Three Palestinians, including a senior commander of the armed resistance, have been killed by Israeli forces during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The Israeli army surrounded a building in the Old City at 5 am local time (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday, where Ibrahim al-Nabulsi - the commander of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades - was barricaded inside.

A gun battle lasted for several hours.

Al-Nabulsi, 30, was killed along with 32-year-old Islam Sabbouh and Hussein Jamal Taha, the health ministry said, adding that more than 60 others were wounded.

Four were in critical condition.

Local sources: "الدمار الإمار في المكان دهي شتبك فيه المتحديون مع قواط على هوائية في البلدة قديمة بـ #نابلس سباح اليوم".

pic.twitter.com/ayWrktZblk

— المقدسي للوععلام (@AlmakdesyMedia) August 9, 2022

Al Jazeera's John Holman said al-Nabulsi had "refused to surrender and was protected by other armed Palestinians" before he was killed.

"This is not the first time that Israeli forces have attempted to capture al-Nabulsi," Holman said.

"They tried several times, including in July, in a massive operation again in which two more men died," he declared.

Al-Nabulsi, popularly known as the "Lion of Nablus", had been on the run for many months and survived several assassination attempts by Israel.

His public appearances at the funerals of his comrades, both in February and July, had further angered the Israeli forces.