Palestinian teen killed by Israeli army during clashes

Violence erupts after a raid by Israeli security forces in a village south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

Raids on houses in the West Bank city of Hebron
Since late 2015, 249 Palestinians have been killed in Israel and the Palestinian territories [File: EPA]

A Palestinian teenager has been shot dead by the Israeli army during a confrontation in the occupied West Bank, according to officials.

The violence erupted on Monday when Israeli forces raided the village of Tuqu, south of Bethlehem. Four other Palestinians were wounded in the clashes.

In a statement, the Palestinian health ministry confirmed the killing of a man but did not give his name or age. 

Sources from the village of Tuqu where the incident took place told AFP news agency that the victim was a 17-year-old who had been shot in the chest.

The Israeli military said they shot the man during what they described as a “violent riot” in which rocks were being hurled at them.

According to the Israeli rights group B’Tselem, more than half a million Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in violation of international law. 

Since October 2015, 249 Palestinians, 40 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed in a wave of violence, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were accused by Israel of carrying out a knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: Who speaks for Palestine?

Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some died in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with the Israeli occupation, settlement building in the West Bank, stalled peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have helped feed the unrest.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies