Israeli soldiers shot and wounded a 13-year-old Palestinian boy during a raid in the West Bank today, Palestinian medics said.
Palestinian witnesses and an Israeli military source said troops shot at youngsters who threw stones at them during a raid to arrest militants in the city of Jenin. Soldiers also exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen.
Medics said the teenager sustained a head wound and was taken to an Israeli hospital for treatment.
A Palestinian security source said troops left the area today after detaining three policemen. The Israeli army said it was checking the report.
Israel has increased its raids into West Bank towns and villages after an Islamic Jihad suicide bomber killed five Israelis last month.
Israeli troops have killed 16 Palestinians, most of them militants, in airstrikes and raids following rocket fire and the suicide bombing. Gunmen killed an Israeli soldier in the West Bank yesterday.
Israel demands that the Palestinian Authority disarm militants, but Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas prefers to negotiate with gunmen, fearing forced disarmament could lead to civil war.