On Sunday, Israel sent tanks to the west coast for the first time since 2002, saying to its army to prepare for a “extended stay” as Jewish state It remains determined to abolish terrorism in the refugee camps of the territory.
Several tanks have been seen moving in Jenin as a fragile truce between the Hamas and Israel terrorist organization remains in place.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu He ordered the army to “increase the intensity of the activity to prevent terrorism” on the west coast.
Katz said that the troops would remain “for the coming year” in parts of the territory and indicated that the Palestinians who fled could not return.
The Israeli tank is driven to the west coast on February 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
“We will not allow the return of the inhabitants and will not allow terrorism to return and grow,” he said.
Previously Katz said he had instructed the army to prepare for a “extended stay” in some of the Urban areas of the west coastfrom which he said that about 40,000 Palestinians had escaped, leaving areas “emptied by the inhabitants”. This figure was confirmed by the United Nations.
Israeli tank maneuver during the Israeli operation in Jenin, on the west coast, February 2, 2025. (Reuters/Raneen Sawaft)
Netanyahu said the Israeli forces would remain “as long as it needed.”
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the Israeli Movement “The dangerous escalation of the situation on the west coast”.
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The tanks were last deployed in the territory of 2002, when Israel fought against deadly Palestinian violence.
The move on Sunday comes as Delicate agreement on the break up of fire This was achieved a month ago between the remains of Hamas and Israel.
The Israeli military vehicle was shown in Jenin, on the west coast, February 2, 2025. (Reuters/Raneen Sawaft)
Hamas freed six hostages on Saturday in exchange for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners as part of the Agreement. Netanyahu said he remained 63 hostages, including the remains of soldiers captured in 2014.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists from Gaza’s belt brought an attack in southern Israel, killing more than 1,100 people and abducting about 250 more.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
