A truce between warring Palestinian factions entered its third day yesterday, marred by sporadic shootings.

Early Thursday, unknown gunmen opened fire at Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, as he drove with three bodyguards in his white sedan near Gaza City, according to an official Hamas announcement sent to reporters in Gaza. There were no casualties.

The announcement blamed "coup-seekers" meaning militants from Fatah which Hamas believes is trying to forcibly unseat the Hamas-led government.

But the incident and another shooting Wednesday that critically wounded a Fatah man didn't unravel the ceasefire, declared early Tuesday by leaders of Fatah and Hamas. The truce is meant to bring an end to internal fighting that has left more than 60 Palestinians dead since early December.

Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers shot dead two Palestinian militants and

a teenager in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, local medical and security sources said.

The two militants from the nebulous Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a group loosely affiliated to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party, were shot and killed in the northern town of Nablus, the faction said.

Amer Qalbuny, 21, was killed in a shootout with Israeli soldiers and Wuahel Awad, 21, died from his wounds after the clash.

"We identified hitting two armed men," an Israeli military spokeswoman said.

A 17-year-old Palestinian was killed by troops near the controversial barrier being built by Israel across the West Bank, medical and security sources said.

Taha Mohammed Qalajawi was shot by Israeli gunfire near the barrier at Qalandiya between Jerusalem and the West Bank political capital of Ramallah.

He was taken to hospital in Ramallah where he was pronounced dead.