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, a hotbed of Palestinian militancy, days into a ceasefire in the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the objective of the operation, dubbed "Iron Wall", was to "eradicate terrorism" in the area.

He linked the operation to a broader strategy of countering Iran "wherever it sends its arms -- in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen" and the West Bank.

The Israeli government has accused Iran, which supports armed groups across the Middle East, including Hamas in Gaza, of attempting to funnel weapons and funds to militants in the occupied Palestinian territory.

"Hundreds of camp residents have begun leaving after the Israeli army, using loudspeakers on drones and military vehicles, ordered them to evacuate the camp," Jenin governor Kamal Abu al-Rub told AFP.

The Israeli army told AFP that it was "unaware of any evacuation orders for residents in Jenin as of now".

Since it began on Tuesday, the operation has killed at least 10 Palestinians and injured 40 more in the Jenin area,........

© International Business Times