Israeli troops kill 6 Palestinians in Gaza Strip

Israeli troops have killed six Palestinians, including three in the West Bank and three in the Gaza Strip. It's one of the deadliest outbreaks of violence in months.

On Saturday in the West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli soldiers shot dead three Palestinians belonging to President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. They were identified as members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.

The Israeli military claimed the men were involved in a roadside ambush that killed an Israeli settler in the West Bank earlier in the week.

Later in the day, thousands joined the funeral procession for the men, held in downtown Nablus.

Meanwhile, in a second incident on Saturday, three Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces near the border with the Gaza. The army said the three were hit in an Israeli air strike after they ignored warning shots while approaching a border crossing.

Israeli soldiers are seen during an army operation in the West Bank city of Nablus, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009.(AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)