A Palestinian medical worker carries the body of a boy to the hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, 16 Apr 2008

Palestinian security officials say Israeli forces have killed two Palestinian militants during a pre-dawn raid in the West Bank.

Officials say Israeli troops surrounded a house near the town of Jenin Thursday. At least one of the dead was a member of the Islamic Jihad movement.

Hours later, in the Gaza Strip, Israeli troops shot two Palestinian militants who the army says were trying to enter the border crossing of Kerem Shalom. The condition of the gunmen was not immediately known.

The tensions follow Wednesday's military offensive in the Gaza Strip in which at least 17 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers were killed.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told an audience at a Moscow university Thursday that a Middle East peace conference will be held in Moscow in June.

Mr. Abbas is on a three-day visit to Russia during which he is expected to meet with President Vladimir Putin.

In other news, hundreds of people marched in Gaza City Thursday at the funeral of a cameraman for Reuters news agency killed while filming Israeli tank movements Wednesday. Reuters released the final video footage from his camera that shows a tank shell coming towards him.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.