Palestinian teen killed in West Bank clashes
Israeli soldiers kill 15-year-old Palestinian, medics say, as search for missing teenagers sparks clashes.
A Palestinian teenager has been killed by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian medics and officials said, as a week-long search for three missing Israeli teenagers continues amid clashes.
Mohammed Jihad Dudin, 15, was killed on Friday in the village of Dura, west of Hebron, close to where the three Israeli teenagers went missing eight days ago, officials told Al Jazeera.
Palestinians clashed with Israeli troops at various locations across the West Bank and residents reported a number of other injuries.
Three Palestinians were also seriously wounded in the Qalandiya refugee camp – one shot in head. Injuries were also reported in Dheisheh and Jenin.
Israel confirmed its soldiers used live-ammunition, saying troops were responding to life-threatening situations.
It added that soldiers were engaged in sporadic confrontations during Friday’s raids, saying Palestinians threw home-made explosives, firebombs, fireworks and stones at them.
Israel also carried out air strikes on three locations in the Gaza Strip after two rockets were launched from the area into Israel on Thursday night.
Earlier that day, hospital officials said that three Palestinians suffered bullet wounds after overnight clashes in Jenin.
House-to-house searches
Gil-Ad Shaer and US-Israeli national Naftali Fraenkel, both aged 16, and Eyal Yifrah, 19, went missing last Thursday while hitchhiking near a Jewish settlement.
Since then, Israeli raids have spread from house-to-house searches in Hebron, to raids across the West Bank of institutions believed to provide funding and other support for Hamas – a group that Israel accuses of the abductions.
The Israeli military said it conducted raids in four towns and refugee camps early Friday, detaining 25 suspects and searching about 200 locations.
The army said nine institutions linked to Hamas were searched and materials were confiscated.
Hamas, however, has not issued any denial of involvement.
Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas roundly condemned the kidnappers on Wednesday and promised to hold to account those responsible.
His words were denounced by Hamas and other factions, who accused him of betraying the national cause.