Dozens injured in West Bank clashes

Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Friday during popular protests across the West Bank. In Bilin, Israeli forces fired tear gas and foul-smelling chemical water at Palestinian, international and Israeli activists who were taking part in weekly protests against Israel's separation wall. Israeli soldiers also fired rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters, injuring dozens, locals said. Clashes continued for hours between Palestinian youths and Israeli military forces, witnesses said. In the village of Aboud, Israeli forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators, lightly injuring dozens. Four Palestinians were also wounded in al-Khader village in Bethlehem and clashes took place in a weekly rally against Israeli land confiscation in the Qalqiliya village of Kafr Qaddum. An Israeli army spokeswoman said that Israeli forces responded with riot dispersal means to "rock-hurling Palestinians" in Qalandiya checkpoint, Kafr Qaddum, Aboud, Bilin and El-Arrub refugee camp. One man was detained in Aboud and later released, she added.