Two Palestinian men have been killed by Israeli troops in separate incidents in Nablus and Jenin in the West Bank.

The Israeli military said troops shot a gunman in a raid in Nablus. Witnesses said the man, 26, was a shopkeeper, and that his brother was also wounded.

In Jenin, a young militant was killed in an exchange of fire, the Israeli military said.

Palestinian militants Hamas later fired eight mortar rounds at the Erez border crossing, wounding four soldiers.

Power cut off

Earlier on Saturday, a number of shops and homes in Nablus were damaged when Israeli forces blew up concrete barriers nearby.

Some people suffered minor injuries, and water and electricity supplies were also cut off, the town's mayor said.

The Palestinian Information Minister, Mustafa Barghouti, said the action was a "new crime coming in the context of Israeli escalation against the Palestinian Authority and people".

The Israeli army frequently launches raids into Nablus to search for suspected militants.

Photo caption

Funeral of Palestinian man in Nablus, Sunday 3 June  2007