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An unprecedented military escalation is taking place in the northern West Bank, where the Israeli army has deployed tanks in the region for the first time in more than two decades, marking a new phase of confrontation.

The Israeli army announced the expansion of its military operation in the northern West Bank, deploying additional forces to the area.

It said: “Security forces are expanding the military campaign in the northern West Bank. Units from the Nahal Brigade and Duvdevan Unit have begun operating in additional villages in the Jenin area.”

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It added: “Meanwhile, a tank unit is operating inside Jenin as part of the offensive.”

The army also noted that “forces continue operations in the Jenin and Tulkarem areas” in the northern West Bank.

Israeli Army Radio reported that this is the first time since the Defensive Shield operation in 2002 that tanks have been deployed in the West Bank.

During Defensive Shield, which lasted several months, the Israeli army reoccupied the entire West Bank.

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According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority: “As part of preparations to expand the military operation in the northern West Bank, the Israeli army began moving tanks into Jenin this morning, escalating the Iron Wall operation following last week’s attempted bus bombings in the greater Tel Aviv area.”

It added: “This morning, Merkava 4 tanks from the 188th Brigade were documented in the Jenin area.”

“This is the first time since Defensive Shield, nearly 23 years ago, that tanks have engaged in combat in the West Bank.”

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Evacuation of 40,000 Palestinians

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated in a press release: “So far, 40,000 Palestinians have been evacuated from the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams, which are now empty of their residents.”

He added: “The activities of UNRWA in these camps have also been suspended.”

Gallant continued: “I have instructed the Israeli army to prepare to remain longer in these evacuated camps until next year and to prevent the return of residents to avoid the resurgence of terrorism.”

The Israeli army has launched a large-scale military operation in the West Bank alongside the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza.

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The Israeli operation began in Jenin on January 21 before expanding on January 28 to the city of Tulkarem and its refugee camps, as well as the town of Tammun and the Al-Fara’a refugee camp in Tubas.

The UN stated: “This is the longest military operation conducted in the West Bank since the early 2000s.”

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that “more than 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced from four refugee camps and surrounding areas in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas.”

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It added: “Thousands of residents continue to flee these four camps, which together house over 76,000 Palestinian refugees.”

The report continued: “Most displaced individuals are currently residing in rented accommodations, but families are increasingly unable to afford the high rental costs. About 100 families are being housed in six public shelters in Tulkarem, while 65 others are in two shelters in Jenin. Two additional shelters will be opened in schools in Jenin to meet growing needs.”

It added: “The massive destruction of homes and infrastructure, including the destruction of water and sanitation networks in these four camps, has led to contamination of drinking water with sewage, posing a severe health risk.”

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The report also emphasized that “access restrictions to agricultural lands threaten the livelihoods of thousands of farmers, with 2,800 dunams of greenhouses and 10,000 dunams of open fields damaged in Tammun. Livestock is also at risk due to major disruptions in the supply chain and limited access to essential resources, worsening food insecurity and economic losses.”

The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported dozens of Palestinian casualties during the operation.

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On Friday, the Israeli army announced that it had “closed some access points to the West Bank and reinforced its presence in the buffer zone with three additional battalions.”

It also stated that it had arrested 90 Palestinians in the northern West Bank over the past week.

As military operations continue, the humanitarian situation is deteriorating, with mass displacement of Palestinians and significant infrastructure destruction, while international organizations warn of catastrophic consequences for civilians.

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