Dozens of people were killed or wounded after an outbreak of violence in the West Bank that Israeli military officials called a counterterrorism operation.

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.

JERUSALEM/JENIN (Reuters) -Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday forces were applying lessons learned in Gaza as a major operation continued in Jenin, which the military said was aimed at countering Iranian-backed militant groups in the volatile West Bank city.