UPDATE - Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian during West Bank protests

UPDATES WITH ISRAELI SETTLERS ATTACK IN RAMALLAH

By Esat Firat and Mustafa Haboush

JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH (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 tear gas 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 tear gas, it also said.

Eyewitnesses said that Palestinians also organized demonstrations in different parts of West Bank, including 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.

Separately, 13 Palestinian farmers were injured in Ramallah, West Bank when Israeli settlers attacked them.

Imad Havaca, the head of Nilin town west of Ramallah, told Anadolu Agency that some Jewish settlers attacked farmers who were trying to clear olive trees from unwanted weeds.

Havaca said clashes erupted between farmers and settlers when a group of young Palestinians rushed to help farmers.

A Palestinian was injured in his head by a live bullet and his condition was stable, and 12 Palestinians were beaten by stones and sticks and were affected by tear gas.

He added that several acres of land and more than 60 olive trees were burned due to tear gas canisters fired by Israeli soldiers.

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.

*Writing by Burak Dag and Gozde Bayar