A 15-year-old Palestinian was killed last Thursday night by Israeli military fire in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Health announced.

“Muhammad Nidal Salim, 15, was killed by bullets in the back fired by (Israeli) occupation forces in the community of Azun,” in the central part of the West Bank, the ministry said in a press release.

Two other people were injured, including a child who is in critical condition, according to the same source.

The Ministry of Health did not clarify the circumstances.

The Israeli army confirmed last Thursday night that its members, who intervened in this city because fireworks were fired at Israeli cars moving on a road, opened fire.

“Suspects threw Molotov cocktails at our soldiers, who responded with live fire,” the general staff said in a statement.

The new death comes as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to escalate, especially in the West Bank, territory occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israeli Six-Day War.

On Sunday, the Palestinian city of Howara was targeted by Israeli settlers, hours after two settler brothers, aged 20 and 22, were shot dead as they drove a car in the northern West Bank.

Dozens of enraged settlers set fire to houses and cars and threw stones during the night.

Since the beginning of the year, 65 adults and children, members of armed organizations as well as civilians, have been killed on the Palestinian side. While 13 adults and children, members of the security forces and civilians, as well as a Ukrainian citizen, died on the Israeli side, according to an AFP tally based on official announcements by the Israeli and Palestinian authorities.