The Israeli military blew up buildings in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Sunday in an operation that the Palestinian state news agency said leveled around 20 buildings. Footage capturing the demolitions showed a series of simultaneous explosions in the densely populated camp.

Israel has stepped up its operations in the West Bank in recent weeks, since the ceasefire in Gaza came into effect.

A series of large explosions were seen in the northern occupied West Bank after the Israeli army said it detonated and destroyed buildings allegedly used by Palestinian militants in the Jenin refugee camp.

The sudden expansion of Israeli security operations in the West Bank has killed at least 10 people and follows the start of the delicate ceasefire process in Gaza, by which Israeli hostages are released in stages and will also see the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Throngs of people eagerly waited on Thursday for more than 100 Palestinian prisoners who were released from Israel in exchange for hostages held in Gaza.

The Israeli military said on Sunday that it had killed at least 50 militants during more than two weeks of operations in the occupied West Bank."As part of the operation to thwart terrorism... the IDF (military) recently destroyed several buildings in Jenin,

The action came a day after President Donald Trump said he will lift sanctions on ultranationalist Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinian villages.

As Israel withdraws some of its troops from Gaza during a cease-fire there, it has turned attention to another Palestinian territory — in particular a city with a history of militant activity.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the assault on Jenin would be “extensive and significant,” as the military erected new checkpoints across the West Bank.

Thick clouds were seen rising from the Palestinian city where Israeli forces have been conducting a massive operation for nearly two weeks that the Israeli military says is targeted at local militants,