500 Palestinians hurt by Israeli fire in W. Bank clashes

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Hundreds of Palestinians have been injured by Israeli gunfire – and two Palestinian youths were killed – over the past three days in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem amid ongoing clashes with Israeli security forces.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, at least 500 Palestinians have been injured in clashes initially triggered by recent violence at East Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, to which the Israeli authorities continue to restrict access to Palestinian Muslim worshipers.

“Since Oct. 3, at least 500 Palestinians have been injured in clashes with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem,” the Palestinian Red Crescent said in statement. “Forty-one Palestinians have been injured by live ammunition, 134 by rubber bullets and 307 by excessive teargas, while 18 others were beaten.”

The organization went on to say it had documented at least 42 injuries by Israeli gunfire on Monday alone.

“Five Palestinians were injured by live ammunition and eight by rubber bullets on Monday, while 26 suffered excessive teargas inhalation,” the Red Crescent said.

On Sunday, Abd al-Rahman Obaid Allah, a 13-year-old Palestinian child, was killed by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the boy was shot in the chest by an Israeli sniper.

A second Palestinian youth, 18 years old, was also reportedly killed by Israeli gunfire on the same day.

Tensions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem have been exacerbated by the killing last week of two Jewish settlers near the Jewish-only Itamar Settlement near the West Bank city of Nablus.

Over the past three days, several violent clashes have erupted between Palestinian youths and Israeli troops in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.