Inaction by the international community emboldens Israel to kill unarmed Palestinian protesters, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said on Saturday, as Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian clashed in the wake of the protester's West Bank funeral

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Open gallery view A Palestinian throws a stone at Israeli security forces in Hebron, Feb. 24, 2012. Credit: Reuters

On Friday, Palestinian accounts claimed that Talat Ramieh, 25, was killed Friday during a demonstration near Qalandia military checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Palestinians said he killed when hit by a live bullet fired by Israel Defense Forces soldiers at dozens of stone-throwing Palestinians.

In a statement released on Friday, Fayyad condemned what he said was the use of force against unarmed demonstrators, adding that the lack of international involvement in Israeli actions embolden the cabinet in Jerusalem to violent action.

“We have already warned all components of the international community, especially the international Quartet, on several occasions of the dangers of maintaining silence while Israel’s violence continues against non-violent protests our people carry out,” the statement said.

"While the international community and the Quartet issues statements only, the killing of Palestinians, settlement expansion, land confiscation, house demolitions and settler terrorism among other violations of international law seem to continue," Ma'an quoted Fayyad's statement as saying.

Also on Saturday, an army spokesman said troops fired tear gas Saturday to disperse several dozen Palestinians hurling rocks and bottles at Israeli forces in al-Ram, with the Palestinian Ma'an news agency reporting nine Palestinians wounded.

According to a Ma'an repotr, nine Palestinians were wounded following the clashes the West Bank town, which erupted following the Ramieh's funeral.



An initial IDF investigation into the incident which led to Ramieh's death indicated that 20 Palestinians gathered next to the Ramah camp southeast of Ramallah in the West Bank, and threw stones at IDF forces. One of the Palestinians threw fireworks directly at the soldiers.

The soldiers, sensing danger, opened fire at the Palestinians as per military orders. The IDF explained that the youth was hit in the shoulder, and was taken to the hospital in Ramallah.



The IDF also said that use of fireworks as weapons during riots has become more commonplace in recent months.