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Palestinians, Israeli police clash in West Bank

October 3, 2015

Several Palestinians have been injured in clashes with Israeli forces during a raid in the occupied West Bank. Hundreds of troops were in the area hunting for the gunmen who killed an Israeli couple two days ago.

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Israeli soldiers
Image: Reuters/A. Qusini

Palestinians protested against the raid in the northern town of Nablus on Saturday, hurling stones at soldiers, while troops responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and live fire.

The humanitarian organization, Palestinian Red Crescent, said at least "10 people were wounded by live rounds to the legs or stomach."

Tensions have spiked in the West Bank after a Jewish couple were shot dead in their car on Thursday evening in the north of the territory. Eitam and Naama Henkin, both in the 30s, were buried in Jerusalem on Friday.

In the wake of the killing, hundreds of Israeli troops were sent to the region to carry out a manhunt for the gunmen and maintain order following revenge attacks on Palestinians.

Palestinian police said at least seven people were arrested in Saturday's raid in Nablus. There was no immediate confirmation of this from Israel's military.

The shooting took place near the village of Beit Furik, where a Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces during clashes last month. The militant Hamas group hailed those behind the killing, but said it wasn't responsible.

"This operation was in response to the crimes of the Zionists," it said.

Israeli has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War, in an operation that has never been recognized by the international community. Some Israeli nationalists claim the entire West Bank is a part of Israel, with an expanding number of Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians seek as part of a future state.

nm/rc (AP, AFP)