Two Palestinians killed as Israeli forces storm refugee camps in occupied West Bank

Two Palestinians were killed early on Thursday when Israeli forces stormed refugee camps in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The ministry said in a statement that Samer Khaled, 25, from Al-Ain camp in Nablus, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the neck, and Yazan Afana, 26, from Qalandia camp outside Jerusalem, died after being shot in the heart.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said Khaled was killed when Israeli soldiers stormed Balata refugee camp near Nablus, in the northern West Bank.

Afana was killed during an operation in Al-Bireh, near Ramallah, the health ministry said.

The Israeli army said in a statement that its soldiers arrested six "wanted men" in operations throughout the occupied West Bank overnight.

It said that during the operation in Al-Bireh, its forces were attacked with stones and Molotov cocktails and responded using "riot dispersal means".

Israeli forces regularly attack Palestinian cities and refugee camps, using disproportionate violence against civilian communities.

Dozens of Palestinian civilians have been killed and injured in Israeli raids on West Bank towns and refugee camps over the past few weeks.

Among the victims was Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Her killing by Israeli forces last May caused international outrage.

On Tuesday, four Palestinians and two Israelis were injured in separate incidents near Nablus, the scene of recurrent violence in recent months.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, when it captured the territory from Jordan.