The major of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, told CNN Monday that the Israeli assault on the Jenin Refugee Camp is akin to the war in Gaza, saying it had destroyed 120 buildings and displaced 15,000 people.

The Israeli army has reportedly said that its 'Iron Wall' operation in Jenin which has left 17 Palestinians dead, may last several months.

The Israeli military blew up at least 20 buildings in the West Bank city of Jenin on Sunday, staging controlled demolitions that thundered across the region, where troops have been battling local militants in an operation dubbed Iron Wall.