Civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud among six to be released this week • Israel will allow returns of Gazans to north

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.

In the days since a fragile ceasefire took hold in the Gaza Strip, Israel has launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank and suspected Jewish settlers have rampaged through two Palestinian towns.

Palestinian health authorities said an Israeli airstrike in the northern West Bank killed at least 10 people late Wednesday. Israel’s use of a jet fighter to strike the rural village of Tamoun late Wednesday marked the latest escalation in its intensifying crackdown on Palestinian militants in the occupied territory.

Israel killed two Palestinians in the northern West Bank overnight and into Wednesday, the occupied territory's Heath Ministry said, as the Israeli military focuses on a major crackdown there during the ceasefire in Gaza.

Israel continued its offensive in the occupied West Bank for the seventh day in a row on Tuesday, concentrating on the northern city of Jenin and continuing to expand to other areas. As part of the same offensive,