Associated Press journalists saw several tanks move along unpaved tracks 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.
It launched the offensive in the northern West Bank on Jan. 21 — two days after the current ceasefire in Gaza took hold — and expanded it to nearby areas.
Palestinians view the deadly raids as part of an effort to cement Israeli control over the territory, where 3 million Palestinians live under military rule.
“We will not allow the return of residents, and we will not allow terrorism to return and grow,” he said.
The camps are home to descendants of Palestinians who fled during wars with Israel decades ago.
Tanks were last deployed in the West Bank in 2002, when Israel fought a deadly Palestinian uprising. »
