Israel has moved tanks into the West Bank for the first time in decades and announced that military presence will remain in the territory for a year. 

"We will not allow the return of residents. and we will not allow terrorism to return and grow," Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday in announcing .

Katz said that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plan to "increase the intensity of the activity to thwart terrorism" in response to rising attacks and have ordered the troops to prepare to remain in the area for an extended time.

Palestinian authorities have described the Israeli military's actions as a "dangerous escalation."  Around 40,000 Palestinians from refugee camps in the West Bank have left their homes.

A week remains in the first phase of the Israel-Gaza ceasefire and no second phase negotiations have been reported.

Tensions have risen in the over the weekend following the February 21 confirmation of the deaths of two young Israeli children and their mother, Shiri Bibas, at the hands of Hamas and as Israel delayed the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday.