At Least 90 Palestinians Said Wounded During West Bank, East Jerusalem Clashes

Clashes erupted on Tuesday morning in various locations throughout East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Dozens of Palestinian youths clashed with Israel Defense Forces soldiers near the Qalandiya checkpoint, and soldiers responded with tear gas. There were also disturbances in the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Jabal Mukkaber and Abu Tor following the demolition of terrorists’ homes there. Clashes also broke out in Hebron and the Al Aruv refugee camp.

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The Red Crescent said that as of Tuesday night, at least 90 people were wounded throughout Jerusalem and the West Bank. One person was severely wounded from live fire during the clashes at Qalandiya, and since the morning, 23 were wounded from rubber bullets and 57 from tear gas inhalation.

The funeral procession of Abed a-Rahman Abdallah, the 13-year-old boy killed during clashes with security forces on Monday, began on Tuesday afternoon in Bethlehem. Thousands of people were present.

Meanwhile, the body of Fadi Alon, an Isawiyah resident who was shot to death after stabbing a Jewish youth on Sunday, has not yet been returned to his family, in fear that his funeral will be accompanied by further violence. On Monday, the Israel Police and had agreed to transfer the body so that a funeral could be held, but then violent clashes broke out in the area where the procession was to take place, and the police cancelled the transfer.

The police stationed a special contingent in the area to deal with increased tension, including a counterterrorism unit, an undercover unit, as well as the operational branch of the Lahav 433 unit. Acting Police Commissioner Bentzi Sau decided to unify the forces so to operate much in the fashion of an IDF special forces unit, and put the commander of the counterterrorism unit in charge of the entire contingent.

The Israel Police and the Shin Bet security service have set up two joint-offices in Jerusalem, one for investigation and one for intelligence, in order to streamline cooperation between the two organizations. The intelligence office analyzes images collected from the field and records data collected on key figures involved in the disturbances in Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. Their list includes the names of Arab-Israelis from the north, who have been ordered by police to stay away from the Jerusalem area.

The investigations office has been set up at Jerusalem's Oz station. Suspects apprehended for throwing stones and firebombs are taken to this office for questioning, and the information they provide then leads to arrests and enforcement. The police have arrested over 240 individuals over the last three weeks for throwing stones and firebombs.

The Israel Police have dispatched an additional 2,000 officers to the Jerusalem district, who will remain there until the current tension dissipates. In addition, eight Border Patrol companies have been sent to nearby villages and neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. Their presence has led to additional tension with local residents.