Palestinian protesters confront Israeli forces during a demonstration against the illegal Israeli outpost of Evyatar in the village of Beita, north of the occupied West Bank [Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP]

Ramallah, August 7 (RHC)-- Israeli troops have shot dead a Palestinian and injured others during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry and medics have said.

Imad Ali Mohammad Dweikat, 38, was shot by “a live bullet to the chest” in the town of Beita and was pronounced dead at the hospital in nearby Nablus, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The Israeli military said on Friday that 700 Palestinians had gathered south of the Palestinian city of Nablus, burning tyres and throwing rocks and petrol bombs towards troops and border police.

Israeli forces “responded with riot dispersal means,” the military said in a statement.  “We are aware of reports that a Palestinian was killed and a number of Palestinians were injured.”

The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said 21 other Palestinians had been shot by Israeli troops, most of them with rubber-tipped bullets. Others were treated for tear gas inhalation, it said in a statement.