Senior Hamas militant shot dead

The leader of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas' military wing in Jenin has been killed in a shootout with Israeli troops, officials said.

Zayid Khalil Moussa, a commander of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, was killed during an Israeli arrest operation in the northern West Bank city.

The Israeli government had accused Moussa of killing an Israeli soldier in November 2005.

An Israeli border policeman was wounded during the clash.

The killing of Moussa comes just over a month after a senior Hamas leader in the West Bank was killed trying to escape from Israeli soldiers during an overnight raid.

In the nearby city of Nablus, Israeli forces clashed with Palestinian stone throwers during a raid searching for suspected militants.

Palestinian security officials said a Palestinian boy was injured when troops fired plastic bullets at the demonstrators.

Tensions have been high since Monday, when Israeli settlers cut down more than 150 olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers in a neighbouring village.