‘Palestinian killed during arrest attempt’

RAMALLAH — A Palestinian man fell to his death while trying to escape Israeli forces who were attempting to arrest him in the occupied West Bank early on Monday, Israeli forces said.

It was the third deadly arrest operation in less than a week.

Israeli forces entered the Qalandia refugee camp near Ramallah to arrest two "suspected terror activists", security officials said.

One of them was shot in the leg as he was running away across a roof, then fell to his death as he tried to leap to another roof, they added.

Palestinians identified the dead man as Mohammad Abu Latifa, 18. 

According to sources in Qalandia, the Israeli forces raided the camp shortly before dawn, with clashes breaking out following the incident.

Security officials said the forces had called on Abu Latifa to stop, before shooting at his lower extremities.

"Despite that, the suspect continued to run and when he attempted to get to the roof of another building, he fell off it and was mortally wounded," a statement said.

A paramedic with the troops attempted to treat Abu Latifa, but was forced to pronounce him dead at the scene, police said.

A Ramallah hospital source told AFP that Abu Latifa was "shot with three bullets, two in his thighs and one in his left leg".

The source said the cause of death was loss of blood.

Israeli forces said the two men targeted in the raid were suspected of having "planned a terror attack in Israel".

Abu Latifa was to be buried in Qalandia later on Monday.

On Thursday, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian in the southern West Bank while arresting his son.

On Wednesday, troops shot dead a Palestinian during clashes near the northern West Bank city Jenin.

Israeli authorities say the arrest raids are necessary to detain suspects and that troops can face dangerous rioting during the operations. 

Palestinians, however, condemn the raids in the occupied territories, and the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups hinted at revenge after Thursday's death.