Israel seals off Palestinian town in West Bank

The Israeli army on Friday sealed off the Palestinian town of Silwad near Ramallah following fierce clashes with Palestinian protesters, an Anadolu Agency correspondent has reported.

Israeli troops barricaded the town's three entrances with sandbags following violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters.

Five Palestinians were injured by rubber bullets, while dozens of others suffered temporary asphyxiation after inhaling teargas during fierce clashes in the town between Israeli troops and Palestinian protesters who had taken to the streets to show solidarity with their counterparts in the embattled Gaza Strip.

Protesters, for their part, hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at heavily-armed Israeli troops.

Other parts of the occupied territory – including Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus and Ramallah – saw similar protests in support of Gaza.