Israel Announces Prolonged Military Presence in Evacuated West Bank Camps for the Coming Year

JERUSALEM, Feb 23, 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Israel has announced that its military will remain in evacuated West Bank refugee camps for the next year, following a series of intensified operations in the region. The expanded operations will include tank deployments and continued raids, which have already led to the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians.

A month ago, Israel launched a large-scale raid against Palestinian militants in the West Bank, shortly after a truce was established in Gaza, another Palestinian territory. The Israeli operation has primarily focused on several refugee camps near the cities of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas.

As of now, Defence Minister Israel Katz reported that approximately 40,000 Palestinians have evacuated from the camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams, which are currently uninhabited. He stated, “I have instructed [troops] to prepare for a prolonged presence in the cleared camps for the coming year and to prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism.”

The United Nations has reported at least 51 Palestinian casualties, including seven children, and three Israeli soldiers. The offensive has also displaced over 40,000 people in the region.

Israel’s military has confirmed that it will deploy a tank division to operate in Jenin, marking the first time tanks have been used in the area since the end of the second intifada, or uprising, in 2005. In addition, forces from the Nahal infantry brigade and the elite Duvdevan unit have begun operations in other villages in the northern West Bank.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to troops in the area coincided with his order to escalate military operations in the West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. Netanyahu’s visit to the Tulkarem refugee camp sparked strong Palestinian condemnation.

In response to bomb explosions in central Israel, which Israeli officials attributed to militants from the West Bank, Netanyahu vowed, “We are entering terrorist strongholds, flattening entire streets that terrorists use, and their homes. We are eliminating terrorists, commanders.”

The military’s actions in both Tulkarem and Jenin have involved the demolition of numerous homes, causing significant destruction to infrastructure. Armoured bulldozers have been used to tear up roads, cut water pipes, and destroy building facades to create new access routes into the densely populated camps.

The violence in the West Bank has intensified since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. According to the Palestinian health ministry, at least 900 Palestinians, including many militants, have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank during this period. On the Israeli side, official figures report 32 Israeli fatalities, resulting from Palestinian attacks or military operations.

Contextual Background: The West Bank has been a focal point of tension in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. Israel’s continued military presence and settlement expansion in the region have been a major source of conflict, with Palestinians seeking the establishment of a state in the West Bank and Gaza. The Israeli government maintains that its actions are necessary for security purposes, particularly in the face of militant activity. The ongoing violence and displacement of civilians have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the region, drawing international condemnation and calls for a ceasefire.