'Israel' expands West Bank aggression, deploys APCs in 23-year first
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Israeli media confirms that the Israeli occupation forces are utilizing armed personnel carriers as part of their operations in the occupied West Bank.
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Israeli Eitan APCs in the occupied West Bank, Jenin (Social Media)
Israeli media reported that the army is expanding its operations in the northern West Bank, not only in terms of the areas it operates in but also in the military equipment it is using.
According to the reports, Eitan armored personnel carriers (APCs), used by the Nahal Brigade in combat, were seen in the Tubas and Jenin areas on Monday. This marks the first time since Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, which took place as part of the Second Intifada, that Israeli forces have deployed armored personnel carriers in the West Bank.
The Israeli forces have also begun using offensive tools in the West Bank that were rarely employed in the past, a fact confirmed by an army spokesperson in response to an inquiry from the Kipa news website.
Israeli media viewed this as an attempt to signal that the current military operation in the northern West Bank is no longer a routine mission.
Israeli forces, comprising three military brigades, frequently carry out airstrikes targeting resistance fighters and infrastructure, demolish buildings, and now utilize armored personnel carriers to transport troops through occupied villages and refugee camps.
70 martyred in Israeli aggression
The Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Monday that 70 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the beginning of the year, the majority of them from Jenin.
In a statement, the ministry specified that the casualties included 10 children, a woman, and two elderly individuals.
According to the health ministry, 38 have been killed in Jenin, 15 in Tubas, 6 in Nablus, 5 in Tulkarm, 3 in al-Khalil, 2 in Beit Lahm, and 1 in al-Quds.
Meanwhile, Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, condemned Israeli actions in the West Bank as "criminal." She warned that "the intent of genocide is clear in the way Israel is targeting Palestinians."
In a post on X on Sunday, Albanese called on the international community to intervene, stating that Israeli destruction has "expanded to all occupied territories, not just Gaza."
The latest escalation follows an Israeli military operation launched in Jenin and its refugee camp on January 21, which resulted in dozens of casualties. Last Monday, Israeli forces expanded their offensive to include Tulkarm in the northern West Bank.
Israeli forces have also destroyed 100 buildings in Jenin over the past two weeks, leaving many families homeless.
