Jenin and neighbouring city Nablus have been at the centre of increasing violence in the West Bank. (AP)

Three Palestinians killed in Israeli raids

Israeli forces have killed three Palestinians during a pre-dawn raid in the occupied West Bank in a wave of intensifying violence.

The Israeli military said security forces conducted counterterrorism activity near the city of Jenin on Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said.

In one arrest raid, it said, soldiers were “targeted with direct fire and responded with live fire, hits were identified”.

Jenin and the neighbouring city of Nablus, both home to sprawling refugee camps, have been at the centre of increasing violence in recent months.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, more than 210 Palestinians have been killed this year.

The tally includes deaths during a brief conflict in Gaza in August, most after the military launched a crackdown in the West Bank following a spate of attacks in Israel. They include militants and civilians.

In the same period, Israeli authorities say 23 civilians and eight security personnel have been killed in Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank.

Read the report on Perth Now (Reuters).