Ramallah: Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian teenager during a raid in the West Bank village of Beit Laqiya, north of Ramallah, Palestinian medical sources said Friday.
Bahaa Samir Badir, 13, was shot late Thursday in the chest and died after being admitted to the Palestinian Medical Complex, one of the main hospitals in the city, the sources added.
An Israeli military spokesman said soldiers entered Beit Laqiya to confront a group of stone-throwing youths.
On leaving, another group of youths hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at the Israeli vehicle and the unit responded with gunfire as they considered the situation “life-threatening”.
“The incident will be investigated,” the military information office said in a statement.
The latest death brings to 42 the number of Palestinians who have been killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank since the beginning of the year.
Badir’s death increased tension in the West Bank and East Jerusalem where Thursday there were clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli security forces, in addition to settler attacks on Palestinian property.
Riots around the old part of the holy city, under the control of the Israeli police, broke out because of the Israeli decision to prevent access to prayers at the Temple Mount to those Muslim worshippers under 50 years old.
On the Mount of Olives, armed settlers attacked a house where a family was celebrating the return of one of its members from the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Maan news agency reported.
Jewish extremists from the settlement of Beit Orot, illegal under international law, entered the house of the Al Qadamani family and ripped flags with the Muslim profession of faith placed to honour the pilgrim, according to the source.
In another incident, Palestinians threw firecrackers at a vehicle and an Israeli patrol in the Arab Silwan neighbourhood and at the Jewish settlement of Nof Zion.