RAMALLAH, December 31, 2017 (WAFA) – Israeli forces shut down the northern entrance to the cities of Ramallah and al-Bireh on Sunday, forcing drivers to use lengthy bypass roads, according to local sources.

The Israeli army shut down with cement cubes the northern entrance, which leads to Ramallah and al-Bireh, provoking clashes with teenagers.

During the clashes, Israeli soldiers used teargas canisters and rubber-coated steel rounds to disperse the protesters, but there were no reports of injuries.

In recent months, the same road entrance was repeatedly shut down and reopened later by the Israeli military at times of escalation, which often forces drivers and passengers to use bypass roads to reach Ramallah, the de facto administrative center of the occupied West Bank.

M.N./M.H.