Palestinians Throw Bomb at IDF Troops in West Bank

Israeli troops opened fire on a Palestinian car overnight Thursday-Friday after a homemade bomb was thrown from the vehicle at a junction manned by soldiers in the central West Bank, the army said.

A statement from the Israel Defense Forces said soldiers responded after the "improvised explosive device" was thrown from the speeding car.

"The soldiers blocked the road to stop the terrorist cell. The car accelerated in their direction and the fighters responded by firing at the terrorists," a statement from the Israel Defense Forces said, adding that the car was hit by bullets.

There were no reports of Israeli injuries.

Palestinian media reported that three people in the car were wounded during the incident, which took place near the West Bank city of Jenin.

The Kan public broadcaster said the three were aged 15 and 16. One of them was said to be in serious condition with the other two moderately wounded from shrapnel.

Ynet news site reported that one of those injured in the incident was the son of Zakaria Zubeidi, a former Palestinian terrorist leader charged with carrying out attacks against Israelis dating back over a decade.

Zubeidi, a 43-year-old former commander for Fatah's military wing, has been indicted on 24 counts for his role in a number of shooting and bombing attacks starting in 2003.

During the Second Intifada, which broke out in 2000, Zubeidi served as the commander in the Jenin region of Fatah's military wing, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. He was also suspected of being one of the chief architects of several terror attacks during that time period.

The incident comes after a Palestinian man was killed in the West Bank on Sunday, with Palestinians claiming that the 18-year-old was shot by Israeli troops, and Israel saying he fatally injured himself while running away after throwing rocks.

The man was named as Amer Snobar, from the town of Yatma, south of Nablus.

According to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, he was shot by Israeli troops while driving his car near Turmus Aya, and then beaten by troops with the butts of their rifles.

He was taken to a hospital in Ramallah, where doctors declared him dead, the Health Ministry said.

Pictures published by Palestinian outlets showed a car next to what appeared to be drops of blood. No damage from gunfire could be clearly seen on the car.

The Israel Defense Forces denied opening fire at the man, and said in a statement that his death was the result of a self-sustained injury.

The military said a preliminary probe indicated that Snobar and another young man had been throwing rocks toward an Israeli vehicle on a nearby road, and IDF soldiers arrived and started searching for suspects.