Mourners, Israel troops clash after West Bank funeral

Palestinians carry a wounded man after clashes broke out between Israeli security forces and mourners during the funeral of Youssef Fakhri-khlil ,17, in the West Bank village of Beit Umar near Hebron January 29, 2011.

BEIT UMMAR, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian mourners clashed with Israeli troops who used tear gas and rubber-coated bullets after the funeral of a youth in the West Bank Saturday, Palestinian witnesses and the army said.

The mourners hurled rocks at soldiers after the funeral of Youssef Fakhri-Khlil, 17, who died of his wounds after being shot by Jewish settlers in the West Bank Friday.

An army spokeswoman said troops responded with "riot dispersal means."

Palestinian medical workers at the scene said 16 protesters had been treated for gas inhalation and six others had been hit by the rubber-coated steel pellets, although none of the injuries was serious.

An Israeli police spokesman said two Israelis of 20 that were questioned Friday had been detained for further investigation.

The Israeli emergency service Zaka said settlers had been shot at by Palestinians while hiking in the area, and had returned fire.

The shooting incident was the second in two days after 19-year-old Oday Kaddous was shot dead Thursday near the city of Nablus, further north in the occupied West Bank.

Six Palestinians have died in the West Bank in various incidents involving Israeli troops since the start of 2011.

Violence in the West Bank has largely subsided in the past few years, but Israeli military officials have warned in private that the stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians could stoke tensions and break the status quo.

The Palestinian Government Media Center called on the international community "to do more to prevent attacks on Palestinian civilians ... The Israeli government cannot evade its responsibility for these cold-blooded crimes. The killers must be brought to justice and punished," a statement said.

(Reporting by Ali Sawafta, Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Matthew Jones)