Israeli troops shoot dead Palestinian stone-thrower

Israeli troops shot dead a 21 year-old Palestinian stone-thrower during an arrest raid in the West Bank Wednesday after a soldier was hit in the head with a rock, the Israeli military and Palestinian Health Ministry said.

The Health Ministry says Izzideen Tamimi was shot dead during clashes with Israeli forces in the village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah. Bassem Tamimi, the casualty's uncle, said forces entered the village and were attacked by stone throwers, to which the troops responded with live rounds, rubber bullets and tear gas.

The Israeli military said its forces were attacked by a dozen Palestinians throwing rocks. After initially responding with riot-dispersal means, the military said one of the Palestinians approached from a side position and hurled a large rock that struck one of the soldiers in the head. The soldier then returned fire and killed his assailant, it added.

The incident comes shortly after an Israeli soldier was killed in similar circumstances by a block that crushed his head. The military said it was still examining Wednesday's incident, and did not mention who it had sought to arrest or if the action was completed.

Since 2015, Palestinians have killed over 50 Israelis, two visiting Americans and a British tourist in stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks. Israeli forces killed over 260 Palestinians in that period. most of whom Israel says were attackers.

Attacks have petered off in recent months as the Palestinian focus has shifted toward protests at the Gaza border, where Israeli troops have killed over 115 Palestinians wounded nearly 3,700 more during near-weekly protests, according to Palestinian health officials.

The casualty is a distant relative of Palestinian teen protest icon Ahed Tamimi. Nabi Saleh is home to about 600 members of the extended Tamimi clan. The 17-year-old Ahed has drawn international attention for her arrest after slapping an Israeli soldier in the face in December.