Violent clashes broke out at dawn Friday between Palestinian young men and Israeli soldiers in Nablus city and Halhul city in al-Khalil while an Israeli police post was destroyed in an arson attack in east Jerusalem.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that a large number of Israeli troops aboard military vehicles stormed Nablus city from Attour area and spread through the streets of Ras al-Ain neighborhood where skirmishes with local young men took place.
The sources added that young men hurled stones at the soldiers who responded by firing volleys of tear gas and stun grenades.
Meanwhile soldiers raided and ransacked apartments in a building in Ras al-Ain and checked the IDs of residents.
They also smashed the door of a reception hall belonging to the family of Hawwash in the same building and searched it.
The sources added that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) cordoned off the neighborhood and intercepted cars for security check.
According to local residents living in the raided apartment building the soldiers were looking for Abdul-Karim Assi who was accused of carrying a stabbing attack near the illegal settlement of Ariel in Salfit a few days ago.
The IOF also ransacked homes of citizens related to Assi in Ras al-Ain and Tal’at Zablah areas in Nablus.
In al-Khalil the IOF carried out raids on homes and businesses in Halhul city last night and at dawn Friday to look for a young man accused of attacking a settler’s car on a road near Nabi Younes area northeast of the city.
Local sources said that soldiers stormed stores in different neighborhoods of Halhul city and confiscated security surveillance recordings from them in the context of the manhunt campaign.
During the IOF campaign in the city violent clashes took place in al-Hawawer area between Palestinian youths and soldiers.
Soldiers were also deployed on Friday morning at the northern entrance to al-Khalil where they set up a makeshift checkpoint and embarked on intercepting passing vehicles.
In east Jerusalem Palestinian young men were reportedly able to set fire to an Israeli police post at an entrance to Issawiya district.
There is still no information if police guards were at the observation post when the attack happened.
