RAMALLAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES (AFP) - An Israeli shot dead a Palestinian who had been throwing stones at his car north of Jerusalem in the West Bank, a Palestinian security source told AFP late on Monday.

The security source named the fatality as Mahmud Shawamreh, 21, of Ar-Ram. He said the incident took place between Ar-Ram and the Hizma checkpoint, and the body was taken to Israel.

Asked for comment, a spokesman for the Israeli army said: "The incident in which the Palestinian was killed during a violent riot near Ramallah is being investigated by the military police." Tensions in the West Bank had been running high since the abduction and murder of three Israeli youths there last month, which prompted a major crackdown on Islamist movement Hamas, blamed by Israel for the deed.

Hamas responded with a surge of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, with Israeli launching an offensive on July 8, resulting so far in the deaths of 525 Palestinians and 27 Israelis.

On July 14, a Palestinian was shot dead near the southern West Bank city Hebron after he had thrown stones and firebombs at Israeli cars.