’Israeli’ Gunfire Wounds 10 Palestinians in W Bank

Local Editor

Ten Palestinians were wounded by "Israeli" fire in the besieged West Bank on Saturday during a raid by troops hunting the murderers of an "Israeli" settler couple, Palestinian police and medical sources said.

Palestinians protesting against the raid in the territory's main northern city of Nablus hurled stones at soldiers, who responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and live ammunition, the sources said.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said "10 people were wounded by live rounds to the legs or stomach," and "four others were wounded in beatings" by security forces.

Tensions had soared in the occupied West Bank since the settler couple were shot dead in their car on Thursday evening.

The "Israeli" apartheid regime had launched a huge manhunt for the gunmen, and deployed troop reinforcements to maintain order following revenge attacks by settlers.

Palestinian police said Saturday's violence began when "dozens of "Israeli" soldiers in military vehicles" entered an eastern neighborhood of Nablus, one of the largest cities in the besieged West Bank.

"They arrested eight people and conducted searches, entering properties by force and causing damage," the police said.

Furthermore, an "Israeli" military spokeswoman said she was unable to comment on the raid.

Apprehensive of rising tensions between settlers and Palestinians after Thursday's shooting, the "Israeli" army said it had deployed "four battalions in order to prevent an escalation of violence in the area adjacent to the location of the attack".

Palestinian news agency Wafa said a 35-year-old man was shot in the leg by settlers near Bethlehem, and police said settlers had stoned a number of cars and set fire to olive trees.

And in the Palestinian village of Beitillu, assailants torched a car and spray-painted "Revenge Henkin" in Hebrew on a wall, the army said, adding that nobody was hurt.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team