West News Wire: Palestinian officials claim that an Israeli soldier killed a Palestinian teenager amid clashes in the occupied West Bank.
According to Palestinian media, the gunshot on Friday occurred during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police in a village close to Bethlehem.
Israeli soldiers replied to some teenage Palestinians throwing rocks at them near Bethlehem with tear gas and bullets, according to Palestinian witnesses quoted by the news agency Reuters.
Mustafa Sabah, 16, was identified as the victim by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. He apparently took a bullet to the chest.
According to the Israeli military, scores of Palestinians threw rocks at soldiers, “who responded with riot dispersal means and shooting into the air.”
“Suspects continued to hurl rocks towards the soldiers, posing a life threat,” the army said. “The soldiers responded using live ammunition. Hits were identified.”
It said the incident was being reviewed.
Earlier, Israel’s military said it had arrested a suspected fighter and confiscated weapons in a raid in the city of Jenin that led to clashes with Palestinian fighters.
Israeli forces said they shot at suspects who hurled explosive devices at them. At least four Palestinians were injured in the violence, according to
the Palestinian news agency WAFA. Palestine TV said the forces blocked the movement of ambulances and conducted arrests before withdrawing.
In a separate incident on Thursay, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank.
This year has seen an increase in violence in the occupied West Bank due to a number of raids by the Israeli military, settler attacks, and Palestinian attacks. Since January, more than 90 Palestinians, at least 19 Israelis, and foreigners have died.
In the Middle East war of 1967, Israel took control of East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Since then, it has constructed sizable settlements there that the international community views as unlawful.
