A Palestinian youth was killed by Israel troops and another was seriously wounded on Saturday during a clash in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian hospital officials said.

The youths had been taking part in a demonstration in which stones were thrown at Israeli soldiers near the West Bank city of Nablus. Palestinian hospital officials and witnesses said the 16-year-old was killed by Israeli gunfire.

The Israeli military said the soldiers did not fire live ammunition, but used riot control weapons such as teargas and rubber bullets to disperse the Palestinians who were approaching a nearby Jewish settlement.

The fatality was the first in a string of clashes that erupted this week in protest of Israel's consecration of an ancient synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem and would likely increase tensions.

The Hamas Islamist group and Palestinian officials affiliated with its rival, moderate Fatah movement have said the restoration work at the ancient Hurva synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the walled Old City endangered al-Asqa mosque, situated some 400 meters (yards) away.

(Reporting by Hassan Titi; Editing by Alison Williams)

Israel Religion