A Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli gunfire early on Sunday near the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

In an e-mailed press statement, the ministry said that 23-year-old Ahmed Rimawi was from the village of Beit Rima near Ramallah.

Witnesses said that Rimawi was killed during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers when Israeli forces stormed the village.

There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli side on the incident.

Since October last year, 345 Palestinians and 42 Israelis have been killed and hundreds of others injured in violent clashes between the two sides that happened on the Palestinian territories.

source: Xinhua