JENIN, Palestinian Territories, Sept 9, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The Palestinian health ministry said Tuesday that the Israeli military killed two teenagers in Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank.

The two victims were named by the ministry as Islam Abdel Aziz Nouh Majarmeh and Muhammad Sari Omar Masqala, both aged 14.

The Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported that the two boys were killed after Israeli soldiers "opened fire at a group of civilians who attempted to inspect their houses in the camp and retrieve some of their belongings".

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said the area had been "under a closure order" and that soldiers opened fire after a group of "suspects" approached them.

It said they "posed a threat" and did not respond to calls to distance themselves.

A 17-year old was also injured in the incident and rushed to hospital, Wafa added.

Over the past months, the Israeli military has been engaged in operations in refugee camps in the the northern West Bank that it says are aimed at cracking down on Palestinian armed groups.

In late February, it deployed tanks in Jenin, a known hotbed of Palestinian militancy, marking the first such deployment in the West Bank since the end of the second intifada in 2005.

The army has since demolished dozens of buildings in various camps in the northern West Bank to open up new access routes into densely built up areas, displacing tens of thousands.

Violence has surged in the Palestinian territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967, since the outbreak of the Gaza war nearly two years ago.

Since Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, at least 973 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank, according to figures from the Palestinian health ministry.

During the same period, at least 42 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli figures.