JENIN, Jan 20: Two Palestinian boys were shot dead by Israeli troops on Thursday in separate incidents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources told AFP.

In the northern West Bank, 14-year-old Salah Ikhab was shot as he played with a toy gun he had been given as a present for Eidul Azha, witnesses and medical sources said.

An Israeli military source confirmed that troops had opened fire at "an armed Palestinian" but said exact details of the incident were still being investigated.

Several hours later, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was shot dead in the southern Gaza town of Rafah on the border with Egypt, while out walking with his family during the Eid festival, medics said.

Salah Abu al-Aish was hit in the neck as they walked near the entrance to Rafah's sprawling refugee camp. The sources said it was not clear why the soldiers opened fire.

An Israeli military source said the only shooting incident that had occurred in the area was when troops identified two Palestinians crawling very close to the Tarmit army outpost, an area which is off-limits to Palestinians. -AFP