Israel Sends Tanks to West Bank for First Time Since 2002

The Israel Defense Forces (idf) deployed tanks near Jenin in the West Bank on Sunday for the first time since Operation Defensive Shield in 2002.

The tanks come alongside an armored division being deployed for “an extended stay” of at least a year to rid the area of terrorism, the idf said. Three tanks are currently active in the Jenin area, and the idf is considering using fighter jets to support the operation.

The operation involves multiple refugee camps near the cities of Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas.

So far, 40,000 Palestinians have evacuated from the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams, which are now empty of residents. 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.
—Israel Katz, Israel’s defense minister

Escalation: The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called the move “a dangerous escalation of the situation in the West Bank.” The Health Ministry claims the Israeli military has killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since Oct. 7, 2023.

The operation comes just a month after the ceasefire deal began in Gaza.

Watch the West Bank: Since the October 7 attacks, the world has been focused on events surrounding Gaza. But watch for the West Bank to become an increasingly fragile flash point. Despite increasing Israeli military operations, your Bible forecasts that Palestinians will eventually gain control of the West Bank and then East Jerusalem.

To learn about these prophecies, read Chapter 3 of Jerusalem in Prophecy.