Israeli troops kill two Palestinians after alleged West Bank attack

Israeli troops have shot and killed two Palestinians and wounded a third after the men allegedly opened fire on a Border Police base in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli police said on Friday that the three suspected attackers fired on the base near the occupied West Bank town of Jenin. The Border Police and an Israeli soldier opened fire in response, killing two of the men and wounding a third, who was evacuated to a hospital.

There were no reports of Israeli injuries in the incident.

The violence comes at a time of heightened tensions over East Jerusalem, where dozens of Palestinians are at risk of being evicted following a long legal battle with Israeli settlers. 

Palestinian protesters have clashed with police in the city on a nightly basis in recent weeks.

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More protests expected 

Protests are also expected in several countries to mark Al Quds Day on Friday.

Held each year on the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, Al Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, and the day is an occasion to express support for the Palestinians. 

Sunday night is "Laylat al Qadr" or the "Night of Destiny," the most sacred in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Worshippers will gather for intense nighttime prayers at the Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, a flashpoint holy site sacred to Muslims and to Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount.

Sunday night is also the start of Jerusalem Day, a national holiday in which Israel celebrates its illegal annexation of East Jerusalem and religious nationalists hold parades and other celebrations in the city. 

On Monday, an Israeli court is expected to issue a verdict on the evictions.

Ramadan has coincided with an uptick in violence focused on Jerusalem, where Palestinian protesters have repeatedly clashed with police over restrictions on public gatherings.

On Thursday, Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian suspected of carrying out a drive-by shooting earlier this week in the West Bank that killed an Israeli and wounded two others.

Late on Wednesday, Israeli troops shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian during a confrontation near the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. The military said several Palestinians had thrown firebombs toward soldiers.

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In recent days, protesters have scuffled with police and illegal settlers over the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. 

Several Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah have been embroiled in a long-running legal battle with illegal Israeli settler groups trying to acquire property in the neighbourhood north of the Old City.

Israel captured East Jerusalem, along with the occupied West Bank and Gaza — territories the Palestinians want for their future state — in the 1967 Mideast war. 

Israel annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognised internationally and views the entire city as its capital.

The Palestinians view East Jerusalem — which includes holy sites for Jews, Christians and Muslims — as their capital, and its fate is one of the most sensitive issues in the conflict.

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'Dangerous game'

Neighbouring Jordan, which made peace with Israel in 1994 and is the custodian of Al Aqsa, weighed in on Friday, saying "Israel’s continuation of its illegal practices and provocative steps" in the city is a "dangerous game."

"Building and expanding settlements, confiscating lands, demolishing homes and deporting Palestinians from their homes are illegal practices that perpetuate the occupation and undermine the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace, which is a regional and international necessity," Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman al Safadi tweeted.

Hamas, which governs Gaza, has egged on the violence, and Gaza fighters have fired rockets in support of the protesters.

Earlier this week, the shadowy commander of Hamas' armed wing released his first public statement in seven years, in which he warned Israel it would pay a "heavy price" if it evicts Palestinians from their homes.