'Day of Rage' protests continue in Jerusalem, West Bank, Gaza
In wake of President Trump's declaration, protests continue in east Jerusalem, West Bank, Gaza; 4 police wounded, 13 protesters arrested in Jerusalem; three lightly hurt in stone-throwing in Wadi Ara, three suspects arrested.
Palestinian rioting continued for the third day on Saturday in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza in response to US President Donald Trump's declaration earlier this week recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
The Red Crescent reported 171 Palestinians were wounded Saturday in the West Bank, while 60 were wounded in Gaza.
Dozens of masked rioters at the Ar'ara junction on the southbound Route 65 hurled stones at police cars and buses driving by. They also caused damage to a motorcycle belonging to a Yedioth Ahronoth photographer.
The driver of a bus to Tel Aviv was lightly hurt from glass shards as a result of the shattered windows and was taken to the hospital for further treatment. Two female passengers were lightly hurt and treated on the scene.
Police arrested three stone-throwing suspects, two of them minors.
Earlier, some 200 people protested at the junction, including MK Ahmad Tibi and former MK Osama Saadi, waving Palestinian flags as well as signs saying "Al-Quds the capital of Palestine," using Jerusalem's Arabic-language name.
In the capital's Salah ad-Din Street, dozens of youths blocked the road, lobbed stones, confronted officers and threw other objects at them. Four police officers were lightly wounded and treated on-site.
Police arrested 13 suspects who threw stones and other objects and attacked officers.
In the West Bank, meanwhile, some 600 Palestinians protested, set tires ablaze and threw Molotov cocktails and rocks at IDF and Border Police forces. The two central areas where disturbances took place in the West Bank were Rachel's Tomb and Tulkarm.
IDF forces retaliated by deploying crowd control methods to disperse the rioters. One rioter was arrested.
One protester has been arrested thus far and three were lightly wounded.
Some 100 people also congregated in the center of the southern Bedouin town of Rahat Saturday morning as part of the "Day of Rage" protests, with former Joint List MK Juma Azbarga numbering among the protesters.
In the Gaza Strip, where two protesters were killed Friday, some 450 Palestinians protested in eight spots along the border fence. They burned tires and threw stones at the fence and nearby IDF forces. The Gaza health ministry reported at least 10 wounded by Israeli fire.
Clashes also took place east of Khan Yunis, east of Gaza City and in Beit Hanoun, with protesters in the former claiming army forces shot at them.
The Israel Air Force performed attack sorties in the strip overnight Friday after a rocket fired from Gaza landed in Sderot. The air force's attack killed two people, with Hamas's military wing saying the casualties were its members.
A previously unknown Salafist group calling itself the Salahedin Brigades claimed responsibility for one of the attacks.
In a post published on Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories' Arabic-language Facebook page, Maj.-gen. Yoav Mordechai cautioned the people of Gaza that "irresponsible entities over the past few days have been forcing the Gaza Strip into escalation, and the people of Gaza will be forced to pay the price."
"The IDF has shown restraint in light of the demonstrations near the strip's border fence. In addition, several rockets were fired at Israel in the past 24 hours, one of which landed in Sderot," Mordechai said.
"These grave, unacceptable events led to IDF attacks on Hamas terror targets. Continued shooting incidents led to a harsh, painful response by the IDF. Do not test our might. The people of Gaza, do you not understanding the irresponsible terrorists are dragging you to escalation just before winter, where strife in Gaza intensifies? Hamas is responsible for the strip. Wake up, because you're almost out of time," COGAT Mordechai cautioned.
Hazem Kasem, a spokesperson for Hamas, responded, "Israel carries full responsibility for the ramifications of the Gaza Strip escalation. The fuse of the coming intifada was lit (Friday), and it will continue until its objectives are met."
Earlier Saturday, both Hamas and the Islamic Jihad called on the Palestinian public to confront security forces in various friction points.
Yoav Zitun, Liad Osmo, Yishai Porat, Hassan Shaalan, Ilana Curiel and AFP contributed to this report.
