Israel’s army deployed tanks in the West Bank for the first time in 20 years this week, bulldozing streets, destroying infrastructure and conducting mass arrests in the process.
More than 40,000 Palestinians from the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams have been forced to flee their homes indefinitely after Defence Minister Israel Katz said troops would remain there for the coming year. Israeli officials have said their campaign is about combating terrorism.
But the military offensive is causing alarm after healthcare facilities came under attack in the area and violence by settlers against Palestinians intensified. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has also expressed concern about the growing threat of annexation.
In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Palestinian and Israeli political and security analysts to discuss the nature of and threat posed by Israel’s objectives in the West Bank.