Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in West Bank settlement clashes

dpa Tel Aviv/Ramallah A Palestinian man in the West Bank has died after he was shot by Israeli soldiers on Friday, according to the Palestinian Ministry o...

dpa Tel Aviv/RamallahA Palestinian man in the West Bank has died after he was shot by Israeli soldiers on Friday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah.The man died of his injuries in hospital, the ministry said.According to Palestinian news agency Wafa, he was 28 years old.The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said that over the last several hours, a violent riot had started near the illegal settlement - known in Isreal as an outpost - of Eviatar, south of Nablus.“During the riot, hundreds of Palestinians burned tires and hurled rocks at IDF troops, who operated at the scene,” the IDF said. “These violent riots have been occurring every Friday and often times during the week as well. We are aware of reports that a Palestinian was killed. The incident is under investigation.” According to Palestinian sources, this is the seventh death since May in protests against the illegal settlement of Givat Eviatar.Eviatar, consisting of some 50 mobile homes, was originally supposed to be cleared as it is considered illegal under Israeli law, several media outlets reported. The nearby Palestinian village of Beita claims the land on which the settlement was built as part of its territory.At the end of June, the settlers were said to have agreed with Israel’s new government under Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to vacate Eviatar voluntarily and peacefully. In return, the government agreed to consider the possibility of approving a settlement at the site.Some 600,000 Israelis live in more than 200 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which Palestinians hope to make the capital of their future state. Israel captured the West Bank, as well as East Jerusalem and its historic Old City, in the 1967 Six-Day War.Israel itself distinguishes between illegal settlements and those built with Israeli permission. However, under international law, all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.