Two Israelis have been killed in a suspected Palestinian shooting attack in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military says.

It happened near the village of Huwara – which has been the scene of previous deadly attacks on Israelis and rampages by Jewish settlers in retribution.

The shooting took place at a carwash, according to Israeli media reports.

The gunman is said to have approached on foot and opened fire with a handgun.

The Israeli ambulance service says that two men aged about 30 and 60 were pronounced dead at the scene. Both are said to have been civilians.

Israeli media reported that they were father and son.

The Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad praised the attack.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has set up blockades nearby and is hunting for the gunman.

Hawara has long been a flashpoint in the West Bank. It is located on a main road south of Nablus, which is used by Palestinians and Israeli settlers.

In the past, Israelis would sometimes shop there, but that has become uncommon after a recent surge in violence.

This year, the village has seen several shooting attacks in which Israeli settlers and soldiers have been targeted – including the killing of two brothers in February.

That triggered a deadly rampage by a large crowd of settlers in one of the worst such acts in years. There have also been other instances of settler violence.