News / Palestine

Israeli troops kill Palestinian stone-thrower in WB

Wednesday, 10 February 2016 1:13 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 11 February 2016 7:51 AM ]

An Israeli soldier aims fire during clashes with Palestinian youths in the village of Qabatiya, near the occupied West Bank town of Jenin, on February 6, 2016. ©AFP

Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian teenager during clashes in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials say.

According to medical sources, the 16-year-old youth, identified as Omar Madi, was shot in the chest on Wednesday in al-Arroub refugee camp located north of al-Khalil (Hebron), Palestinian Ma’an news agency reported.

The clashes erupted after Israeli soldiers "spotted a number of boys throwing stones at Israeli vehicles at route 60 near al-Arroub refugee camp," the agency quoted an Israeli army spokesman as saying.

“The soldiers responded with riot dispersal means and shot one of the demonstrators with live fire,” the spokesman added.

Locals said Israeli forces used tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and live fire during clashes in the camp.

The teen was taken to hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.

Al-Arroub refugee camp lies along Route 60, a major West Bank road that illegal Israeli settlers regularly use to get access to a number of illegal settlements in al-Khalil. The site has seen frequent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces over the past several months.

On February 5, Israeli soldiers killed a 14-year-old Palestinian and detained another along the route, accusing the pair of trying to hurl Molotov cocktails at passing cars.

A Palestinian throws stones at illegal Israeli settlers in the center of the Palestinian city of al-Khalil (Hebron) on January 21, 2016. ©AFP

Al-Khalil along with the towns and villages in its vicinity has been a frequent scene of skirmishes since a fresh wave of unrest began in the occupied Palestinian territories early October 2015. The clashes broke out after Palestinians protested plans by Israelis to change the status quo of the al-Aqsa Mosque and its surrounding compound, a highly revered place for the Muslims across the world.

More than 170 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more injured in the clashes across the West Bank, Gaza and East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

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