Israeli troops kill Palestinian teenager-medics

NABLUS, West Bank, Dec 3 (Reuters) Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian teenager in a confrontation with protesters in the occupied West Bank today, rescue workers and witnesses said.

Rescue personnel said soldiers opened fire on protesters who threw stones at military vehicles at a refugee camp outside the city of Nablus. One youth, 15, was shot in the head and died on the way to hospital, they said.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment.

Also today, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket at Israel in violation of a truce in effect since last week, an Israeli military spokeswoman said. The rocket caused no injuries or damage.

Under the November 26 truce, Palestinian militant groups said they would halt rocket fire at Israeli if Israel stopped targeting Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel ended a five-month offensive in Gaza afterwards but has not halted routine military patrols and searches in the West Bank citing security concerns.

The Gaza offensive, billed mainly as an attempt to stop daily rocket strikes, was launched after armed Palestinian groups in Gaza, including the governing Hamas faction, abducted an Israeli soldier in a cross-border raid in June.

REUTERS SP KN1920