A Palestinian man sustained serious gunshot wounds Saturday during a clash with settlers near the village of Orif, south of Nablus.
The injured man was identified as Najah al-Safadi, 22, from Orif. He was rushed to a local Palestinian hospital suffering from injuries to his abdomen.
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- The incident took place as some 30 settlers from Yitzhar and local Palestinians clashed on the village's outskirts.
The injured man (Photo: AFP)
The Palestinians claimed that the settlers torched a nearby olive grove. The IDF is investigating the allegations.
- Security forces dispatched to the area were stoned by the settlers. One Border Guard officer suffered mild injuries. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that the military will treat the incident "with all due seriousness."
The troops used crowd-control measures to disperse the riot. The Palestinians said that the IDF used tear-gas.
Following the incident, police and Border Guard forces in the area were bolstered with additional troops.
The settler who shot al-Safadi is a member of Yitzhar's security patrol. He said that he spotted the man carrying a knife and felt he was in immediate danger.
At this time he was not detained for questioning.
Zacharia Side of Rabbis for Human Rights, said that such clashes are a weekly occurrence in the area. He added that the Palestinians often complain that the Israeli security forces fail to provide them with the necessary protection against such assaults.
A similar incident took place in the area last Saturday, and saw settlers fire rubber bullets at Palestinians who were stoning them.
An IDF force present in the area did not intervene in the clash.
Elior Levy contributed to this report