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Here's Why Israeli Tanks Are Rolling Into the West Bank for the First Time in 20 Years
Townhall ^ | 02/24/2025 | Jeff Charles

Posted on 02/24/2025 10:22:29 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Israeli tanks rolled into the West Bank on Sunday as part of an effort to curb terrorist activity amid the war in the Gaza Strip. This marks the first time this has happened in about two decades.

This comes as Israel is currently engaged in a ceasefire agreement with the terrorist group Hamas as the two parties exchange prisoners and hostages.

Israeli troops are expected to remain in the West Bank for at least one year, according to NBC News. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) indicated that Palestinians who have fled the area amid the fighting will not be allowed to return to their homes.

Israel is deepening its crackdown on the Palestinian territory and has said it is determined to stamp out militancy amid a rise in attacks. It launched the offensive in the northern West Bank on Jan. 21 — two days after the current ceasefire in Gaza took hold — and expanded it to nearby areas.

Palestinians view the deadly raids as part of an effort to cement Israeli control over the territory, where 3 million Palestinians live under military rule.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to “increase the intensity of the activity to thwart terrorism” in all refugee camps in the West Bank.

“We will not allow the return of residents, and we will not allow terrorism to return and grow,” he said.

The IDF has routinely launched airstrikes on the West Bank since Hamas attacked from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. While most of the aggression against Israel has come from Gaza, there have been several incidents involving Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank.

Palestinian militants from the West Bank have killed and injured several Israelis since the war began. Between October 7, 2023, and January 7, 2024, terrorists have wounded at least nine members of Israeli security personnel, along with several civilians.

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark told NewsNation that the new development reflects the larger issue, namely the future of Israel and the Palestinians. He indicated that this could signal that the two-state solution is no longer an option.

They haven't previously used tanks in the West Bank. There is unrest in the West Bank, but all of this is associated with the larger issue of what's the future of Israel and how does it go about? We still got troops in Lebanon. Hamas has not been defeated. Hamas still has hostages. There's a phase two to be done. Iran is weak. President Trump is a strong supporter of Bibi Netanyahu. So what is the future? And there are strong forces in Israel that said, ‘get rid of the Palestinians, go for a one-state solution.’ And so this has to be viewed as a step in that direction.

President Donald Trump is currently working on a plan to have the United States take over the Gaza Strip after the war is concluded. He suggested that Palestinians living in the region would be relocated to other countries such as Egypt and Jordan and would not be allowed to return when Gaza is rebuilt.

Both Egypt and Jordan have balked at the idea. However, King Abdullah II of Jordan indicated he would be willing to accept 2,000 Palestinian children into the country. Trump has threatened to cut off aid to these countries if they do not cooperate with his plan.



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Israel; Jordon; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: israel; jordan; palestine; westbank

1 posted on 02/24/2025 10:22:29 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

To quote a common “Star Trek” trope-

Shut up, Wesley!

CC


2 posted on 02/24/2025 10:28:27 AM PST by Celtic Conservative (My cats are more amusing than 200 channels worth of TV.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Some of the “refugee camps” in the Gaza Strip were rows and rows of apartment complexes.

The Hamas, Hezbollah, Iranian billionaires could care less about the health and welfare of, well, anyone. Just like any good Commie, they use people as human shields.


3 posted on 02/24/2025 10:51:02 AM PST by Ronaldus Magnus III (Do, or do not, there is no try)
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To: Celtic Conservative; lightman; Navy Patriot

Good!

Weasley Kkklark is a notorious Serb-hater! Why is he still around?


4 posted on 02/24/2025 11:04:28 AM PST by Honorary Serb (Kosovo is Serbia! Free Srpska! Abolish ICTY!)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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5 posted on 02/24/2025 11:27:57 AM PST by SJackson (All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism)
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To: SeekAndFind

Note that Iran has been escalating the number and types of weapons being smuggled into the ‘West Bank’ for several years with minimal response from Israel.

Even Leftist search engines show many Leftist MSM outlets reporting the story.


6 posted on 02/24/2025 11:35:00 AM PST by jjotto ( Blessed are You LORD, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.)
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To: SeekAndFind

So-called “two state solution” is dead. Israel should formally annex Judea and Samaria. And boot out the wannabe Gazans living there.


7 posted on 02/24/2025 11:39:45 AM PST by Blennos ( Byaasearepeat itnbelow. SAMARIA )
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To: SeekAndFind

8 posted on 02/24/2025 11:52:46 AM PST by gitmo (If your theology doesn’t become your biography, what good is it?)
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To: gitmo

XLNT


9 posted on 02/24/2025 12:01:00 PM PST by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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To: SeekAndFind

“He indicated that this could signal that the two-state solution is no longer an option.”

Was it ever a realistic option! No, because the Palestinians only will settle for the total destruction of Jews.


10 posted on 02/24/2025 3:21:39 PM PST by Rusty0604 (W looking for new conspiracy theories as all the old ones have come true)
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To: Ronaldus Magnus III

The “refugees” have been there for decades. They don’t want to leave even if someone would take them. They only care about destroying Jews.
When the Jews were forced out of Gaza, they left greenhouses and businesses. They elected Hamas, who got $$$$$ In aid and spent it on weapons and tunnels instead of the people.


11 posted on 02/24/2025 3:27:59 PM PST by Rusty0604 (W looking for new conspiracy theories as all the old ones have come true)
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To: SJackson

Thanks as always!


12 posted on 02/24/2025 3:28:38 PM PST by Rusty0604 (W looking for new conspiracy theories as all the old ones have come true)
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To: Rusty0604

Yes. And when the Jews left, they left the greenhouses behind in the hope that the Gazans would use them to grow stuff that could be sold to help build up their economy.

But instead the Gazans burnt the greenhouses down (to show how much they hated the Jews) and replaced the greenhouses with rocket launching pads.


13 posted on 02/24/2025 4:34:08 PM PST by RAldrich
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To: RAldrich

Hamas literally ripped out the irrigation pipes and used them for their first rockets.


14 posted on 02/24/2025 9:12:37 PM PST by BTerclinger (MAGA All The Way.)
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To: Ronaldus Magnus III; SeekAndFind

I listened to a Palestinian reporter who said that these refugee camps are decades old - many dating to 1948.

My thoughts were - how many of those who originally fled are still alive?

I would think that the inhabitants of those camps are the grandchildren or great-grandchildren. They are no longer refugees per say, but are inhabitants of the new land.


15 posted on 02/25/2025 5:23:32 AM PST by Cronos
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To: Honorary Serb

He’s still around so we all can remember when General Sir Michael David Jackson shoved Weasley’s orders right back up his rear.


16 posted on 02/25/2025 9:08:19 AM PST by Navy Patriot (President Trump Decisively Won Popular & E.C., Celebrate Recivilization!)
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