Palestinian killed during funeral clash in West Bank Published duration 10 April 2015

image copyright Reuters image caption Relatives of the man killed during the funeral clashes mourn as his body is carried through Beit Omar village

A Palestinian man has been shot dead in clashes with Israeli troops at the funeral of a militant in the southern West Bank, hospital officials say.

The victim was named by local media as 27-year-old Ziad Awad, a relative of the Islamic Jihad militant being buried, Jaafar Awad.

An Israeli military spokesperson said soldiers had opened fire after funeral-goers threw rocks and petrol bombs.

The clashes took place in the town of Beit Ummar, near Hebron.

A doctor at Hebron's al-Ahli hospital told the Associated Press a man had died after being brought in with gunshot wounds.

Medical officials said several others had been hurt in clashes with Israeli troops.

According to an Israeli military spokesperson, soldiers had feared for their lives as protesters at the funeral threw rocks and petrol bombs and rolled burning car tyres at them.

The spokesperson said the soldiers responded with non-lethal "riot dispersal means" and then with 0.22-calibre "Ruger" bullets

"Four hits were confirmed," the spokesperson said, adding that the military was investigating reports of a fatality.

The funeral was for a Palestinian militant who had been recently imprisoned by Israel. He was reportedly released early because of ill health.

The clash comes two days after a Palestinian man stabbed two Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank before being shot dead by one of them.