Israeli tanks seen moving into Jenin in occupied West Bank

Israeli tanks gather outside of the occupied West Bank near Jenin. Picture: Majdi Mohammed/AP

Israeli tanks have moved into the occupied West Bank for the first time since 2002, shortly after the defence minister said troops will remain “for the coming year” in parts of the Palestinian territory.

Associated Press journalists saw a handful of tanks move on Sunday into Jenin, long a bastion of armed struggle against Israel.

Israel is deepening its crackdown on the Palestinian territory and has said it is determined to stamp out militancy amid a rise in attacks.

Israel launched the broad offensive in the northern West Bank on January 21 – two days after the current ceasefire in Gaza took hold – and expanded it to nearby areas.

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

The deadly raids have caused destruction in urban areas.

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

Mr Katz earlier said he instructed the military to prepare for “an extended stay” in some of the West Bank’s urban refugee camps, from where he said about 40,000 Palestinians have fled – a figure confirmed by the United Nations – leaving the areas “emptied of residents”.

The camps are home to descendants of Palestinians who fled or were forced to flee during wars with Israel decades ago.

It was not clear how long Palestinians would be prevented from returning.

Tanks were last deployed in the territory in 2002, when Israel fought a deadly Palestinian uprising.