Six Palestinians Killed

JENIN, West Bank – Six Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed and three Israelis were wounded Saturday in West Bank (search) and Gaza Strip violence, the army and Palestinian sources said.

Israeli soldiers shot and killed Ala Samara, 14, during a clash in the West Bank town of Jenin (search). Samara was unarmed and was standing near a group of stone-throwing youths when troops shot him, Palestinian residents and hospital officials said.

Israeli military officials said the youths threw a firebomb at the troops, and soldiers fired at a yout, 75, remained in a hospital outside Paris fighting for his life from an undisclosed ailment.

Israel has been operating in Jenin, located in the northern West Bank, for two weeks, in search of weapons and Palestinian militants.

Later Saturday, a gun battle erupted near the West Bank town of Tulkarem (search) after a Palestinian militant shot and wounded three Israelis, one critically, military officials said. The militant wounded the Israelis before being shot dead himself, the officials said.

In Gaza, Israeli soldiers shot and killed two Islamic Jihad militants who tried to infiltrate a Gaza Strip settlement early Saturday.

The militants, armed with explosives and machine guns, crossed through an unauthorized area and approached the Gadid settlement in the southern Gaza Strip, the army said.

A shootout erupted between the troops and the militants. An Israeli aircraft fired a missile at the militants, killing them, the army said.

Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attempted infiltration. The group said a third fighter escaped.

In the West Bank town of Qalqiliya, two Palestinian militants were killed and a third was seriously wounded when their car exploded.

The men were members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (search), a violent group linked to Arafat's Fatah group, residents said.

During four years of fighting, many militants have died accidentally while preparing attacks on Israel.

Israeli military sources said troops were not in the area at the time of the explosion.