Israeli forces kill two Palestinians in Nablus raid

NABLUS, Palestinian Territories — Israeli occupation forces shot dead two Palestinians on Monday in a morning raid in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said, in what Israeli forces described as "counterterrorism activity".

"Two martyrs shot by the occupation [Israel] in Nablus," the ministry confirmed in a brief statement, without elaborating on their identities.

Israeli forces said it had carried out the raid to apprehend two individuals linked to a shooting attack in which two Israeli soldiers were injured last month in the West Bank town of Huwara.

"During the activity, a number of armed gunmen fired at the forces who responded with live fire. Hits were identified," the Israeli forces statement said, adding that two individuals were arrested.

Israeli forces have carried out a number of deadly raids in the flashpoint city of Nablus in recent months with the emergence of a militant group dubbed the Lions' Den, which has been blamed for a number of attacks on Israeli targets.

In a Monday statement, the Lions' Den said its members were involved in "confronting the occupation forces' storming of the city of Nablus".

The raid came two days after a peak in violence that saw two killed in confrontations with Israeli forces, amid fears of escalation in the conflict during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.