JERUSALEM /ISTANBUL

The Israeli army said Friday it reinforced its forces in the occupied West Bank with two additional military battalions.

“According to the situation assessment, a decision was made to reinforce two battalions in the Central Command sector,” the army said in a statement, according to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

The "Central Command sector" refers to the West Bank, said the newspaper.

The Israeli army did not clarify the actual number of troops currently on the ground in the occupied West Bank, nor did it disclose the reasons behind the escalatory step of reinforcing forces with two battalions.

However, it noted: “Throughout the war, continuous situation assessments are being conducted, and accordingly, the necessary order of battle is determined for fulfilling operational missions in various sectors.”

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, at least 996 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.