TUBAS, Palestinian Territories, April 12, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians in an early morning raid on Friday near the occupied West Bank city of Tubas, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

One man was killed when Israeli soldiers opened fire on his vehicle in Tubas, the report said.

Another Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli gunfire when troops raided Al-Fara refugee camp near Tubas, the agency said.

The Israeli military did not have an immediate comment on the raid.

The area around Tubas in the northern West Bank is a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups and the frequent target of Israeli military incursions.

The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has seen a surge in violence since early last year, particularly since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in Gaza on October 7.

At least 461 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers across the West Bank since October 7, according to official Palestinian sources.

The war in the Gaza Strip erupted after Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,545 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.