintain, Mr. Netanyahu has been beneath stress from far-right governing companions to crack down on militancy in the West Bank.
More than 800 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the warfare in Gaza erupted on Oct. 7, 2023 with a Hamas assault on southern Israel. Israel says most have been militants, however stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions in addition to individuals not concerned in confrontations have additionally been killed. In the most up-to-date operation, a pregnant Palestinian girl was killed.
Jewish settlers even have carried out rampages in Palestinian areas in the territory. There has additionally been a spike in Palestinian assaults emanating from the West Bank. On Thursday (February 20, 2025), blasts rocked three empty buses in Israel in what police view as a suspected militant assault.
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast warfare. Palestinians need all three territories for their future unbiased state.
The West Bank raids come at a delicate time, as the truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza stays tenuous.
With per week left in the ceasefire’s first section, Israel and Hamas don’t seem to have begun negotiations on its second one. The truce’s collapse may result in renewed preventing in Gaza, the place Mr. Netanyahu has stated 63 hostages stay, together with the stays of a soldier captured in 2014.
The U.S. particular envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, instructed CNN on Sunday (February 23, 2025) he expects the second section to go ahead, including: “We have to get an extension of phase one and so I’ll be going into the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that.” He instructed CBS he’ll go to Qatar, Egypt, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Israel stated early Sunday (February 23, 2025) that it was delaying the newest launch of lots of of Palestinian prisoners till it will get assurances that Hamas stops what Israel calls “humiliating” handovers of hostages.
The 620 prisoners ought to have been launched shortly after six Israeli hostages in Gaza have been freed Saturday (February 22, 2025) — 5 of them in staged ceremonies criticized by the U.S. and Red Cross as merciless.
Palestinian relations have been distraught. “What have the prisoners done? We don’t know what happened. They killed our joy,” stated one mom, Najah Zaqqot.
Meanwhile, Mr. Netanyahu confronted new criticism over the warfare whereas talking at a navy commencement. As he held up an image of Shiri Bibas and her younger boys, Ariel and Kfir, whose stays have been returned from Gaza final week, to reveal “what we are fighting against,” viewers members referred to as out “Shame!” and “Why didn’t you save them?” The Prime Minister didn’t react.
Published – February 24, 2025 12:00 am IST
