Palestinian protester shot by Israeli forces dies: ministry

Mohammed Shreyteh, 28, had been shot in the head during protests on 26 October in the West Bank.
 
During those clashes another Palestinian, Othman Ladawda, 33, was killed, the health ministry in the West Bank said at the time.

He was hit with live ammunition, with the bullet piercing organs in his lower abdomen, the ministry said.

At the time, witnesses said the Israeli forces fired tear gas and live ammunition at Palestinians after they protested and threw stones at settlers visiting a site near the village of Al-Mazraa al-Gharbiya. 

The Israeli army accused Palestinians of instigating a "riot" during which they allegedly "set off fireworks and hurled rocks" at troops and border police.

The military responded with "riot dispersal means and fired in accordance with standard operation procedures", it said. 

Rights groups have said Israel's open-fire rules are unlawful because they allow soldiers to use potentially lethal force in situations where their lives are not in danger.

The UN human rights commissioner said earlier this month that "it is difficult to see" how throwing stones, burning tires or even hurling firebombs from a distance at heavily protected security forces in defensive positions could be seen as life-threatening. 

In Gaza, Palestinians have staged regular protests along the separation fence since 30 March, demanding the right to return to homes their families fled or were expelled from during the creation of Israel in 1948.

They are also calling for an end to the decade-long Israel-Egypt blockade that the UN says will make Gaza "unlivable" by 2020. 

At least 221 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the March protests began.

Over the same period, one Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper.

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