Israeli troops have killed a Palestinian and injured at least eight others during clashes in a flashpoint district of the occupied West Bank.
Twenty two-year-old Mahmoud AlTiti was killed after Israeli forces broke into a camp in Fuwar near the city of Hebron on Tuesday, and opened fire on a group of Palestinians who were throwing stones.
The hospital where AlTiti died said that he was shot by some kind of an explosive bullet to the head.
An Israeli military spokeswoman, citing the results of an initial investigation, said the troops had been attacked with fire-bombs on a nearby road and pursued the assailants into Fuwar, where they encountered the stone-throwers.
“Those that were in need of medical attention were evacuated to a (Palestinian) hospital where one of the suspects died,” she said, adding that the Israeli military was conducting an inquiry into the incident.
Palestinians have complained in recent weeks of the use of live fire by Israeli forces, who say they only use live fire in situations considered life-threatening.
According to Palestinian officials, Titi was the sixth Palestinian killed by Israeli fire in clashes in the Occupied West Bank since the beginning of this year.
The incident has stoked tensions ahead of a visit by US President Barack Obama next week that has been billed as a bid to encourage new peacemaking.
Obama is expected to fly in on March 20 for separate talks with Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and, in the West Bank, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Palestinian frustration at the stalled diplomacy has been fanned by Israel’s expansion of West Bank settlements.
They have also taken to the streets to protest against Israel’s jailing of thousands of their countrymen.
(Al Jazeera And Agencies – Aljazeera.com)