Published yesterday (updated) 05/06/2011 05:48
NABLUS (Ma’an) — Clashes erupted between residents, international peace activists and Israeli soldiers who fired gas canisters in a northern West Bank village on Saturday.
Settlers of Havat Gilad south of Nablus attacked residents of Iraq Burin, near Nablus, until Israeli soldiers intervened.
Soldiers fired tear gas but no serious injuries were reported.
Iraq Burin holds weekly non-violent protests against illegal Jewish-only settlements built on village land.
The army had declared a closed military zone ahead of the planned protest, Palestinian Authority official Ghassan Douglas said. Israeli troops had been trying to stop anyone entering since Friday evening.
Locals said dozens of soldiers were deployed in the village early Saturday morning.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said there was no closed military zone in the area, but that soldiers were preventing anyone except for residents from entering the village.
Asked why the soldiers were stopping non-residents from entering the area, the army official said she could not say.
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