Hamas Condemns Escalation as ‘Israel’ Deploys Tanks into West Bank

By Staff, Agencies

The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement denounced "Israel’s" decision to expand its military offensives in the northern West Bank, saying the crackdown reveals the occupying entity's dangerous intentions to persist with its genocidal war against Palestinian people.

The “Israeli” occupation forces [IOF] deployed tanks in the northern West Bank on Sunday, marking the first time since 2002 amid military escalation in the occupied territory.

Hamas said in a statement released on Sunday that, "The Zionist entity’s decision to escalate its acts of aggression in the West Bank, and the forced displacement campaigns that have affected more than 40,000 Palestinians in the Jenin, Tulkarm, Nur Shams and al-Far’a refugee camps require all components of the Palestinian society and its resistance factions to form a unified front to confront such brutal crimes."

The resistance movement noted that “the comments made by 'Israeli' minister of military affairs Israel Katz concerning keeping the IOF in the northern West Bank camps for a year, and preventing its residents from returning to their homes, are illusions that will never come true.”

Hamas then called on Palestinian people in the West Bank to increase resistance and put an end to "Israeli" crimes.

An "Israeli" military statement said that troops of the "Nahal" Infantry Brigade and the "Duvdevan" Commando Unit began incursions into several villages near Jenin in the northern West Bank.

The "Israeli" public broadcaster KAN said the deployment of tanks was part of “broader preparations for an expansion of military offensives in the northern West Bank.”