Officials said most operations in the West Bank have been conducted by elite combat units in coordination with the Israel Security Agency. They said the operations have been based on precise intelligence on Hamas and other insurgency targets.

"The military sees a much greater need for troops along the northern and Gaza borders," the official said.

The troop presence in the West Bank began a sharp decline after the war in 2006 against Hizbullah, Middle East Newsline reported. Officials said the Israel Army reduced reserve mobilization and increased training for regular combat battalions.

Since 2006, the number of battalions deployed in the West Bank dropped by 60 percent. In 2010, the Army withdrew two combat battalions from the West Bank and re-assigned them to the northern border.

Officials said the Israel Army has also been expanding cooperation with the Palestinian Authority. They said the Army has removed more than 100 roadblocks while enabling PA security forces to operate in much of the West Bank.

The Army's Central Command, responsible for the West Bank, has been focusing on undercover and intelligence operations in an effort to prevent a resurgence of Hamas or other militias. The operations included the Duvdevan undercover unit as well as the combat intelligence battalion of Central Command.

Officials said the reduced Israeli military presence in the West Bank has also led to a sharp drop in reserve combat duty in the area. They said regular combat battalions were conducting two major exercises per year.

---