PALESTINIANS INJURED IN CLASHES ACROSS WEST BANK, GAZA

Photo: Maan News Agency

Bethlehem, 6 Muharram 1437/19 October 2015 – Israeli forces shot and injured a number of Palestinians with live fire across the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip in clashes on Sunday.

In the village of Tuqu east of Bethlehem, a Palestinian teenager was shot in the stomach by Israeli soldiers, Maan News Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Hatim Sbeih, the head of Tuqu’s municipality, told Ma’an that 16-year-old Mohammad Mahmoud al-Amor, had been taken to Beit Jala hospital for treatment and was in a stable condition.

Witnesses said that more than 100 Israeli soldiers raided the village, after a military vehicle was set on fire by a Molotov cocktail.

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Israeli soldiers fired tear gas, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets during the clashes, they said.

More Palestinians were reported injured in clashes in Bethlehem, Hebron, and Tulkarem.

Clashes also erupted in the Gaza Strip, with three Palestinians shot and injured with live rounds east of al-Buriej in central Gaza.

Ashraq Qidra, a spokesman for Gaza’s Ministry of Health, told Ma’an that in addition to the three shot with life fire, several others suffered excessive tear gas inhalation and were treated on site.

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Some 43 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of the month, and eight Israelis have died in attacks by Palestinians in the same period.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the second week of October saw the highest number of Palestinian deaths and injuries in the West Bank and Israel recorded in a single week since 2005.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said last week that “the high number of casualties, in particular those resulting from the use of live ammunition by Israeli security forces, raises concerns of excessive use of force, and violations of the right to life and security of the person.”

While the Israeli leadership attributes the escalation in violence to Palestinian incitement, most Palestinians have pointed to the decades-long Israeli military occupation as the root cause of recent events.  (T/P010/R03)

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

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