Dozens of Palestinians Injured in Clashes with Israeli Forces in West Bank
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Dozens of Palestinians were injured after a protest at the northern entrance to the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem on Tuesday afternoon turned violent.
The protests were in response to the United States' decision to recognize Israeli settlements in the territory, according to reports.
Earlier in the day, media reported that the president of the Palestinian Fatah movement, Mahmoud Abbas, joined by other factions, urged Palestinians to join the "Day of Rage" protest against the US position on settlements, Sputnik reported.
According to the Palestinian WAFA news outlet, dozens of Palestinians suffered from tear gas and rubber bullets used by the Israeli military during the protests in some cities of the West Bank.
The protest denounced the US reversal on Israeli settlements being illegal. Many carried anti-Trump banners. A boy was taken to hospital in an ambulance as protesters had tear gas and rubber bullets fired at them. The sky was filled with black smoke as security forces responded to having rocks thrown at them.
Tensions were also heightened by the death of Palestinian prisoner Sami Abu Diak, who despite calls on Israel to release him, died of cancer on Tuesday morning whilst serving three life sentences. Several protesters carried banners with his face on it.
According to local reports, many schools were closed to enable students and parents to attend protests.
The 'Day of Rage' protest was called on after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that US President Donald Trump's administration no longer recognizes Israeli settlements "inconsistent with international law" earlier in November.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the US statements on Israeli settlements brought the situation to a deadlock.
Following the statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed on November 19 the bill that extends the Israeli law over strategic settlements in the southern West Bank.
