Why Tensions Are Rising Over Israels Operations in the West Bank

Israeli operations against militants in the West Bank have escalated to a level not seen since the Second Intifada of the early 2000s.Tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes, with Israel’s defense minister saying they will not be allowed to return.

And for the first time in two decades, Israeli forces have sent tanks into the city of Jenin and established a military post in another, Tulkarm.Israel appears to be laying the groundwork for a prolonged military presence in the area, and Palestinian officials are warning of a “dangerous escalation” that risks both a new generation of displacement and putting parts of the West Bank back under military control.Here’s what to know about what is happening in the West Bank.The biggest displacement in the West Bank since the 1967 war.Just two days after Israel’s cease-fire with Hamas went into effect in Gaza on Jan.19, Israeli forces shifted their focus to militants in the northern West Bank, namely Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas — and particularly on the refugee camps there.Palestinians fear these expanding operations mask a plan for widespread displacement and reassertion of Israeli control over areas administered by the Palestinian Authority, the semiautonomous body that has run parts of the West Bank since the 1993 Oslo Accords....