Palestinian killed in latest West Bank skirmishes

A Palestinian has been killed during an exchange of fire between Israeli and Palestinian security forces near Ramallah, on the West Bank.

The latest killing came as the Israeli army bombarded Palestinian targets in the northern Gaza Strip.

The Israeli strike, launched in retaliation for a Palestinian mortar attack, injured four people, including a 10-year-old boy.

The body of Palestinian Tayseer el-Omolee was found with three bullet wounds near Beitunia, on the outskirts of Ramallah.

Mr Omolee was apparently caught in the crossfire when Palestinians shot from security offices toward an Israeli army base at Ofra and soldiers returned fire, Palestinian witnesses said.

The Israeli army did not immediately comment on the incident.

In Israel's attack on the town of Beit-Lahiya north of Gaza City, three surface-to-surface rockets hit an abandoned police station, a headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah group and a civilian home, Palestinian police said.

The Israelis have not used rockets of this kind before in the past sixth months of conflict with the Palestinians.

The Israeli army spokesman refused to say what weapons were used. However, an Israeli official confirmed that the attack was not carried out by helicopters like other recent attacks in the Gaza Strip.

A 60-year-old woman and a 10 year-old boy were injured when the roof of the house hit by the Israeli rocket collapsed. The boy's father, Hamis Abu-Sultan, 42, showed reporters a bloodstained child's blanket. "What has this child done to the Israelis?" he said.