Israel troops injure 443 Palestinians in W Bank, Gaza: Palestine Red Cross

More than 440 Palestinian protesters have been injured during fresh clashes with Israeli forces amid escalating tensions across the occupied West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip.

According to a report by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Israeli forces fired live rounds and rubber bullets at Palestinian protesters who were marking Day of Rage after Friday prayers, injuring 443 people in the West Bank and Gaza.

The clashes erupted when Israeli forces attacked thousands mourners participating in the funeral ceremony held for two Palestinians earlier killed by Israeli fire in al-Khalil (Hebron).

Earlier in the day, skirmishes were reported around an Israeli military checkpoint close to Beit El settlement outside the central West Bank city of Ramallah. Israeli forces also attacked the Palestinian protesters in al-Khalil (Hebron) and in Bireh.

Meanwhile, local media reported similar scuffles at the western entrance of Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, as well as near the Ofar prison west of Beitunia.

The latest wave of tensions was triggered by Israel’s imposition in August of restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Palestinians say the Tel Aviv seeks to change the status quo of al-Aqsa. They are also angry at Israeli extremists, who escorted by army forces, have stepped up their raids on the sensitive site, which is Islam’s third holiest site after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina.

Some 92 Palestinians have so far been killed by Israelis so far.

In a statement released on November 17, the Palestinian Health Ministry said two Palestinians have on average lost their lives and 200 others have been injured on a daily basis since the start of October.