Dozens of Palestinian shops and homes were damaged, and water, sewage and electrical lines were cut in the West Bank town of Nablus on Saturday by Israel Defense Forces blasting of concrete barriers blocking entrances to the crowded Old City, Nablus officials said.

The predawn explosions left thousands without running water and electricity, though repair teams were out by mid-morning.

Said Handiyeh, a Nablus city council member, estimated the damage at $100,000. He said a 60-year old woman was slightly hurt by shattering glass.

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The IDF, which conducts frequent arrest raids against militants in Nablus, said the concrete blocks impeded soldiers from operating within the city. Soldiers operating in Nablus regularly uncover explosives and munitions that are being readied for attacks on Israelis, the military said.

"The Palestinians had put up huge concrete blocks so Israeli soldiers would not have access to operate in Nablus, which is a hotbed of terrorist activity," the military said.

Three Palestinian cabinet ministers later came to the city to survey the damage.

"Israel has been ruling the Palestinian people for 40 years, and what is happening to Nablus is out-and-out war," Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti said. "Israel...is choking the city with barriers."