Two Palestinians critically wounded by Israeli fire in West Bank: health ministry

Two Palestinians were critically wounded Saturday by Israeli military fire in the northern West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said, amid increasing Israeli attacks in the occupied territory.

One Palestinian was hit by "live bullets to the chest" during clashes with Israeli troops in the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan, southwest of Nablus, the ministry said, adding that another was also critically wounded.

Both were taken to hospital in the nearby town of Salfit.

The Israeli army claimed in a statement that "suspects hurled rocks" at soldiers who responded to "a violent riot" near Qarawat Bani Hassan.

The troops used live fire "to stop the suspects", the army said.

The latest violence follows a massive Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin on Friday that left two Palestinians dead.

Hours later Israeli troops killed a Palestinian accused of firing shots at the illegal Beit El settlement in the occupied West Bank, wounding a settler.

The Palestinian health ministry identified the dead man as 23-year-old Qais Shajaeyah.

The Israeli army said on Saturday it arrested a "second suspect involved in the shooting attack", 19-year-old Muhammad Odeh.

Odeh, an alleged member of militant group Hamas, was apprehended "along with two additional suspects" accused of involvement in the shooting, the army added.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, on Friday had called on "our resistance... to continue their steadfastness and their heroism with all means".

Violence has surged in recent months in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, amid near daily West Bank raids and an uptick in attacks on Israeli troops.

More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli raids since the start of the year, the heaviest death toll among Palestinians in the West Bank for nearly seven years, according to the United Nations.

Israel says its raids are in response to Palestinian attacks carried out earlier this year.

Israel has occupied the West Bank in violation of international law since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and refuses to withdraw and allow Palestinians to establish a viable independent state.

Around 475,000 Israelis now live in settlements across the territory, which are considered illegal by most of the international community.

They live alongside some 2.8 million Palestinians, who in different areas of the West Bank are subject to Israeli military rule or live under limited Palestinian governance.