Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian teenager and seriously wounded another one during a clash in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian radio has reported.
According to the report, 16-year-old Mohammed Qadus was fatally shot in the chest on Saturday in a village near the West Bank city of Nablus. His relative, also a teenager, sustained several injuries and was brought to a local hospital.
The youths had been taking part in a protest against Israel's consecration of the ancient Hurva synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem. Palestinians claim that the restoration work endangers the sacred al-Asqa mosque, located some 400 meters away.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians are on the rise after Tel Aviv announced plans last week to build 1,600 new homes for Jews in disputed east Jerusalem.
Settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, both occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, has been the main obstacle to reviving peace talks between Israel and Palestinians.
Under the internationally agreed roadmap for Middle East peace, Israel is obliged to freeze all settlement construction activity and remove unauthorized outposts built since 2001 from Palestinian territories.
The Middle East Quartet of international mediators urged Israel on Friday to freeze all settlement activity in East Jerusalem, saying it will "use all powers" to resume Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
GAZA, March 21 (RIA Novosti)
