Settler fire critically wounds Palestinian teen in Gush Etzion

Day after 19-year-old Palestinian shot dead, another teen hit by settler fire in West Bank after group of settlers hiking in area attacked with stones. Palestinian reportedly brain dead. Peace Now: Confiscate settler weapons

Ynet reporters|Last update: 01.28.11 , 12:21

Settler fire critically wounded a 17-year-old Palestinian north of Hebron on Friday, less than a day after a 19-year-old Palestinian was killed in the West Bank village of Iraq Burin. The injured teen is reportedly brain dead.

Following the shooting, IDF forces arrived at the village of Khirbet Safa, located north of Hebron, and clashed with rioting Palestinians.

Settlers claimed Palestinians from Khirbet Safa threw stones at a group of some 30 Kiryat Arba residents who were hiking in the area. The hike was apparently not coordinated with the IDF. In response to the stone-throwing, the settlers opened fire and critically wounded Palestinian teenager Yousef al-Khalil. Another Palestinian was injured from the gunfire.

Palestinian medical officials said al-Khalil was evacuated to a hospital in Hebron with critical wounds to his head.

Palestinian sources reported that the settlers instigated the violence. They said some 150 Jews made their way to Khirbet Safa and clashed with the locals. Another Palestinian was injured during subsequent clashes between IDF forces and the villagers.

Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer called on the police to "collect most of the weapons held by settlers and act with an iron fist against any trigger-happy citizen who kills Palestinians for no reason."

The Yesha Human Rights Organization called on the IDF and police to "respect the Judea and Samaria settlers' right to travel freely in the area."

Extreme rightist Baruch Marzel of the SOS Israel organization urged the settler public "not to be deterred and continue traveling throughout the Land of Israel.

"The Arabs must take into account that Jews are not suckers and are allowed to defend themselves against those who want to take our lives," he said.

On Thursday, police said a man, apparently a settler, who shot and killed a 19-year old Palestinian had been attacked by a group of Arabs and was acting in self defense.