Year of Israeli violence claims over 200 Palestinian lives

The agency reported that the youngest victim was an eight-month-old baby killed by excessive tear gas inhalation during clashes.

Around 274 people have been killed in intensified violence in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel between 1 October 2015, and 30 September 2016 but the vast majority have been Palestinians by Israeli police and army.

"Drawing from statistics, a general portrait emerges of the average Palestinian to have died during this time: a young man in his late teens or early 20s from the West Bank district of Hebron, killed by Israeli security forces," the report said.

Of the 274 deaths recorded, 235 were Palestinians (86 percent), 34 Israeli (12 percent) with five (2 percent) foreign nationals.

Of the 235 Palestinians, 231 (98.3 percent) were killed by Israelis - two by other Palestinians during attacks on Israelis, and two others killed themselves while carrying out or attempting to carry out attacks.

The average age of the Palestinians who died was 23 but the most frequent age was 19, with 22 teenagers of that age losing their lives over the 12 months.

In total, 11 Palestinian children under the age of 14 were killed, and another 49 between the ages of 15 and 17.

"Three quarters of those who have been killed since October 2015 have never known anything other than Oslo," Maan reported.

"Seemingly corroborating links made between the rise in violence and the frustrations regarding the agreement's failure to establish a Palestinian state, amid a worsening situation in the occupied Palestinian territory marked by home demolitions, violent night raids, and staggering settlement expansion."

The majority of Palestinian deaths - 161 - took place in the West Bank, while 36 occurred in Jerusalem, 29 in the besieged Gaza Strip, and nine in Israel.

A total of 32 Israelis were killed by Palestinians, with two Israelis being victims of friendly fire.

The average age was 37. The youngest victim was 13-year-old Hallel Ariel, the only Israeli minor killed in the wave of unrest.

"Eighteen of the slain Israelis resided in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank," Maan reported.

"Settlers being less armed or armoured than soldiers made them more vulnerable targets for attacks, while the restrictions on Palestinian movement outside of the occupied Palestinian territory have made Israelis living in these areas more accessible targets for Palestinians seeking to commit attacks against Israelis."

The latest Palestinian death at the hands of Israeli armed forces, on 30 September came two days after an Amnesty International report said Israeli forces were displaying "an appalling disregard for human life by using reckless and unlawful lethal force against Palestinians".

Israel claims that a Palestinian campaign of incitement is fuelling the violence, while Palestinians say attacks are rooted in frustration stemming from nearly five decades of military occupation.