Palestinian boy found dead in West Bank; Palestinians blame settlers

Palestinian boy found dead in West Bank

RAMALLAH, West Bank — A Palestinian teenager was found dead from a gunshot wound near his village in the West Bank, and Palestinians said Friday he was likely shot by an Israeli settler while throwing stones at cars.

Israeli police said that was one possibility under investigation.

The Israeli military, which exercises overall control in the West Bank, said its troops were not involved in the incident.

Palestinian ambulance driver Talal Eideh said his medical team found the boy dead near his village, not far from the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Thursday evening. He was shot in the back, Eideh said.

Abedrasoul Toum, a village resident, said other youths who were with the boy said they were throwing stones at Israeli cars on a nearby road when they came under fire from one or more settlers. He said tensions were high in the village because of a march by Israeli settlers nearby the day before.

Israeli police confirmed the boy’s death and said they were investigating the cause. Spokesman Gili Elhadad said police received reports of stone-throwing and gunshots in the area on Thursday and were looking into both.

Israel controls the West Bank, home to around 2.5 million Palestinians and 300,000 Jewish settlers, but the Western-backed Palestinian government of President Mahmoud Abbas exercises limited authority in some areas.

Also Friday, hundreds of Gazans demonstrated on what they call Nakba — or catastrophe — Day, when Palestinians mark the creation of the state of Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes when Israel was established in 1948.

In Beirut, dozens of Palestinians carrying banners and Palestinian flags gathered in front of the U.N. house as well to mark the occasion.

Late Friday, Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a car of Israelis driving in the West Bank, near Ramallah, the Israeli military said. One man was lightly wounded.