<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the Palestinian health ministry said, in the first deadly raid in the Jericho area for months.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The health ministry said 16-year-old Qusay Omar Suleiman al-Walaji and Mohammed Ribhi Njoom, 25, were shot in the chest by Israeli forces "during an attack on Jericho at dawn today".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on the raid.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was the first deadly raid since May 1 on Jericho, an ancient city in the Jordan Valley which lies near the Dead Sea.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There has been a surge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent months, marked by raids by the Israeli military as well as deadly attacks by Palestinians and Israelis.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, the territory is home to around three million Palestinians and around 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements considered illegal under international law.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Jericho raid brings to 216 the number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so far this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some 28 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have also been killed, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on both sides.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They include, on the Palestinian side, combatants as well as civilians and, on the Israeli side, three members of the Arab minority. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>