TULKAREM, April 22: Thousands of Palestinians turned out here on Thursday for the funerals of three local leaders of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades movement after they were killed in a shootout with Israeli troops.

Schools and shops were closed for the day in an unofficial general strike as around 10,000 residents of this northern West Bank town paid their last respects to Bilal Abu Amsha, 27, Ghanem Ghanem, 25, and Aiman Bagharneh, 30.

The three were all shot dead in armed clashes which began at daybreak after 20 Israeli armored vehicles including tanks surrounded a house in the town of Tulkarem where the three were holed up, Palestinian security sources said.

Hani Alwadi, who became the new Brigades strongman in Tulkarem after Abu Amsha's death, said that the killings would spur the movement to increase its attacks on Israeli troops and settlers. -AFP