Palestinian shot, injured during riot near Gaza fence

Dozens of Palestinians demonstrated near the border fence with Israel in the northern Gaza Strip Friday. Some of the protesters reportedly attempted to cause damage to the fence by cutting it and threw rocks at IDF soldiers.

An IDF patrol fired warning shots at the demonstrators, and one Palestinian was reportedly injured.

Every week after Friday prayers, Palestinians approach the fence in violation of the terms of the agreement which ended Israel’s eight-day offensive in November against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, according to Israel Radio.

The second clause of the informal agreement between Israel and Hamas specified that Palestinians “stop all hostilities from the Gaza Strip against Israel including rocket attacks, and all attacks along the border.”

Earlier on Friday, Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli troops at several spots in the West Bank, the fourth straight day of fighting in the territory.

Protesters threw stones at troops in Nabi Saleh, west of Ramallah, which is the site of weekly protests against nearby settlement activity. There were also riots reported near Al-Arub, along the road from Jerusalem to Hebron, in Qalandiya north of the capital, and in Kafr Qadum in the northern West Bank.

Troops used teargas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters, according to initial reports. One soldier was reported lightly injured by a stone thrown at him by Palestinian protesters.

Clashes first broke out on Tuesday following the death of a Palestinian prisoner of cancer. They intensified Wednesday and two teens were shot and killed by IDF troops after attacking an Israeli position in the West Bank, the army said.

Both the prisoner, whom Palestinians said was ill-treated by Israel, and the teens were laid to rest Thursday, sparking renewed fighting.

Dozens of rioters pelted IDF troops with rocks in Hebron on Thursday, while Israeli vehicles were stoned along roads in the area. Security forces responded with crowd-control methods, including teargas.

Sporadic incidents of stone-throwing and rioting were also reported at other locations in the West Bank Thursday. Near the settlement of Yitzhar, some 100 Palestinians were throwing rocks and clashing with troops. Near Ramallah, two Israelis, a male police officer and a civilian woman, were lightly injured by rocks.