GAZA, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli forces shot and injured a mentally disabled young man in northern Gaza Strip, medical sources said Tuesday.

The man was lightly injured, said Adham Abu Selmia, a spokesman for the medical services of the deposed Hamas Interior Ministry.

The Israeli forces on Erez crossing point spotted the man approaching the terminal without advanced arrangements and shot him, Abu Selmia noted.

Israel allocated a 30-meter-wide buffer zone along its borders with Gaza. The Israeli troops often shot at Gazans who enter the area without special arrangements.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the Israeli army arrested 16 Palestinians during overnight raids in various areas of the occupied territory. Palestinian security sources said the arrests took place in Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Qalqilya.

Israeli media reported that the raids only targeted "wanted" Palestinian activists.

On Monday, Israeli Ha'aretz newspaper reported that the army was considering halting its frequent raids in areas controlled by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

The report said that stopping the raids, which take place almost on daily basis, would be part of goodwill gestures to encourage the PNA to resume the direct negotiations.

The Palestinian leadership decided to halt the direct peace talks with Israel launched in Washington on Sept. 2 after Israel refused to extend a 10-month moratorium over freezing settlement construction in the Palestinian territories, despite U.S. and international pressure