国际英语新闻:Dozens of Palestinians injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers

RAMALLAH/GAZA, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Palestinians were injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers on Friday in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Clashes broke out after Friday prayers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian youths threw stones at the Israeli soldiers, who fired back with tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition.

Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesman of the health ministry in the Gaza Strip, told reporters that 27 Palestinians were injured, four of them in critical condition.

Similar confrontations took place in various West Bank areas, mainly the east of the city of Ramallah, near the northern city of Nablus and the outskirts of the southern city of Hebron.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in an emailed report that 11 Palestinians were injured by live ammunition and around 40 injured by rubber bullets and tear gas.