Dozens Injured as Israeli Forces Clash with Palestinian Youth

Dozens of Palestinians were injured across the occupied Palestinian territory when clashes broke out between youths and Israeli forces during weekly Friday demonstrations.

Three were injured with live fire and six with rubber-coated steel bullets when clashes erupted nearby the Ofer detention center outside of Ramallah, locals said.

Locals told Ma’an that Israeli forces used Jeep-mounted tear gas launchers, and fired live and rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters.

Nearby, in al-Balou area in northern al-Bireh, locals told Ma’an that Palestinian security forces stopped a march from reaching the Beit El checkpoint.

Clashes also broke out with Israeli forces in Jabal al-Taweel neighborhood in eastern al-Bireh, where Israeli forces fired tear gas, live and rubber-coated bullets, and chased down Palestinians.

Four Palestinians were injured with sponge bullets — sponge-tipped bullets intended to cause less damage than regular bullets — during the weekly march in Bilin near Ramallah, locals told Ma’an.

One demonstrator was injured with a sponge bullet in the head and taken to the Palestine Medical Center for treatment, while the other three were treated on scene.

In the Qalqiliya-area village of Kafr Qaddum, residents as well as foreign and Israeli peace activists marched towards the neighboring Qadummim settlement before Israeli forces fired tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber-coated steel bullets at the demonstrators, locals said.

Coordinator of popular committee in the town, Murad Ishteiwi, said that Israeli snipers deployed throughout the village prior to and during the march.

Ishteiwi told Ma’an that a Palestinian Red Crescent vehicle had been directly targeted with a tear-gas canister during the demonstration.

In the Gaza Strip, 11 Palestinians were taken to the Shuhada Al-Aqsa hospital after clashes broke out with Israeli forces east of al-Buriej refugee camp, the Ministry of Health spokesman, Asharf al-Qidra, told Ma’an.