Palestinian shot dead in Israeli army raid in Bethlehem: medics

Israeli soldiers shot dead a 19-year-old Palestinian as clashes broke out during a raid at a refugee camp in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Tuesday, Palestinian medics and the Israeli army said.

After the incident at the Dheisheh refugee camp, clashes also broke out at Aida, another camp in Bethlehem, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. 

The person killed was identified as Malek Shahin. Medical sources said that he was killed by a bullet to his head, and that there was no exit wound. 

According to the Israeli army, soldiers entering Dheisheh were targeted with pipebombs and molotov cocktails.

"Forces fired warning shots into the air in order to disperse the mob and prevent an escalation of violence," a military spokeswoman said.

She could not confirm the death of the Palestinian but said the military was looking into it.

Israeli forces stormed the camp to arrest a number of young men reportedly affiliated to the leftist group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which Israel considers a terrorist organisation.

In a statement released later, the PFLP said that Shahin was a supporter of the group who was killed "during fierce clashes with Israeli troops who raided the camp to detain young men affiliated to the PFLP."

"The ongoing ugly crimes by the Israeli occupation against our young men who lead clashes at the front line won't prevent them from escalating the clashes with Israeli occupation soldiers and settlers," the statement continued.

Residents of the camp said that during the raid, Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters, stun grenades and live ammunition "indiscriminately" through the camp's narrow alleyways.

They also said that Shahin was left to bleed to death before he was evacuated to the Beit Jala Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Since 1 October, almost daily attacks and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers have killed 112 on the Palestinian side, 17 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.

Many of the Palestinians killed have been attackers, while others have been shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes.