Israeli troops wound several Palestinians in rare Ramallah incursion

Israeli troops have mounted a rare incursion into Palestine's Ramallah city in the occupied West Bank, in what the Israeli military said was an operation to demolish the house of an assailant.

A Reuters news agency witness said a large military convoy arrived in downtown Ramallah early on Thursday, the seat of Palestine's government, leading hundreds of Palestinians to gather in the area.

Some Palestinian youth hurled stones at the Israeli troops, who fired live bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at the crowd, the witness said.

Palestine's Health Ministry said at least six people were transferred to the hospital for treatment, including three who sustained gunshot wounds.

The Israeli military claimed its forces were operating in Ramallah "to demolish the residence of the terrorist who carried out the bombing attack in Jerusalem last November".

The twin blasts killed two people, including an Israeli-Canadian teenager, and wounded at least 14 others in what police said were explosions of improvised bombs that were planted at bus stops near the city exit and in a junction leading to a settlement.

The demolition of the homes is a "collective punishment that falls under the war crimes committed by the occupation against our people," said Abdel Fattah Dola of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party.

Hours earlier, the US envoy to Palestinians, Hady Amr, met with senior Palestinian official Hussein al Sheikh.