Israeli fire kills Palestinian teenager in West Bank

By Esat Firat

JERUSALEM (AA) - A Palestinian teenager was killed on Friday when Israeli soldiers dispersed protests against illegal Jewish settlements, eyewitnesses said.

Also, multiple Palestinians were injured in the demonstrations held in the West Bank cities of Nablus, Qalqilya, and Ramallah.

Israeli soldiers dispersed the protests held across the West Bank with live and rubber bullets, and tear gas. Palestinians pelted stones at the soldiers and burned tires.

The fatality was confirmed by the Palestinian Health Ministry in a statement, however, no other details were given. The ministry added that six Palestinians were injured by live bullets and taken to a hospital in Nablus.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society put the figure of injured at nine, adding that six were taken to hospital.

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said 15-year-old Mohammad Said Hamayil was killed in the Israeli firing.

Tens of protesters also suffered difficulty in breathing after inhaling tear gas, they added.

According to Israeli and Palestinian figures, around 650,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in 164 settlements and 116 settlement-outposts.

International law regards both the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied territories and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity there illegal.

In 1967 Israel occupied major parts of the Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, and the western part of Golan Heights.

The UN Security Council adopted several resolutions, obliging Israel to free the occupied territories, but the latter neglected all of them and continues its expansionists politics.