Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - An eight-month-old Palestinian boy died Friday after being exposed to tear gas fired by the Israeli army near his West Bank home, a spokesman for the Palestinian health ministry told AFP.

"Ramadan Thawabteh, eight-months-old, died from asphyxiation today after inhaling tear gas, fired by the Israeli army, that entered the house of his family," the spokesman said.

It was not immediately clear if a tear gas grenade had entered the house in the city of Bethlehem or if the gas had seeped in from outside.

The tear gas was fired as Israeli soldiers faced off against stone-throwing Palestinian youths in one of a series of clashes that swept the West Bank Friday.