One of the 25 Palestinians injured in the fresh Israeli incursions (AFP)

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, October 22 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Five Palestinians were killed and 25 others injured in fresh Israeli raids on the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours.

Two resistance activists were shot dead overnight by Israeli troops in different parts of the West Bank, Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted an Israeli military source as having said Wednesday, October 22.

They were killed in Al-Khalil and Qalqiliya respectively as they tried to escape after being told to stop for identity checks, he claimed.

In the first incident the Palestinian, said to be linked to Fatah movement, was alleged to have been found carrying a pistol and spare magazines.

The second Palestinian was described as a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The front identified the member as Ahmed Khamis Atia, offering condolences to the victim’s family and vowing retaliation.

In Gaza Strip, two Palestinians were shot dead after being detained by Israeli soldiers in a southern area, according to Al-Jazeera television.

Fresh Incursion

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, one Palestinian died of injuries he sustained Tuesday, hospital officials said.

Ramzi Jardat, 23, was hit in the head when Israeli soldiers taking part in an incursion into the centre of the city opened fire in the direction of young demonstrators who were throwing stones at them.

Nine Palestinians were wounded, one seriously, when around 40 Israeli army jeeps and armored trucks stormed the West Bank city of Ramallah Tuesday evening, Palestinian security and hospital sources said.

The Israeli occupation troops entered from the north shortly after 6:30 pm (1630 GMT), imposed a curfew in the centre of the city and surrounded the landmark Abdul Nasser mosque, according to witnesses.

People inside the mosque were being told to leave in groups of four and present their identity papers to the Israeli soldiers.

All nine wounded Palestinians suffered gunshot wounds, the sources said.

Medical sources had earlier said another five people were slightly injured after the Israelis opened fire with rubber-coated bullets after they were pelted with stones.

Al-Jazeera put the number of wounded at 25.

Palestinian sources also said around 10 Israeli jeeps had entered the nearby university town of Bir Zeit.

An Israeli military source confirmed that forces had entered the city. He would not give the size of the troop presence but said it was "not a large force".

"We are conducting searches but there are no details of any arrests," he said, without elaborating.

The city is home to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who has been confined to his headquarters, known as the Muqataa, for almost two years by the Israeli occupation forces.

The fresh raids came as thousands of residents of the impoverished refugee camp of Nusseirat in the central Gaza Strip gathered for a mass funeral for the seven people killed in the Monday Israeli air strike that left five others dead.