Protesters with Palestinian flag confront Israeli soldiiers near Homesh

Ramallah, February 14 (RHC)-- Israeli soldiers shot dead a 17-year-old Palestinian during clashes near the town of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry and official Wafa news agency said on Monday.

The health ministry said Mohammed Abu Salah was killed in the village of Silat al-Harithiya as troops arrived late on Sunday to demolish the home of Muhammad Jaradat, a man accused of killing an Israeli late last year.

The army said “violent riots” broke out ahead of the planned demolition, “with the participation of hundreds of Palestinians,” some of whom hurled explosives at Israeli troops.  “The troops identified a number of armed rioters, and fired towards them in order to neutralise the threat,” the army statement said without commenting directly on the teenager’s death.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 10 people were also wounded in the gunfire.  Jaradat has been charged with killing an Israeli in a shooting attack on a car near the illegal Jewish outpost of Homesh on December 16th.  

The former settlement was evacuated as part of Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005.  The Israeli military had said earlier it would destroy a floor of the house where he lived.