NABLUS, West Bank -- More than one thousand people turned out for the funeral of a Palestinian cameraman killed by Israeli gunfire Saturday as he filmed clashes in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Nazeh Darwazi, 42, a journalist for both Palestinian television and the U.S. Associated Press television network, was shot dead in the central Casbah district according to Bilal Bana, a Palestinian reporter with him at the time.

"A soldier killed Nazeh in cold blood as he was standing only 20 meters (yards) from him," Bana said, adding that Darwazi was with four other journalists and was wearing a bullet-proof vest marked "press".

Wrapped in a Palestinian flag, his body was carried from the city's Rafidyeh hospital by representatives of the Palestinian press, who chanted slogans against Israel, and was then buried in a cemetery.

Darwazi's death came amid clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian stone-throwers in which 18 Palestinians were injured by rubber bullets and live fire.

The incident happened after a small Israeli Army unit captured Three Palestinians in the Casbah area, according to an Israeli military source.

In a statement issued after the cameraman's death, the Palestinian Authority said Israel has "committed a war crime" by "opening fire on journalists and other civilians".

It added that this "crime might prevent other media from reporting on the crimes committed by the Israeli Army".

Darwazi was the third journalist killed since the start of the Palestinian uprising in September 2000.

In July 2002, Imad Zahran, 35, a stringer for a Palestinian daily, was killed by Israeli gunfire in the northern West Bank town of Jenin.

In March 2002, Italian photographer Raffaele Ciriello was killed by Israeli fire in Ramallah.

Darwazi's death brings the overall toll since the uprising began to 3,164, including 2,382 Palestinians and 724 Israelis.