TULKARM, Palestinian Territories, Feb 18, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Israeli forces 
killed two Palestinian men during a raid in a refugee camp in the occupied 
West Bank on Sunday, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The deaths were the latest in a surge of violence in the Palestinian 
territory that has prompted growing international concern since Hamas's 
October 7 attack on southern Israel sparked the Gaza war.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday described the situation in 
the West Bank as being at boiling point and warned that "we could be on the 
eve of a greater explosion".

The Palestinian health ministry said two men, aged 19 and 36, were pronounced 
dead from gunshot wounds following an army raid in the Tulkarm refugee camp, 
in the north of the West Bank, which the UN says houses over 27,000 
Palestinian refugees.

At least five other people were wounded in the Israeli military operation, 
according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The Israeli military said its forces were there to apprehend "a senior wanted 
suspect" believed to have been involved in attacks on its forces and the 
"killing of individuals in Tulkarm suspected of cooperating with Israeli 
security forces".

The suspect was killed by Israeli troops in an exchange of fire, then "armed 
terrorists opened fire and hurled explosive devices at Israeli security 
forces, who responded with live fire", the army said in a statement.

"During the exchange of fire, an Israel Border Police officer was severely 
injured" and hospitalised, it added.

The Israeli military has stepped up its near daily raids across the West Bank 
in the aftermath of the deadly attack on southern Israel in October, which it 
says are aimed at dismantling Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas.

At least 398 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in 
the West Bank since October 7, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

The Israeli military said on Friday that since the start of the Gaza war, its 
troops had arrested more than 3,100 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 
1,350 Hamas members.

Israel captured the West Bank, including east Jerusalem -- which it later 
annexed -- and the Gaza Strip in 1967 during the Six-Day War.

Around three million Palestinians live in the territory alongside roughly 
490,000 Israelis in settlements deemed illegal under international law.

The Palestinians seek the territory as the heartland of a future independent 
state.