RAMALLAH, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least one Palestinian and an Israeli soldier were wounded on Thursday during clashes that erupted in the central West Bank city of Bethlehem, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.
Palestinian medical sources told Xinhua that the Israeli army transferred "a young Palestinian man with a foot injury" to a local hospital for treatment after clashes in Bethlehem.
The clashes erupted on Thursday after Israeli forces stormed the Dheisheh refugee camp south of Bethlehem, according to eyewitnesses, who said Israeli soldiers opened fire and threw tear gas canisters toward protesting Palestinians.
Avichai Adraee, spokesperson of the Israeli army, said in a brief statement that an Israeli soldier was wounded during clashes, without further details.
Also on Thursday, at least 18 Palestinians were arrested by the Israeli army during raids carried out in various cities and villages in the West Bank, according to the non-government Palestinian Prisoners' Club Association.
Israeli raids in the West Bank, often resulting in Palestinian casualties, have been a source of ongoing tension over the past year and a half. Israel contends that these actions are necessary to apprehend Palestinian militants involved in attacks against Israel.
Israeli-Palestinian violence has been on the rise since early 2022, claiming the lives of at least 227 Palestinians and 32 Israelis, according to official sources.
