Three U.S. Army soldiers were onboard a BlackHawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

"The IDF destroyed a short time ago a number of buildings in Jenin used as terrorist infrastructure," Israel's military said in a statement.

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

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.

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.

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

The United Nations secretary-general has warned that Israel might seize the opportunity to annex the occupied West Bank.

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 blew up at least 20 buildings in the West Bank city of Jenin on Sunday, staging controlled demolitions that thundered across the region, where troops have been battling local militants in an operation dubbed Iron Wall.

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,

The army carried out simultaneous explosions on homes and buildings in Jenin's refugee camp which it said were 'terror infrastructure.'View on euronews