At least 90 people have been injured in clashes with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank today, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.
One of the Palestinians was shot in the leg and taken to hospital. The rest have injuries from flash-crackers, plastic bullets and because they inhaled tear gas.
The Israeli army has not commented so far.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry in a statement denounced the “repression” on the part of Israel, noting that the residents were protesting against the expansion of Jewish settlements and the seizure of Palestinian land.
The worst clashes took place in the city of Juara, near Nablus.
Videos posted this week on social networking sites show Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers hoisting Palestinian flags in the city. In response, the Palestinians organized a march holding flags. The mobilization resulted in clashes with Israeli forces.
“What is happening in Juara is a provocation of the settlers”he said Mohammad Abdelhamid, a councilor, speaking to Reuters. “We are raising the Palestinian flag, which is the symbol of our identity, and it will remain high for as long as we are on this earth,” he added.
Under Israeli law, Palestinian flags are not illegalbut the police and army often remove them from public places.
The Islamist group Hamas warned earlier this week that a new war could break out if the Israeli-led “flags” march by ethnic Israelis were allowed to pass through the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City this Sunday.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
