Ramallah, Feb 11 (IANS): A Palestinian was killed on Saturday during clashes with Israeli settlers near the northern West Bank city of Salfit, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Methqal Rayyan, 27, was killed after being shot in the head by an Israeli settler in the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the young man died on the way to the hospital, Xinhua news agency reported.

Palestinian eyewitnesses said a group of armed Israeli settlers clashed with the residents in the village and opened fire at them.

With the death of Rayyan, the total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank since January 1 has risen to 46, according to the ministry.

There has been no comment from the Israeli authorities on the incident.

The Israeli media reported that since January 1, nine Israelis have been killed and several injured in two separate attacks carried out by Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

Tension has been mounting in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, mainly after the formation of the Israeli right-wing government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has long been a major source of dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.