Israel says child shooting was accidental

Israeli soldiers have said the shooting of a seven-year-old Palestinian boy today in a West Bank refugee camp was an accident.

Soldiers fired tank-mounted machine guns after Palestinians in the Askar refugee camp near Nablus threw stones at them.

Some of the bullets smashed through seven-year-old Amid Abu Sir’s home, killing the child.

Abu Sir’s father was one of six others wounded with shrapnel injuries.

Three of the other wounded were children, the witnesses said.

Family members said the boy was preparing to attend Friday prayers with his father when he was hit by the bullets.