Israeli forces kill Palestinian teenager in West Bank, Palestinian ministry says

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement.

The 15-year-old was shot in his neck and back in the town of al-Khader near Bethlehem, the statement added. He is the second Palestinian teen killed this week.

The Israeli military said it responded with live fire when a number of suspects hurled rocks and petrol bombs at soldiers “who were conducting routine security activity” in the area, adding that the incident was under review.

It was not clear whether the shot teen had participated in the clashes.

The killing “is part of a series of crimes and field executions carried out by the occupation forces”, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement.

Separately, Israeli forces injured more than 200 people in protests near the West Bank city of Nablus on Friday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a statement.

Israeli forces or armed civilians have killed at least 46 Palestinians since the beginning of the year, including militants, lone assailants and bystanders. Data collected by Defence for Children International-Palestine showed at least eight of the casualties were children.

Since March, Palestinians have killed 18 people, including civilians, police officers and a security guard, in attacks in Israel and the West Bank.

(Reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Henriette Chacar in Haifa; Editing by Grant McCool)