The explosions tore through the city of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, sending plumes of smoke into the sky.

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.

A series of large explosions were seen in the northern occupied West Bank after the Israeli army said it detonated and destroyed buildings used by Palestinian militants in the Jenin refugee camp. “The IDF destroyed a short time ago a number of buildings in Jenin,

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

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.

Israeli forces will maintain their presence in the Jenin refugee camp following a large-scale raid launched last week, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Wednesday. The crackdown in the West Bank has now entered its second week.