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HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians during a raid in the village of Beit Ummar north of Hebron on Monday, injuring two with rubber bullets and causing dozens to suffer from excessive tear gas inhalation.

Spokesman for the popular struggle committee against settlements and the wall in Beit Ummar Mohammad Ayyad Awad said clashes started in Safa area after two Israeli military vehicles raided the area and fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets at people.

"These actions by the occupation forces aim to prevent farmers from reaching their lands in Ein al-Bayad area near the Gush Etzion settlements," Awad said, referring to a large block of Israeli settlements built on confiscated Palestinian lands.

The attack comes five days after Israeli forces killed an 85-year-old Palestinian man by launching excessive amounts of tear gas into his village of Kafr Qaddum, in the northern West Bank, during a raid.

The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.