Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned on Saturday the latest Israeli killing of three Palestinian militants in the West Bank.

Abbas' spokesman said that the Israeli escalation against the Palestinians and the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem "is only meant to undermine everything."

He also held Israel responsible for this escalation, urging the United States to swiftly move before it is too late.

Earlier in the day, three Palestinian activists were killed by Israeli gunfire during a gun-battle in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin. The militants belong to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah movements.

Meanwhile, Israeli army radio reported that a Hamas operative was killed by Israeli police special forces in the refugee camp of Jenin. The report said police forces shot and killed the operative when he attempted to escape a house surrounded by police.

Since the beginning of March, three Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank in separate incidents. In total, 49 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and the West Bank since the ongoing US-backed Palestinian-Israeli peace talks resumed last July.