LIVE BLOG: The Third Intifada - the uprising spreads
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According to Palestine Television an Israeli soldier has been shot and injured with a live bullet in Arrub refugee camp in the southern West Bank, near Hebron.
Ido Zelkovitz, an Israeli professor at Haifa University for Middle Eastern history and conflict management told MEE that the security coordinators between Israeli forces and the Palestinian Authority are doing everything in their power to prevent further escalation.
"An escalation from what is happening now is against the [Palestinian] civilian interest, and [Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas] is working against any more escalations because it will cause a huge damage to the Palestinian interest to create a Palestinian state. But if there is a larger escalation from now within Area A, it could lead to an armed escalation."
On the call for Israeli civilians to carry arms:
"I think that Israeli civilians should not carry arms, Israel has one of the strongest armies in the world and a very professional police force that can take every challenge...civilians carrying weapons in the public sphere can lead us to a huge problem, first they are not trained like our professionals are and they do not have the judgement on when and where to use arms. Weapons in the public sphere we will just lead to more tragedies"
Adnan Dmiri, spokesperson for PA security forces:
"We are doing everything we can to stop an armed Intifada because we tried that before and we paid dearly for it. At the same time we are with the people's vision for what they are doing by protesting against Israel's violations at the al-Aqsa Mosque."
"We can see from what Israel is doing at the moment, particularly in Gaza where seven to eight people were killed yesterday, it seems that Israel is pushing the Palestinians people to take arms but we are doing our best to avoid this."
"What we are seeing today is that everyday Israel is pushing more and more and everyday it is escalating."
Amidst a heavy police lockdown and following two separate incidents earlier today, parts of the Old City have been all but emptied.
This image is from the main Damascus Gate which would normally be mulling with tourists and shoppers but is virtually deserted.
A Palestinian citizen of Israel and an activist told MEE what it was like to be in Jerusalem right now:
The Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded with heavy security. The army is out in force as are the police. There are snipers and lots of police on hosrseback who are preventing any Palestinian from getting close to Damascus Gate, the main entrance of the Old City.
As I tried to approach the Old City in a small group, I saw that the army had started to shoot at people trying to get closer.
An old man, who looked around 60-years-old, was shot in his leg with a rubber bullet. I could see him lying on the floor and waiting for the ambulance to evacuate him.
Journalists and photographers were mainly the ones targeted by the Israeli army. Three reporters where injured this morning, including MEE photographer Faiz Abu Rmeleh.
Not far way from the Old City in the Musrara area of East Jerusalem more than 100 settlers are standing in the road that separates East and West Jerusalem. The atmosphere is incredibly tense.
I spoke with two Palestinian women, who were wearing their hijabs, who said that they didn't have the courage to go to the bus station where the settlers were standing and they were asking around to try find alternative routes.
I have lived and worked in Jerusalem and know the city well and I can’t remember similar atmosphere to this for many years. We feel like we are in a war zone. Shops are closed. The military is in every corner ready to shoot. Everyone here feel targeted by Israel.
Two Palestinian teenagers, 13-year-old Marwan Barbakh and 15-year-old Omar Othman were shot and killed by live ammunition in eastern Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
They had been protesting along the border with Israel when Israeli forces fired into the crowd, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Another teen who has yet to be named has also been killed near the Erez Crossing at the northern part of the strip.
Protests are rocking Gaza City as well as the border crossing of Nahal Oz where Israeli police are firing tear gas at protesters. Seven protesters were killed at the border crossing yesterday by Israeli security officials.
A civilian was also injured by a stray bullet.
MEE contributor, photojournalist Faiz Abu Rmeleh, was at the scene shortly following this morning's double stabbing in Jerusalem, after which police shot dead the 16-year-old Palestinian attacker.
“For three hours, the police closed the street, preventing the Red Crescent ambulances from reaching the 16-year-old [attacker] Ishaq Badran.
"This meant that [the ambulances] were unable to provide him with any treatment or even take him to the hospital. [The police] only allowed them [the paramedics] to reach Ishaq after they were sure he was dead. Meanwhile, they attacked photographers who were there.
"At the same spot [just outside Damascus Gate], settlers also created three false alarms, telling the police that there was an Arab Palestinian [Palestinian citizen of Israel] who intended to attack two of them.
"Other settlers shouted at Palestinians passing by: 'This is a vandal. This is a terrorist, kill him, kill him!'"
Ten Palestinians have now been shot dead in the last 24 hours: Palestinian sources
Palestinian authorities said on Saturday that a Palestinian doctor working in Hebron had been shot in the eye on Friday
The official Palestine Liberation Organisation twitter account also said that many of the injured had been shot in the upper body, suggesting that shooters intended to cause serious injury.
Thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel are marching in Nazareth in northern Israel. Protests were slated to take place on Thursday but largely failed to materialise after Israeli police stepped up security and moved to stop people reaching the city.
Protests have broken out in Bethlehem, which has seen daily protests for more than a week. On Monday a 13-year-old boy was shot dead during the start of clashes in the area. MEE contributor Abed al-Qaisi is at the scene. He said there were around 200 people on the main street and 250 inside Aida refugee camp right off the Main Street.
A Palestinian journalist has been shot and injured by live fire in Shuafat in East Jerusalem, Maan news agency said. More details are still emerging. Overnight a Palestinian protestor was shot in the area, with hundreds attending his funeral today.