Israeli forces kill Palestinian teen in Nablus raid

Israeli forces killed a teenage boy in a pre-dawn raid on a refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus as they continue their onslaught on the occupied territory.

Residents reported large numbers of Israeli troops in working-class neighbourhoods to the east of Nablus at around 3 am local time on Tuesday, raiding houses and arresting Palestinian residents.

A firefight then broke out in the Askar Al-Jadeed camp as two young men tried to defend their area from the intrusion, according to eyewitnesses speaking to The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Hamza Amjad al-Ashqar, 17, was struck in the neck by Israeli live fire and taken to Rafidiya hospital, where, surrounded by his friends, he was pronounced dead.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed reports of the latest fatality.  

The minor’s death brings the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank to six in less than 48 hours - all of them in surprise dawn raids. 

Five Palestinians were killed in a separate raid on a camp near Jericho on Monday, as Israel tightens its stranglehold on major cities in the occupied West Bank.

Residents of the Aqbat Jabr refugee camp told The New Arab that the Israeli military raid "traumatised the entire population of the camp".

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement that its medics treated three Palestinians wounded by live ammunition, one of whom is in serious condition, and it treated three more Palestinians for asphyxiation due to tear gas.

Israeli forces have escalated their raids on towns and cities in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of the year, killing at least 40 Palestinians so far, including six children.