JERUSALEM: Two Palestinian fighters were killed in an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank today, the Israeli military and Palestinian militant group Hamas said.
The military said it conducted a raid to apprehend individuals suspected of carrying out a shooting attack against Israelis earlier this week.
“The two gunmen were shot and killed after attempting to flee the scene,” a statement from the Israeli military said.
Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and has a strong presence in the West Bank, said the men were members of one of the group’s militant branches. The statement said the men had engaged in armed struggle against the Israeli military.
The Palestinian health ministry said both men were 22 years old and died of bullet wounds to their chest, neck and abdomen.
The incident came after an exchange of cross-border strikes between Israel and Gaza this week.