Palestinian paramedics claimed that they treated at most eight victims of rubber bullets and tear gas canisters fired from Israeli soldiers in Burqa, a West Bank village.
A few dozen people protested the closing of roads by army soldiers to allow march by hard-line Israeli settler settlers to proceed. Palestinian youths set fire to tires and hurled stones at soldiers.
Tuesday’s march occurred during an era of rising tensions between Israelis, Palestinians. After days of clashes between Israeli and Palestinian police at Jerusalem’s flashpoint holy site, militants from Gaza fired a rocket into southern Israel.
Similar events occurred last year, which led to an 11-day war between Israel & Hamas militants in Gaza Strip.
This shrine is also known as Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to Muslims and the Temple Mount to Jews. It was the epicenter of decades-long Israeli-Palestinian war.
14 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks over the past week have been killed by Israel’s security forces. Israeli forces have launched raids in the West Bank to arrest suspected accomplices and prevent further attacks.
In the last week, at least 26 Palestinians were killed. This includes the five attackers and the others who engaged in clashes against soldiers.
Late Monday, an 18-year-old girl died from injuries sustained in earlier clashes close to Jenin on the West Bank.
Many thousand Israelis, including children, participated in the two-kilometer (one-mile) march to Homesh, where organizers held festivities that were attended by religious nationalist politicians as well as rabbis.
Although the march was not officially authorized by the Israeli military, soldiers sealed roads and prevented Palestinians reaching the area.
In 1967, Israel captured the West Bank and has since built hundreds of settlements. Nearly 3 million Palestinians live in these settlements. The Palestinians see the territory as the core of an independent future state.
Homesh, a settlement built on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, was destroyed in 2005. Over the years, Israeli settlers attempted to rebuild Homesh by staging marches and rallies in violation of Israeli law.
In recent months, the area has seen frequent violence from both settlers and Palestinians. A Palestinian militant killed a Jewish settler in the area of the former settlement. Six farmers were also hospitalized in December after they attacked them with stones and metal batons.
