Israeli army kills Palestinian teenager in West Bank

Sixteen-year-old was shot in the back outside Al Aroub refugee camp

Palestinians take cover from Israeli security forces in the the occupied West Bank on Friday. AFP

Israel killed a Palestinian teenager at a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the latest death in a string of killings that have made 2023 the deadliest year of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in two decades.

Milad Al Rai, 16, was shot in the back just outside the Al Aroub refugee camp north of Hebron, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The Israeli army said it had opened fire on a group that threw Molotov cocktails at troops near the camp.

A total of 185 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire this year, the highest number since the UN began tracking deaths in 2005.

Thirty young people under 18 were among the dead.

Jenin and Nablus have borne the brunt of Israeli violence, with almost daily army raids in the cities and their refugee camps.

While Israel claims it is targeting Palestinian militants responsible for committing or plotting attacks against Israelis, many civilians, elderly people and children have also been killed.

Sadil Naghnaghia, 15, was one of seven people killed in a raid on Jenin refugee camp in June.

She was shot in the head while filming Israeli military vehicles passing by her home.

Palestinians argue with Israeli settlers a day after a shooting attack and violence in the West Bank town of Hawara. EPA

Smoke is seen during a confrontation between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank town of Hawara. Reuters

An aerial view shows a building and cars torched in Hawara. Reuters

A Palestinian man walks past burnt cars in a scrapyard in Hawara. AP

An Israeli soldiers speak to a Palestinianians near in the West Bank town of Hawara. Reuters

Israeli soldier holds back a settler during confrontations at the scene of a shooting attack in the West Bank town of Hawara. EPA

A Palestinian man uses a stick to remove burnt tyres left in in front of his house as Israeli soldiers stand guard. EPA

Israeli troops patrol as tensions escalate in the West Bank town of Hawara. EPA

Israeli security forces examine a vehicle riddled with bullet holes following a reported shooting attack near Jericho, in the occupied West Bank. AFP

In January, a 60-year-old woman was among 10 people killed in a raid on the camp.

Israel's right-wing government has stoked tensions in the West Bank, with some government ministers encouraging settler attacks on Palestinian communities.

Settler attacks have impacted several Palestinian villages and towns, including the town of Huwara, where schools have previously shut in fear of Israeli violence.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who lives in a West Bank settlement, often encourages such attacks, and has called for the death penalty for Palestinian attackers.

The cabinet has also made expanding settlements a priority for the government and has accelerated construction of settlements across the West Bank, which are deemed illegal under international law.