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Photo: An armed Jewish settler aims a rifle in the direction of Palestinian stone-throwers in the West Bank village of Assira al-Kibliya, May 19, 2012. Photo by AP


NABLUS (Ma’an) -- Two Palestinians were injured in a Nablus-area village after clashes with settlers on Saturday, medics said.

Settlers entered Asira al-Qibliya and threw rocks at properties in the village, which borders Yitzhar settlement, before the arrival of Israeli forces, a Ma'an correspondent said.

In the ensuing clashes Nimir Fathi, 24, was shot in the neck and is in a serious condition, medics said, adding that Ahmad Jaber Jibrel, 30, was hit in the face with a rock.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said settlers clashed with Palestinians in the village, and she was looking into further details.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces entered nearby village Iraq Burin on Saturday afternoon, prompting clashes with residents.

PA official monitoring the northern West Bank Ghassan Daghlas said youth threw rocks at the forces who responded by shooting bullets and tear gas, lightly injuring two people.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said forces entered the village during routine activity and responded to rock throwing with riot dispersal means, but denied bullets were fired.

The Secretary-General of the Palestinian Presidency Tayeb Abdel Rahim visited the four wounded men in Rafidia Hospital in Nablus later Saturday and condemned the "barbaric attack by settlers."

The Palestinian Authority will not stand idly by while these "completely unacceptable and reprehensible actions" take place, he said.

Abdel Rahim demanded the international community fulfill its responsibilities towards such "crimes that will lead to the collapse and security-destabilization of the region as a whole."