Israel army shoots dead 15-year-old Palestinian in Bethlehem: Ministry

Arkan Mizher, 15, was shot in the chest during clashes in Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, in the southern West Bank

Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian teenager during a raid in the occupied West Bank overnight, the Palestinian health ministry said on Monday.

(FILES) This file photo taken on May 12, 2017 shows 17-year-old Ahed Tamimi (C) protesting before Israeli forces in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, north of Ramallah. (AFP)

Arkan Mizher, 15, was shot in the chest during clashes in Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, in the southern West Bank, the ministry said.

His funeral was due to take place later Monday.

The Israeli army said its forces had entered the camp and arrested two people suspected of “terror activity”.

“During the operation, a violent riot was instigated in which Palestinians hurled rocks and threw firebombs and grenades at (Israeli) soldiers,” the army said in a statement.

Soldiers fired live rounds at the protesters, the statement added.

The camp is in a part of the West Bank supposedly under full Palestinian control but the Israeli army regularly carries out raids in such areas.

It says the operations are necessary to arrest suspects, but they often spark violent clashes with young Palestinians.