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HEBRON (Ma'an) -- A young Palestinian man was injured with live ammunition and dozens of others suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation in clashes with Israeli forces in al-Arrub refugee camp north of Hebron on Thursday evening.

Local sources in the camp told Ma'an that the young man was shot from close range in the upper left thigh, which caused severe damage to his groin.

He received first aid before being transferred to a hospital for treatment.

Witnesses said that dozens of others were injured with rubber coated steel bullets or from excessive tear gas inhalation after Israeli soldiers deployed heavily at the entrance of the camp.

An Israeli spokeswoman said that Palestinians had "blocked the road," and in response Israeli "soldiers arrived in order to clear the path."

She added that Israeli forces used "riot dispersal means" after Palestinians began "hurling rocks and molotov cocktails," and that "live fire was used towards the main instigator."

She added that a complaint had been filed to district coordination office regarding the incident, but did not know by whom.

Al-Arrub refugee camp is located on the Hebron-Jerusalem road, immediately south of the Gush Etzion Israeli settlement block and beside an Israeli checkpoint.

The Israeli checkpoint has made the area the site of frequent protests against the Israeli occupation, and Israeli forces regularly raid the camp and detain local youths.

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.
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