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JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Israeli troops killed two Palestinians early Tuesday it had named as suspects in the June murder of three Israeli teenagers in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said.

"Overnight, Amer Abu Aisha and Marwan Qawasmeh, murderers of Eyal, Gilad and Naftali -- were killed in exchange of fire with IDF forces," Israeli army spokesman Peter Lerner said on his Twitter account.

The June abduction of the three teenagers from a hitchhiking stop in the southern West Bank sparked a huge Israeli search operation in which more than 400 Palestinians were arrested and at least five killed.

It also sparked the revenge killing by Jewish extremists of a Palestinian teenager and led to a surge in tensions that helped trigger the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas in and around Gaza that ended on Aug. 26.

Witnesses told Ma'an that they saw a dead body but couldn't identify it because it was not close enough. They added that the mother of Abu Aisha walked past the body and was also unable to identify it.

A Ma'an reporter added that Israeli troops were surrounding the Hebron University area after they had blew up the main doors of several buildings and stores.

An Israeli bulldozer, he added, was demolishing some structures in the neighborhood.

Witnesses said they saw smoke rising from a shoe factory.

Ma'an staff in Hebron contributed reporting.
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by IMEMC & Agencies - IMEMC Staff

Two Palestinian men were killed by invading Israeli soldiers, Tuesday at dawn, at the center of Hebron city, in southern West Bank.

According to the Israeli army Marwan Al Qawasmi and 'Amer Abu 'Aisha were surrounded at a home in Hebron city center and were killed after a short gunfight with Israeli troops. The army used a military bulldozer to destroy parts of the building.

Residents said that troops set fire to the building after taking the two bodies and left the area.

Scores of youth clashed with the invading forces for several hours. Palestinian firefighters and medics rushed to the scene and put-off the fire.

Many residents were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation and around 10 civilians were injured by Israeli soldiers’ rubber-coated steel bullets, local sources reported.

On Tuesday midday the Israeli army handed over the two bodies that were laid to rest during a funeral in Hebron city. Local sources said that hundreds took part in the funeral.

The Israeli state accused Al Qawasmi and Abu 'Aisha of killing the three Israeli settlers near Hebron in June. The Israei army and government have not provided any evidence that both Al Qawasmi and Abu 'Aishaor any Palestinian involvement in the killing of the three setters.

Shortly after the settlers went missing, the Israeli army conducted a large scale search campaign in Hebron city and kidnapped more than 700 Palestinians.

A week after the remains of the three settlers were found, an Israeli radical group kidnapped a Palestinian teenager from Jerusalem tortured him and burnt him to death.