Israel Deploys Tanks to the West Bank for the First Time in 23 Years

SEAToday.com, Tehran - The Israeli military has deployed tanks to the occupied West Bank for the first time in 23 years, Iran’s news agency IRNA reported on Monday (2/24).

The move has drawn condemnation from Palestinian groups, who labeled it an act of "annexation." The tank deployment is part of Israel’s increasingly intense raids and arrests, which have displaced approximately 40,000 Palestinians from refugee camps over the past five weeks.

The Palestinian resistance group, Islamic Jihad, denounced Israel’s actions, calling it the first deployment of tanks since the end of the Second Intifada in 2005. Islamic Jihad, alongside Hamas, has been engaged in fighting against Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which have killed more than 48,000 Palestinians and devastated nearly the entire region.

Although Hamas and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement last month, tensions in the West Bank have continued to rise since the war in Gaza began. Israeli attacks on the occupied territory in early January resulted in at least 60 Palestinian deaths.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society reported that in Israel's latest assault, at least 365 Palestinians were arrested in Jenin and Tulkarem. The Mayor of Jenin also revealed that the city’s refugee camp suffered extensive damage, with 120 homes completely destroyed and many others damaged.

On Sunday (2/23), Israel ordered its forces to prepare to "stay longer" in the West Bank.