The new deaths come amid a spike in violence related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the beginning of the year. Three Palestinians were killed "by Israeli bullets" on Tuesday (July 25th) by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, adding that their identities were still unknown.
The Israeli army spoke of three "armed terrorists" who opened fire on its soldiers from a vehicle in Nablus, saying they responded with gunfire that "neutralized" them.
The soldiers also confiscated three M16 rifles, a firearm, cartridges and military equipment, the army said in a statement.
There was no immediate reaction from the Palestinian leadership.
Palestinian television showed footage of a military vehicle blocking access to the vicinity of the scene of the incident where an ambulance was deployed as well as soldiers, who were conducting the investigation.
At least 201 Palestinians killed since January
The West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian territory occupied by Israel for 56 years, is a traditional centre of Palestinian resistance to the Israeli occupation.
At least 201 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the year in violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, along with 27 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources.
These statistics include, on the Palestinian side, fighters and civilians, and on the Israeli side, the majority of them civilians and three members of the Arab minority.
Outside occupied and annexed East Jerusalem, nearly three million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank. Some 490,000 Israelis also live there in settlements considered illegal by the UN under international law.
With AFP and Reuters
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