Palestinian shot by Israeli troops dies in hospital

An 18-year-old protester shot by Israeli troops during a demonstration over the killing of a Palestinian toddler died of his wounds Saturday, Palestinian health officials said.  

Ahmad Betawi, the director of the Ramallah hospital, said Laith al-Khaldi died after being shot in the chest Friday during a demonstration over the burning death of a Palestinian toddler in a fire set by Jewish extremists. 

Al-Khaldi was buried Saturday and small skirmishes ensued.

Tensions remain high after Jewish assailants set fire to a West Bank home and burned the sleeping Palestinian toddler to death.

The attack drew Palestinian anger and widespread condemnation.  

The firebombing of the family's home in the occupied West Bank sparked an international outcry.

About 2,000 Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Hebron. Saturday saw only minor clashes as Israel deployed greater crowd control forces.

The parents and brother of the  Palestinian toddler  who were seriously injured in the arson attack were fighting for their lives Saturday, as some Israelis held protests against 'hate crimes'.   

The firebombing of the family's home in the occupied West Bank sparked an international outcry over Israel's failure to curb violence by Jewish settlers. 

The child's father, Saad, was being treated for third-degree burns at the Soroka hospital in southern Israel, where a spokeswoman described his condition as "critical". 

Mother Riham and four-year-old brother Ahmed were at Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv, where a spokeswoman described their condition as life-threatening.  

The family's small brick and cement home in the village of Duma was gutted by fire, and a Jewish Star of David spray-painted on a wall along with the words "revenge" and "long live the Messiah". 

The arson attack early Friday followed days of tensions over West Bank settlements, with extremist Jewish groups opposing the demolition of two buildings under construction that the Israeli High Court said were illegal.

The demolitions began Wednesday, but Netanyahu just hours later authorised the immediate construction of 300 settler homes in the same area, angering Palestinians. 

A delegation of senior Palestinian officials, including Palestine Liberation Organisation secretary general Saeb Erakat, Palestinian Authority security head Majed Faraj and health minister Jawad Awwad visited the Tel Hashomer hospital on Saturday.

Erakat, who is also chief negotiator for talks with Israel, reiterated that the Palestinians hold the Israeli government "fully responsible" for the attack on the family.

Gaza vigil

On Saturday evening, hundreds of Gazans held a candlelight vigil and mock funeral for Dawabsha. 

In Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, thousands of Israelis demonstrated against the extremism that bred the Duma attack as well as the stabbing of six participants of a Gay Pride march in Jerusalem on Thursday by an ultra-Orthodox Jew. 

"Flames of hatred have spread through our country, flames of violence, of hatred, of false and distorted beliefs," President Reuven Rivlin said in a speech to the crowd in Jerusalem, near the site of the attack that left a 16-year-old girl in critical condition.  

On Saturday morning, Palestinians and Jewish settlers clashed near Kusra in the northern West Bank, trading volleys of stones until the Israeli army declared the area a closed military zone.  

In east Jerusalem, around 10 Palestinians were wounded in clashes on Friday night with Israeli police, Palestinian sources said.  

Israel's right wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the attack on the Dawabsha family as "terrorism in every respect".  

But Palestinian president Abbas said he doubted Israel would provide "true justice" and ordered his foreign minister to file a complaint at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.