A Palestinian minister has died following a confrontation with Israeli troops at a West Bank protest.<br /><br /> Palestinian medics say he died from inhaling tear gas. A photographer from the Reuters news agency said soldiers had shoved the minister. <br /><br /> In images filmed at the demo shortly before Ziad Abu Ein died the minister said:<br /><br /> “Nobody threw stones, nobody threw punches. It’s the Israeli terrorists, the occupiers that use force and hit us.”<br /><br /> Abu Ein, a minister without portfolio, had been with 100 other activists at a protest against land confiscation<br /><br /> They were confronted by Israeli troops who fired tear gas and scuffles erupted. The minister was rushed to hospital by ambulance but died en route to Ramallah. <br /><br /> With conflicting reports of the incident the Palestinian Prime Minister, Rami Hamdallah said : Israeli crimes are being committed daily against our people- children, the elderly and the national leaders such as the martyr Ziad Abu Ein. From here I demand all International institutions dealing with human rights and the rights of the Palestinian people, to initiate an international investigation committee to investigate this issue as soon as possible.”<br /><br /> The Israeli military said they would begin an investigation into the incident.<br /><br /> The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, called the minister’s death “a barbaric act” and declared three days of national mourning.
