Israeli forces killed two Palestinian gunmen and a teenager in the occupied West Bank today.
The week-long wave of violence has cast a shadow over Palestinian municipal elections, preliminary results of which suggested Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction had made a strong showing. Hamas is also reported to have made inroads.
The flare-up has frayed a seven-month-old ceasefire and deflated hopes that Israel's Gaza pullout might open the way for a revival of peacemaking.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade said two gunmen died in an army raid on Balata refugee camp in Nablus. Witnesses said that troops later shot dead a 13-year-old stone-thrower in nearby Askar camp.
The Israeli army said the Palestinians fired first and troops responded after swooping on the camps before dawn to arrest militants. One soldier was slightly wounded in the raids.
On Thursday, Israeli troops shot dead three gunmen in West Bank raids.
