Israeli occupation forces disguised in plain clothes murdered five Palestinians in the West Bank city of Tulkarem last night including three boys.

Eyewitnesses told PIC that Israeli soldiers affiliated with the so-called Duvdevan unit broke into downtown Tulkarem and suddenly opened intensified fire at a number of youngsters in its refugee camp's main street.

They identified the victims as Adel Abu Khalil, 26, Mahmoud Abu Hadi, 15, Anas Abu Zeina, 17, Mohammad Zeidan, 17, and Majdi Atiya, 22.

A mini-bus with a Palestinian registration plate on it arrived to the camp shortly before midnight Wednesday and stopped beside a group of youth near a restaurant, the witnesses said, adding that the soldiers got out of the car and shot at the young men at close range.

They charged the soldiers with killing Adel Khalil in cold-blood after arresting him and forcing him onto the wall of a nearby building.

The sources pointed out that Khalil was not armed.

Immediately after the bloodbath, Israeli troops stormed the camp and evacuated the disguised soldiers along with the five bodies.

The occupation authorities handed four of the bodies to the PA liaison office later and the fifth body was handed at dawn Thursday.

National and Islamic forces in the city declared a three day strike out of mourning on the victims.