Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian during West Bank protests

By Esat Firat

JERUSALEM (AA) – At least one Palestinian was killed and six others were injured in the occupied West Bank on Friday when Israeli soldiers used live bullets and teargas to disperse protesters demonstrating against illegal Jewish settlements there, authorities said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that Zekeriya Hamayel, 28, succumbed to his injuries shortly after he was shot by Israeli forces in his chest during protests near the Beita town of northern Nablus city.

Earlier, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that five people were wounded when Israeli soldiers fired live and plastic bullets against the protesters in Beita. Two others were injured during the brawl.

Dozens of protesters suffered difficulty breathing after inhaling teargas, it also said.

Eyewitnesses said that Palestinians also organized demonstrations in different parts of West Bank, especially in the northern town of Kafr Qaddum, Qalqilya and the Beit Dajan town of Nablus.

Israeli soldiers used live and plastic bullets, and tear gas to disperse the protesters there as well, while Palestinians threw stones in response.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is seen as occupied territory under international law, thus making all Jewish settlements there illegal.

Like Turkey and much of the international community, the EU does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territories it has occupied since 1967.

Since 2001, the EU has repeatedly called on Israel to end all settlement activity and to dismantle the already existing ones.