JERUSALEM, February 26, 2010 (WAFA)- During the week (February 17-23), Israeli forces injured 18 Palestinians in various incidents throughout the West Bank, compared to a weekly average of 13 Palestinian injuries since the beginning of 2010. In addition, three Israeli soldiers were wounded by Palestinians, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its Protection of Civilians Weekly Report.
Nine of this week's injuries were sustained during the weekly anti-Wall demonstration in the villages of Ni'lin (three) and Bil'in (six) villages (Ramallah); four international and Israeli activists were also injured in the latter. The remaining nine injuries included: four Palestinians, including a 16-year-old boy, injured by Israeli forces when the latter intervened after clashes erupted between settlers and Palestinians (Nablus); two injured while trying to enter Israel without an Israeli-required permit (Hebron); and three when Israeli forces fired at a Palestinian vehicle in unclear circumstances near Hussan village (Bethlehem).
Clashes erupted between Israeli forces and stone-throwing Palestinians in the city of Hebron after the Israeli cabinet's decision to add the Al Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs, located in the Israelicontrolled area of Hebron City (H2), to a list of Israeli 'national heritage sites'. As a result, two Israeli soldiers were injured, while several Palestinian youths suffered from tear gas inhalation. A general strike was announced in the city. Similarly, a strike took place in the city of Bethlehem, protesting the Israeli decision to add the Bilal Mosque / Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem to the list. Clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians also took place this week in the Old City of Jerusalem, while the former were escorting an Israeli delegation in this area, resulting in the injury of one Israeli border police.
Israeli forces conducted 132 search operations inside Palestinian towns and villages, well above the 2010 weekly average of 113; the majority of these operations took place in the northern West Bank (78). Of note, three of these operations occurred in the Silwan neighbourhood of East Jerusalem and involved the arrest of 18 Palestinian children, some of them as young as 13-years-old, suspected of throwing stones at Israeli settlers living in this neighborhood; the children were released the same day under house arrest conditions for a period of seven-ten days.
