A Palestinian teenager has reportedly been shot dead by Israeli forces during a clash in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian medics said Mohammed Hamayel, 15, was hit in the face by live ammunition near the village of Beita, south of the city of Nablus.
Israel’s military said 500 Palestinians took part in what it called a violent riot, hurling rocks towards its troops and setting tyres on fire.
The area has been the scene of growing tension in recent weeks.
Palestinians say a group of Jewish settlers has been trying to take control of a hill in the middle of several of their villages.
A witness told the BBC that Palestinians had gathered on Wednesday following rumours the settlers were heading to the hill.
When Israeli forces arrived Palestinians threw stones at them, and the soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas from drones, the witness said.
Read Also: Abbas Says Palestinians Cutting All Ties With Israel, US
Palestinian health officials said a further 17 people were injured.
The settlers had reportedly been organising an archaeological tour of the hill, saying it hosted a site of Biblical significance.
About 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967. The settlements are widely considered illegal under international law, though Israel has always disputed this.
Palestinians have long called for the removal of the settlements, arguing that their presence on land they claim for a future independent Palestinian state makes it almost impossible to make such a state a reality.
In January, US President Donald Trump unveiled a peace plan that may pave the way for Israel annexing the settlements.
The plan has been rejected by the Palestinian leadership, but a joint US-Israeli committee has begun work to complete detailed maps of the relevant areas.
BBC NEWS
