Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Feb. 6

GAZA -- West Bank's Hebron Chamber of Commerce said Tuesday that Israel has allowed import of industrial chemicals after a 15 year long ban.

Head of Hebron Chamber of Commerce Mohammad Hirbawi said in a press statement that this step comes after years of endeavor through the Chamber and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Civil Affairs Commission in order to revive industries in Hebron. (Gaza-Import of Chemicals-Israel)

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ISTANBUL -- One person was killed and four others wounded on Tuesday when a natural gas explosion hit a high school in Turkey's western city of Izmir, Turkish media reported.

According to CNNTurk, the blast happened in the boiler room of the school located in Gaziemir district as students were in class, sparking extreme panic. (Turkey-Gas Blast)

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ANKARA -- Defying the U.S. warnings, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday vowed that Turkish troops would expand cross-border military operations from Syria's Afrin to Manbij.

"They (the U.S.) tell us don't come to Manbij, but we will come to Manbij to hand over the land to its original Arabic owners," Erdogan said in a speech to his ruling Justice and Development Party's parliamentary group in Ankara. (Turkey-Erdogan-Manbij)

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TEHRAN -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday that the Islamic republic will never renegotiate nuclear deal which it signed with the world powers in 2015.

"The JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) is non-negotiable and cannot be rewritten," Rouhani said in a press conference. (Iran-Nuclear Deal)

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RAMALLAH -- A Palestinian man was killed Tuesday night during clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian medics said.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in an emailed press statement that one Palestinian young man was shot dead and about 70 others were injured, including 12 with wounds from live bullets, 17 with wounds from rubber-coated metal bullets and 40 injured by tear gas. (Palestine-Israel-Death)

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BAGHDAD -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi confirmed Tuesday that an agreement has been signed with the United States to gradually reduce the number of U.S. troops in Iraq.

"There is a plan agreed upon by the states of the international coalition to reduce their forces in Iraq gradually to avoid possible vacuum, especially with the threat of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, and the need to safeguard the borderline (with Syria)," Abadi said in a televised press conference after the weekly cabinet meeting. (Iraq-U.S.-Troop Reduction) Enditem