HEBRON: Israeli troops shot and wounded a physically disabled Palestinian man during an arrest operation in the southern West Bank city of Hebron yesterday, a prisoners’ rights group said.

Motazz Obeidu, 32, was “seriously wounded by Israeli army gunfire during an arrest operation” at dawn, the Ramallah-based Prisoners Club said, describing him as “physically disabled” although it did not say how. Local residents said the arrest took place at Obeidu’s shop.

The Israeli Army confirmed that a man had been shot after he turned violent during an arrest operation, but did not comment on whether or not he was disabled.

Meanwhile, Palestinian security sources said troops arrested eight people in Burin village near the northern city of Nablus during an overnight raid.

It was not immediately clear why they had been arrested and there was no comment from the army.

In a separate development, two rights groups said soldiers had arrested a 14-year-old Palestinian, who holds US nationality, on charges of throwing stones.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad is to present his resignation to president Mahmoud Abbas, a senior Palestinian official said.

Abbas and Fayad are known to have been at odds over a raft of issues but their relationship took a nose dive last month when Fayad accepted his finance minister’s resignation only for it to be rejected by Abbas.

“There will be a meeting between Abbas and Fayad after the president returns (from Qatar) to settle Fayad’s resignation,” Azzam Al-Ahmed, a senior member of the ruling Fatah movement, told Voice of Palestine radio.

Earlier, a Palestinian official told AFP on condition of anonymity that Fayad had prepared a resignation letter on March 23, but had delayed handing it over because Abbas had been out of the country.

Another official, who also requested anonymity, said it was not certain Fayad’s resignation would be accepted.