IDF operations in the West Bank
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
In some cases, troops have moved into the abandoned houses, maintaining a continuous presence to secure control over the densely populated camps. However, as time passes, friction with hostile elements has diminished to nearly zero.
Troops stationed inside the camps have not encountered resistance, clashes or even riots. In the nearby cities of Jenin and Tulkarm, daily life has returned to normal and residents appear indifferent to the new reality.
"The soldiers leave the refugee camps for raids in surrounding villages and neighborhoods in Jenin and Tulkarm, though they've carried out such operations before from their regular outposts," the IDF said in a statement.
According to the military, these raids, aimed at seizing weapons such as firearms and rifles and arresting wanted individuals, can last from a few hours to half a day.
"Holding these terror strongholds for such an extended period has made it significantly harder for the enemy to regroup and rebuild their armed cells — the so-called 'katibat' — that once operated in the refugee camps and have now been dismantled,” an IDF source said.
“We've taken away their base of operations, reshaped the area and they can no longer plant explosives along the routes leading into the camps.”
In such a scenario, the military is weighing whether to replace them with two other battalions inside the Palestinian territory or temporarily abandon the concept of maintaining a continuous presence in the camps, opting instead to conduct raids from IDF outposts.
The ongoing shortage of combat soldiers and the strain on reservists will also play a role in this decision. For now, a lone armored platoon remains stationed near Jenin at the request of Israel’s political leadership, but it may soon be reassigned to its parent regular-duty brigade, which is preparing to resume combat operations in Gaza.
