Tel Aviv [Israel], February 23 : Israel’s military announced the expansion of its operations in the West Bank, marking the first deployment of tanks in Judea and Samaria since 2002. The move follows bombings on Thursday night targeting buses in Bat Yam and Holon, and a directive from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intensify counter-terror operations.
“We have significantly increased our activities in the past year,” Netanyahu said during a visit to troops in the Tulkarem refugee area. He added, “We are entering terrorist strongholds, clearing entire streets, and eliminating terrorists and commanders.”
The recent operations, named “Operation Iron Wall,” began with a counterterror raid in the Jenin refugee camp on January 19 and has since expanded to Tulkarem and the “Five Villages” area in Samaria. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have arrested approximately 200 terror suspects, seized over 300 weapons and explosives, and uncovered bomb-making facilities.
During the operation, a suspect was arrested in Jenin after being caught with explosive devices. A subsequent search uncovered a cache of 20 ready-to-use explosives and a grenade at a construction site.
Since the October 7 attacks, Israeli forces have arrested 6,000 Palestinians in counterterror operations in Judea and Samaria, with approximately 40 percent affiliated with Hamas.