Palestinian dies after settler shooting: police

Yusef Ikhlil, 17, was shot in the head on Friday and taken in critical condition to Hebron's Al-Ahly hospital where he was placed on life support. He died at around midnight, police said.

A relative, 19-year-old Murad Ikhlil, was wounded in the arm in the same confrontation with settlers who entered their village, Beit Umar, north of Hebron.

Settler sources told AFP that Palestinians began throwing stones at the settlers and also shot at them, prompting the Israelis to return fire, wounding the two Palestinians.

Police could not confirm their account.

Friday's violence came a day after settlers shot dead a Palestinian teenager near the northern West Bank town of Nablus.

The Israeli military on Friday condemned both events, and said settler suspects had been detained for questioning.

"So far, a number of Israeli settlers were arrested in suspicion of involvement in the recent events," it said, and warned both sides to keep the peace. "Action will be taken against all forms of violence on either side."

On Thursday, 18-year-old Uday Maher Qadous, from the Palestinian village of Iraq Burin southwest of Nablus, was shot dead by a settler.

His cousin, who was with him at the time, said a group of four settlers on a nearby hilltop opened fire on them, hitting Qadous in the chest.

Israeli police said they were investigating the incident and that Qadous was shot after Palestinians began throwing stones at nearby settlers.