A 16-year-old Palestinian was shot in the head by Israeli forces and died on Wednesday after clashes in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said Ghaith Rafiq Yamin was shot by Israeli forces near Joseph’s Tomb in the city of Nablus early Wednesday.

Nearly 100 Palestinians were also injured in clashes with Israeli forces in the city and were treated on site, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said.

According to eyewitnesses, the clashes broke out when Israeli forces raided the city to allow Jewish settlers to reach Joseph's Tomb, a West Bank shrine that has long been a flashpoint for violence.

Jews claim the site is the burial place of the biblical patriarch Joseph. Muslims, however, challenge this assertion, saying an Islamic cleric – Sheikh Yussef Dweekat – was buried at the site two centuries ago.

Israel has stepped up its West Bank raids since late March, following a string of deadly attacks in its cities.

The incursions have often sparked clashes. At least 46 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or armed civilians since the beginning of the year.

The killing of veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin has drawn international concern.