Israel forces kill Palestinian youngster in W. Bank: Palestinians

Ramallah: Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank killed a Palestinian teenager on Tuesday, the Palestinian health ministry said.

“Mohammed Shehade, 14, was killed by Israeli forces’ gunfire in Al-Khader” in the Bethlehem area, a ministry statement said.

Two other teenagers have been killed over the past 10 days in the West Bank, where deadly incidents are common, often during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops.

Israel’s army confirmed in a statement the death of a Palestinian, who was among three suspects who “hurled Molotov cocktails at passing drivers, endangering their lives”.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967. Since then, about 475,000 Jewish settlers have moved into the territory, living in communities considered illegal under international law, alongside nearly 2.9 million Palestinians.

The latest death comes one week after Israeli fire killed another teenage Palestinian in the West Bank, both sides said, during what witnesses described as a confrontation between protesters and Israeli troops.

Residents in the community of Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah, identified the victim as Nehad Bargouthi, 19.

His killing came less than two days after a teenager was killed by Israeli gunfire near the flashpoint West Bank town of Jenin.

Mohammed Abu Salah, 17, was shot during clashes that erupted as Israeli forces were destroying the home of a Palestinian they accused of carrying out the December killing of a Jewish settler in the West Bank.