Child shot at Lebanon border

The border has seen several confrontations in the last month

A six-year-old Palestinian boy was wounded when Israeli troops fired at a crowd gathered at the Lebanon-Israel border.

The border has only been accessible since Israel ended its 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon last month, and there have been a number of confrontations since then.

The child's father, Abdullah Tahbish, said some youths had begun throwing stones over the border fence at an Israeli military position known as Fatima Gate.

We had been told that the Israelis fired from time to time but only in the air

Injured boy's father

He said had heard a shot and seen his son Bilal 's shoulder covered in blood.

The family, who live at Ain al-Hilwa refugee camp near Sidon, had gone to the border, which has become a popular destination for sightseeing.

Deep wound

"We had been told that the Israelis fired from time to time but only in the air," said Abdullah Tahbish said.

Lebanese have demonstrated for the return of border villages

Dr Walid Ramadan, who operated on the boy at a hospital near Marjayoun, told AFP that the bullet had gone through Bilal's shoulder but had missed bones and arteries.

"Nevertheless it was a deep wound and the child was operated on under general anaesthetic," the doctor said.

Witnesses said members of Hezbollah, which controls the Lebanese side of the border, came and stopped the crowd from throwing stones.

At another point on the border, more than 7,000 Lebanese citizens from families who had fled seven villages annexed by Israel in 1948 staged a demonstration to call for a return of their land.

On 28 May four people were wounded when Israeli troops opened fire on stone-throwers at the same spot.