Eight Palestinians died in clashes with Israeli soldiers as the ongoing regional unrest spread to the West Bank.
Palestinian health officials said five were killed in stone-throwing clashes with IDF forces in several locations, and a sixth was killed during an attempt to run over soldiers with his car and attempted stabbing.
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Clashes between Palestinian rioters and IDF troops in the West Bank city of Jenin
(Photo: Reuters)
The West Bank violence comes as Israel unleashed a heavy barrage of tank fire and airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Friday to clear a network of terrorist tunnels.
Hamas military wing spokesman Abu Obeida welcomed the attacks on Israeli soldiers and called to "set fire to the ground underneath the occupation's feet."
In a later message, Hamas called again on rioters to continue confronting Israeli forces.
"You are the Palestinian resistance's strategic reserves. You spoke loud and clear today. Keep confronting the Israeli enemy on all fronts. Everyone who of you who's in possession of a firearm, a rock or a knife must strike the Zionist enemy with force," the terrorist group said. "Palestinian blood is a red line, Al-Aqsa [Mosque in Jerusalem] is a red line. Head on, We're on the path to victory."
In the West Bank village of Urif, where one of the demonstrators — a man in his 20s named Nidal Safadi — was killed, residents attacked the Palestinian police station and set fire to police vehicles in protest of the Palestinian Authority's policy which decided to not take part in the current round of violence between Israel and Hamas. Gunshots can also be heard in footage from the scene.
Massive riots broke out in the town of Ya'bad where one Palestinian died in clashes with Israeli soldiers. Somewhere from several hundred to a few thousand Palestinians took part in the unrest.
IDF soldiers fired in the air in the direction of a Palestinian car that was approaching them at high speed. The car crashed into a street pole and the driver and another passenger were injured. There were no casualties among IDF soldiers.
In the meantime, Palestinians hurled rocks and burned tires in dozens of locations across the West Bank.
Palestinians also set several fires around the settlement of Yitzhar in Samaria. Firefighting teams and residents were trying to fight the fire.
Two Palestinians — Awad Harb, 23, from the village of Eskaka and Sharif Suleiman,38, from the village of Marda — were killed in the Palestinian town of Salfit after being hit by live fire in the abdomen and chest.
Another casualty, 26-year-old Youssef Nawsara from the village of Fahma was seriously hurt in clashes at the Dotan checkpoint near Ya'bad. He was rushed to a hospital where he died of his wounds.
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Palestinian rioter throws rocks at IDF troops near the West Bank city of Jenin
(Photo: Reuters)
The fifth casualty, a man in his early 20s, was killed by gunfire during clashes with Israeli security forces at the southern entrance to Jericho. The sixth, Issa Barham, was killed by security forces in the town of Beta in Nablus.
Palestinians alleged that another casualty was shot in the head during a scuffle with settlers in the village of Rehiya, south of Hebron, and later died of his wounds at the hospital.
Riots also broke out in Hebron when Palestinians hurled rocks at a vehicle that entered the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba and threw rocks and a Molotov cocktail into a store in the settlement's industrial zone, setting it on fire and causing extensive damage. IDF forces arrived at the scene and closed the entire area to traffic.