RAMALLAH, Palestine

Dozens of Palestinian protesters were injured Saturday when Israeli forces fired live and rubber-coated bullets in the northern occupied West Bank.

Eight Palestinians were injured by live bullets and 35 by rubber-coated bullets during the protest in Burqa village because of calls by Jewish settlers to march to the Homesh settlement near Nablus, which was evacuated in 2005.

The Director of the Palestinian Red Crescent, Ahmed Jebril, told Anadolu Agency that medical teams treated eight people with live bullet wounds.

He said one of the injured is in serious condition, while 95 were affected by tear gas.

Israeli and Palestinian estimates indicate there are about 650,000 settlers living in 164 settlements and 116 outposts in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.

Under international law, all Jewish settlements in occupied territories are considered illegal.