Violence erupted in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem over Yom Kippur and continued on Thursday.
A Palestinian youth was killed Wednesday in the Gaza Strip, and at least 13 others were wounded in clashes with Israeli troops.
An Arab man suspected of collaborating with the Israeli authorities was stabbed and seriously wounded in Nablus.
Continuing disturbances were reported Thursday, mainly in the Nablus area. Initial reports said at least three residents, and perhaps as many as 12, were wounded in clashes with the as Israel Defense Force and were hospitalized locally.
The clashes followed a report that said dozens of Palestinians marched double-file through Nablus, carrying portraits of Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and waving Palestinian flags.
Because all activity was suspended in Israel for the Day of Atonement, thousands of Palestinians with jobs in Israel stayed home.
All residents of the administered territories were barred from entering Israel proper as of Tuesday afternoon, several hours before the holiday began.
Meanwhile, the IDF’s judge advocate general announced Thursday that manslaughter charges will be brought against four soldiers of the elite Golani Brigade in connection with the death by beating of an Arab resident of the Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.
The case involves a recent incident in the camp during which soldiers were stoned by Palestinian youths.
The soldiers broke into homes to make arrests and beat the occupants. The father of one family died later.
The soldiers claimed they acted in self-defense, but the judge advocate general ruled there was sufficient evidence to try them on criminal charges.
In another development, the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, admitted this week that Awad Hamdan, 23, a Palestinian prisoner who died in custody two months ago, suffocated while under interrogation.
The official statement was given to lawyer Felicia Langer, who is representing the victim’s family — but only after the Supreme Court intervened.
Earlier, the Shin Bet refused to reveal the cause of Hamdan’s death on grounds that it would disclose the agency’s methods of operation.
Langer said she would appeal to the high court again for more details. She wants to know just how Hamdan suffocated and whether he received prompt medical treatment.
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