Israel Returns Tanks to the West Bank After Decades

Israeli tanks entered the West Bank on Sunday, March 5, marking the first time in decades that Israeli tanks have been deployed there. According to the Associated Press, Palestinian officials described this action by Israel as a "dangerous escalation" of tensions. The arrival of the tanks followed an announcement by the Israeli Defense Minister that Israeli forces would remain in parts of the West Bank for a year, and that tens of thousands of Palestinians who fled from there would not be able to return. Associated Press reporters observed several Israeli tanks moving along dirt roads towards Jenin, a city long recognized as a base for armed actions against Israel. Israel has previously stated that the Islamic Republic aims to turn the West Bank into a situation similar to Gaza by smuggling weapons there. The entry of Israeli tanks into Jenin coincided with the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, the former leader of Hezbollah, who was killed months earlier in an Israeli airstrike, held in Beirut. Israel has intensified its crackdown in the West Bank and declared its determination to suppress armed uprisings in the region by increasing military actions. Palestinians view these incursions as an attempt to strengthen Israel's control over land inhabited by 3 million Palestinians. Just days before the arrival of Israeli tanks in Jenin, and while a ceasefire in Gaza continued along with the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, met with several leaders of Hamas in Tehran. Israel has previously dealt fatal blows to leaders of Iran's proxy networks, including the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, and Yahya Sinwar, the successor and planner of Hamas's October 7 attack on Gaza.