JERUSALEM, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday ordered the military to prepare for a yearlong presence in refugee camps in the West Bank as Israel escalates the ongoing large-scale military campaign in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The Israeli military expanded its operations early Sunday into Qabatiya, a city in the northern West Bank, with troops and bulldozers entering the area, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA. Eyewitnesses reported infrastructure destruction, raids on homes, searches, interrogations, and roads blocked by earth mounds.
Katz said he had instructed the military to prepare for a "prolonged presence for the coming year" in refugee camps targeted by recent operations, vowing to bar displaced residents from returning.
He claimed approximately 40,000 Palestinians had fled camps in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams since the campaign began.
He also said the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the refugee camps "have been halted."
In January 2025, Israel enacted legislation banning UNRWA from operating within the Palestinian territories and prohibiting Israeli authorities from engaging with the agency. Despite the ban, some UNRWA activities continue.
Katz described the operation as a fight against the "resurgence of terrorism."
Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced it was deploying a tank division to Jenin. According to Israeli public broadcaster Kan TV news, this marks the first time tanks have been sent to Jenin in about 20 years.
The military said it had increased the number of troops, sending the Nahal Brigade infantry unit and the Duvdevan Unit, a special forces unit, to operate in villages in the Jenin area.
The military launched the campaign in Jenin on Jan. 21 and has since expanded it to other cities and refugee camps, causing widespread destruction and killing dozens.
The West Bank operation comes as Israel and Hamas have reached a fragile truce in January, halting 15 months of Israeli bombardment in Gaza that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.