Hundreds of Palestinians and left-wing activists, both foreign and Israeli, demonstrated Friday near Bilin and Naalin against the construction of the West Bank security barrier, this despite the fact that earlier this week the IDF declared that the area surrounding the separation fence in the villages' vicinity will be declared a closed military zone every Friday through August 17.
Some 300 protestors gathered in villages located north of Ramallah, including Bilin, Naalin and Budrus. Some demonstrators threw stones at security forces, who tried to contain the crowds with crowd-dispersing apparatus.
Meanwhile, another 100 people demonstrated near the Palestinian villages Nabi Saleh and Dir Nizam. The area has been the focus of numerous clashes over the past few weeks due to a dispute between local Palestinians and Jewish settlers over the ownership of lands and a wellspring.
Palestinians reported that four people, including an American citizen, were injured during the demonstration. Three people were arrested by security forces for throwing stones.
In Hebron, Palestinian youngsters burned tires and threw stones at security forces, who responded with tear gas.
Ali Waked contributed to this report