Israeli troops and special forces engaged in an hour-long firefight with armed Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Israeli police said.
At least two Palestinians have been killed, according to the Palestinian rescue service.
Israeli police said fighting broke out deep in the city of Nablus during an arrest raid, when gunmen barricaded themselves at the suspect’s home.
Police said “a number” of armed Palestinians were killed, without specifying how many, and said no Israeli troops were injured.
The militant group of the Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed the two murdered Palestinians as its members. The Palestinian health ministry said six others were injured.
A neighbor, Naser Estitya, 60, said he heard gunshots from the house before Israelis fired at the house. “They called out the name of one person and asked him to surrender,” he said.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said the two men were killed in clashes with the military in Nablus and identified them as Aboud Sobh, 29, and Muhammad Al-Azizi, 22.
The army said a violent protest broke out when troops were working in Nablus, with protesters throwing explosives at soldiers and opening fire on them. The soldiers fired back, the army said.
The army continued to operate in another part of the West Bank, where another brief firefight took place.
Israeli forces have been carrying out almost daily attacks in the West Bank for months in an effort to quell a wave of Palestinian attacks on Israelis that has since abated.
The military has faced resistance during some of those raids, which have turned out to be fatal on several occasions.
19 people were killed in Palestinian attacks on Israelis earlier this year. More than 60 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the year, according to an official Palestinian count.