A Palestinian official said hundreds of people began leaving their homes in a flashpoint area of the West Bank on Thursday as Israeli forces pressed a deadly operation there.The Israeli military launched this week a raid in the Jenin area,

Qutaiba Shalabi and Mohammed Nazzal were killed after a fierce gun battle with Israeli forces on Wednesday night in Burqin, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin. The Palestinian health ministry says their bodies were taken by Israeli forces and the house they were in demolished.

At least 10 people have been killed in the raids, and more than 40 wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Dozens have been arrested, Palestinian officials told the Wafa news agency.

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

At least 10 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 40 injured by Israeli forces during a major operation in the Jenin area in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry says.

The West Bank city has become a hub for extremist factions, particularly Islamic Jihad and Hamas, which use the refugee camp to orchestrate attacks against Israelis. The Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) re-entry into the Jenin refugee camp this Tuesday as part of the Iron Wall operation has once again drawn global attention.