Israeli Troops Kill Palestinian in Chevron Riot

Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian who threw a Molotov cocktail at them during a riot in Chevron on Wednesday, the first death since tensions rose following the release of President Donald Trump’s Mideast plan.

“During a violent riot that took place a short time ago, IDF troops spotted a Palestinian throwing a Molotov cocktail at them. They responded with live fire in order to remove the threat,” the IDF said, without commenting on whether there was a fatality.

However, the Palestinian health ministry said Mohammed al-Haddad was shot in the chest and succumbed to his wounds after being taken to a hospital.

The shooting came hours after Israel struck Hamas targets in Gaza in response to rocket fire toward Israeli communities overnight.

In recent days, protesters have burned U.S. and Israeli flags as well as posters of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Stones and firebombs have been hurled at Israeli troops, with one exploding and lightly wounding a soldier. The Israeli military has instructed troops to “contain” the protests and not respond forcefully, concerned that Palestinian casualties would set off further violence.

In Gaza, the military said it targeted a Hamas weapons manufacturing site. There were no reports of casualties. The exchange comes amid an uptick in cross-border rocket and “explosive balloon” launches from the Hamas-controlled territory.

The Gaza Strip has been relatively calm in recent months as part of an informal truce between its Hamas rulers and Israel, but tension has increased since President Donald Trump unveiled his plan, which Palestinians say is unfair to them.

Hamas rejected the Trump plan and vowed that “all options are open” in responding to the proposal, but the group is not believed to be seeking another war with Israel.

Following the latest rocket fire, the military said it viewed the incident with “great severity and is prepared for various scenarios.” It said the zone available for fishing off the coast of the Palestinian territory would be tightened from 15 nautical miles to 10 in response to the rocket fire and explosive balloons.