Two Palestinians dead in shootings by Israeli forces in Gaza, West Bank

Two Palestinians died on Friday after being shot by Israeli forces in the occupied territories, reports said.

According to the Palestinian news agency Maan, Israeli forces on Friday afternoon fired at Palestinians who were walking near the buffer zone on the border between Gaza and Israel.

A Gaza health ministry spokesman told AFP that Muhammad Hamed al-Musri, 27, died after being shot with a live bullet west of Beit Lahia.

Another youth who was shot and sustained moderate injuries was brought to Kamal Adwan hospital.

An Israeli army spokeswoman told AFP that the two were shot after approaching the border fence with Israel and being ordered to halt.

After one of the figures continued to advance and warning shots were fired, "the force fired toward the lower extremities of a suspect," the spokeswoman said.

Also Friday, Palestinians gathered across the occupied West Bank for protests condemning an arson attack by suspected Israeli extremists that killed a Palestinian toddler. Palestinians threw stones and Israeli forces fired rubber-coated bullets and tear gas canisters, Maan reported.

Near Ramallah, Israeli forces shot Palestinian teen identified as Laith al-Khaledi in the chest, critically injuring him during protests at Atara checkpoint. Al-Khaledi later died of his wounds, medical sources told Maan.

Palestinian medical and security sources told AFP that Laith was 14 years old, while the Maan report said he was 17.

Laith was born in al-Jalazoun refugee camp near Ramallah and lived with his family in the nearby village of Jifna. His father is the deputy dean of student affairs at Birzeit University, according to the report. 

Israeli soldiers also dispersed hundreds of protesters in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Friday. 

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967. 

Israel maintains a security buffer zone along the inside of the Gaza border with limited access for farmers, and Israeli forces regularly shoot Palestinians near the fence.