Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in occupied West Bank

Three Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank, a day after the United Nations urged a "meaningful political process" to stem renewed violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On Friday, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians during an Israeli raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.

The Palestinian health ministry announced "two martyrs and three injured as a result of the occupation (Israeli) aggression on Nablus".

In a statement, the ministry identified the two dead as Khairi Shaheen, 34, and Hamza Maqbul, 32.

The Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), claimed Shaheen and Maqbul as its members.

The Israeli army reported no injuries among its forces and said the two "were killed following an exchange of fire with security forces".

The army said it had entered Nablus to arrest two individuals wanted over a shooting earlier this month targeting Israeli police at an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank that resulted in no casualties.

Spiralling violence

Later on Friday a third Palestinian, 24-year-old Abdel Jawad Hamdan Saleh, was killed by Israeli troops during a demonstration against illegal Israeli settlements in the village of Umm Safa north of Ramallah, the Palestinian health ministry said.

He was critically wounded by gunfire and later died of his injuries, the ministry said.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli raids into Palestinian towns.

On Monday, Israeli forces launched their largest raid in Jenin in more than 20 years, including on its refugee camp, killing 12 Palestinians including five children, according to a statement by the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Since the raid, Israeli settlers carried out a series of assaults against Palestinians and their properties across the occupied West Bank.

According to the state news agency WAFA, a group of settlers, protected by the Israeli forces, threw rocks at Palestinian cars near the village of Ein al Beida in the occupied West Bank late on Thursday.

A similar incident was also reported in western Tulkarem city, north of the West Bank, causing damage to many Palestinian cars.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry said an injured infant survived an attack by settlers when the ambulance that was transporting him to hospital came under assault.

Other attacks by settlers were also reported in areas near Nablus and Salfit city, north of the occupied West Bank, where settlers opened live fire on Palestinians and their properties but no injuries were reported.