Israeli troops kill Palestinian in West Bank clash, medics say

HEBRON, West Bank (Reuters) -Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian man and wounded six others in the occupied West Bank town of Halhoul on Thursday, Palestinian medical officials said.

The Israeli military said forces “conducted counterterrorism activities to confiscate terror funds” in the town near Hebron. It said it responded with riot disperal means and live fire when dozens of Palestinians hurled rocks and explosive devices at the soldiers.

Witnesses said the Israeli army entered Halhoul and sealed off a currency exchange office, leading to confrontations with residents who hurled rocks at the troops.

The Palestinian foreign ministry described the killing of the 27-year-old man, a father, as an Israeli “execution” and called for international protection for the Palestinians.

Violence in territories where Palestinians seek statehood has simmered since U.S.-sponsored peace talks stalled in 2014. It has flared again since January, with Israeli raids that have killed at least 47 Palestinians and Arab street attacks that have killed 19 people in Israel and the West Bank.

(Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Alex Richardson)