Jerusalem, June 10 (IANS): Israeli defence forces killed a Palestinian youth on Wednesday after he tried to attack them during a military operation in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

"A unit of the border police entered the area to make an arrest, and when they were backing down, they were attacked by several people," Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Efe news agency.

"A suspect approached them with a bomb in his hands. He was shot and the device he was carrying exploded," he continued.

Rosenfeld did not specify whether the young man died of gunshot wounds.

The Times of Israel online newspaper said that the deceased was 23 years old and was hit by two bullets, one in the arm and one in the chest, and that he died before reaching the hospital.

Other digital media outlets like Ynetnews identified the young man as 20-year-old Izz a-Din Bni Aza.

Wednesday's incident was the first Israeli shooting in two months in the occupied West Bank.