Teen dead, dozens injured in clash with Israelis, says Palestinian Ministry of Health

A Palestinian teen died Tuesday during clashes with Israeli troops in a refugee camp near the West Bank city of Hebron, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The ministry identified the deceased as refugee camp resident Mohammed Abu Hashhash, 17.

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The Palestinian Red Crescent says dozens of Palestinians were injured in the clashes, including 31 who were hit by gunfire. No Israeli troops were hurt, the military said.

The Israeli military said its forces were searching for weapons overnight in Fawwar refugee camp when they came under a rain of rocks and explosives hurled by Palestinians.

Soldiers responded with small-calibre gunfire, rubber bullets and tear gas.

"Riots erupted and dozens of Palestinians hurled [homemade explosives], blocks and rocks at the forces … [they] responded with riot dispersal means and fired .22-calibre bullets towards main instigators," an Israeli army spokeswoman said.

The Israeli military said soldiers found two improvised handguns and other weapons and ammunition during the raid. 

Residents of Fawwar said the stone-throwing continued all day. But camp resident Amen al-Bayed said Abu Hashhash was not participating in the clashes when an Israeli soldier shot him in the chest.

8 Palestinian homes demolished

Israel's Shin Bet security agency announced earlier in the day it had arrested eight West Bank Palestinians who were allegedly recruited to Hezbollah, a Shia militant group in Lebanon that is classified by Canada, the U.S. and Israel as a terrorist organization. The Shin Bet said Hezbollah has also attempted to recruit Arab citizens of Israel via pro-Palestinian Facebook pages.

Also Tuesday, Israeli forces demolished eight homes and shacks built without permits in Saer, a village in the occupied West Bank, near Hebron. Saer Mayor Kayed Daradat said the demolitions affected 55 people, and noted the houses in question were built on land close to a Jewish settlement.

Abu Hashhash is the first Palestinian fatality this month in a confrontation with Israeli forces.

Violence that has included Palestinian stabbings, shootings, rock throwing and car rammings against Israelis have largely tapered off in recent months.

Since October, Palestinians, many of them acting alone and with rudimentary weapons, have killed at least 33 Israelis and two visiting Americans.

At least 207 Palestinians have been killed, 140 of whom Israel said were assailants. Others died during clashes and protests.

Palestinian leaders say assailants have acted out of desperation over the collapse of peace talks in 2014 and Israeli settlement expansion in occupied territory that Palestinians seek for an independent state. Most countries view the settlements as illegal. Israel disputes this.