Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in shootout in the occupied West Bank

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in a flashpoint West Bank city, days after Israel concluded a major two-day offensive meant to crack down on militants. The Israeli domestic security agency Shin Bet said the two men, which it claimed were behind a shooting attack this week, were killed in a shootout in the heart of the city of Nablus. The Palestinian Health Ministry said two men were killed by Israeli fire. The deaths are part of a year-long spiral of violence that shows no signs of abating. Israel has been staging raids in the West Bank for 16 months, in response to a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis last spring.