Ramallah: Israeli forces made a rare raid into the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank early on Thursday, which the military claimed was part of an operation to destroy an attacker's home. This led to clashes.

Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in the area after a sizable military convoy, according to a witness who spoke to Reuters, arrived in downtown Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority's administrative centre.

Some Palestinian teenagers threw stones at the Israeli troops, who responded by firing live ammunition, stun grenades and tear gas at the crowd, according to the witness. Roads were blocked by burning trash cans as ambulance sirens wailed.

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 According to the Palestinian health ministry, three of the at least six patients who were taken to hospitals for treatment had gunshot wounds.

According to the Israeli military, operations were taking place in Ramallah "to destroy the terrorist's residence who carried out the bombing attack in Jerusalem last November."

In what police have identified as explosions of improvised bombs that were planted at bus stops near the city exit and in a junction leading to a settlement, the twin blasts left two people dead, including an Israeli-Canadian teenager, and at least 14 others injured.

"The demolition of fighters' homes is a collective punishment that falls under the war crimes committed by the occupation against our people," declared Abdel Fattah Dola of the Fatah party, which is led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. According to Israel, the practise of destroying the homes of offenders serves as both a punishment and a deterrent to future attackers.

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Hussein Al-Sheikh and Hady Amr, the US envoy to the Palestinians, had a meeting hours earlier.

The West Bank is one of the areas where Palestinians are vying for statehood, and violence there has increased over the past 12 months. In response to a wave of Palestinian street attacks in its cities, Israel has stepped up its military raids.

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According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israel has killed at least 158 Palestinians since January. 20 Israelis and two foreigners were killed in Palestinian attacks during the same time period, according to Israel's foreign ministry