Palestinian teen shot dead by Israeli troops

Ramallah : Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian teenager Thursday in the occupied West Bank and seriously wounded three other Palestinians, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement.

It did not give the circumstances, but said the shooting happened near the Jelazoun Palestinian refugee camp.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said soldiers shot a number of Palestinians throwing petrol bombs at Beit El settlement, close to Jelazoun, but she could not confirm the death.

"The suspects hurled firebombs towards the community," and soldiers fired in response, she said. "Hits were confirmed."

Palestinian health officials named the dead youngster as Mahmud Hattab, 16.

A wave of violence that broke out in October 2015 has claimed the lives of 257 Palestinians, 40 Israelis, two Americans, one Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese national, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities. Others died during protests, clashes or in Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip.

Violence has greatly subsided in recent months, despite sporadic attacks, but the head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security service warned this week against complacency.

"It is misleading," Nadav Argaman told Israeli lawmakers on Monday, because the Palestinian Islamist group "Hamas and global jihadists are constantly trying to carry out attacks on Israeli territory and in Judea-Samaria (the West Bank)."