Palestinian Youth Killed by Israeli Troops in Missing Teenagers Search

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Israeli soldiers patrol on the West Bank village of Arura near RamallahReuters

Palestinians stand around the body of teenager Mohammed Dodeen, who shot dead by Israeli troops during clashes in the West BankReuters

A Palestinian teen has been shot dead by Israeli security forces that opened fire on protesters, as they a swept a West Bank town in the search for three missing Israeli students.

Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said they conducted night raids in four Palestinian towns and arrested 25 suspects in connection to the alleged kidnapping of three Jewish teenage seminary students that were reported missing last week.

In Dura, near Hebron, IDF troops were met by stone-throwing Palestinian youths and opened fire.

Mohammed Dodeen, 15, was killed by a bullet in the chest, hospital officials said.

Another three Palestinians were seriously wounded by IDF gunfire in separate clashes in the Qalandiya refugee camp.

An official at a hospital in Ramallah said one was in intensive care while the other two were in serious conditions.

The IDF maintained soldiers used live fire in response to life-threatening situations and claimed Palestinians threw home-made explosives, firebombs, fireworks and stones. In Qalandiya, a soldier was slightly injured by a grenade.

Missing Israeli teenagers Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach.IDF

The confrontations erupted as IDF troops searched about 200 locations for 16-year-olds Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and 19-year-old Eyal Yifrach who disappeared while hitchhiking from a Jewish settlement seven days ago.

Israel says the youths have been kidnapped by Islamic militant Hamas and launched a massive manhunt, involving thousands of troops.

Almost 300 people have been held, including 51 Palestinians who had been released by Israel in 2011 for a prisoner swap deal.

The crisis has caused an escalation of tension between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has condemned both the abduction and Israel sweeping response.

Hamas, which has abducted Israelis before, praised the abduction of the teenagers but has not claimed responsibility for it. No demand for ransom has been issued.

Earlier this week, it emerged that Israeli police ignored an emergency call from one of the missing teenagers.

One of the boys called the police hotline shortly after the three disappeared and whispered "I've been kidnapped" before the line went dead. The call was dismissed as prank by the police operator.