Palestinian wounded after firing at soldiers in Nablus

A Palestinian man sustained serious injuries early Thursday after he fired on IDF troops in the West Bank city of Nablus. The army said the soldiers were confronted by a violent mob, and opened fire only after they were fired upon from the crowd.

The soldiers were providing security for some 1,400 Jewish worshippers at Joseph’s Tomb on the outskirts of the city when scores of Palestinians attacked the soldiers with rocks and Molotov cocktails, a military spokesman said. At least one of the protesters fired a handgun at the troops, the army said.

There were no injuries among the IDF troops or the worshippers. The wounded man was, after a brief chase on foot, apprehended and treated on the scene, then evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah for treatment.

A Givati Brigade spokesman described the incident as an escalation of tensions in the area, pointing out that the number of worshippers at the tomb had increased over the last two years.

Recent months have seen an increase in clashes between IDF soldiers and Palestinians, with several Palestinian demonstrators killed in Nablus and nearby Jenin.