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BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces on Monday shot and injured a Palestinian man during clashes near Bethlehem, locals said.

Locals told Ma'an that Khalaf Abu Mfarreh, 29, was shot in the foot during clashes in the center of the village of Tuqu.

Medics said he was taken to a hospital in stable condition.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli army said that a "riot erupted as dozens of Palestinians gathered at the area of (the settlement of) Teqoa, hurling rocks at security forces."

"During continuous attempts to disperse the riot," she said, "soldiers opened fire toward the main instigator's lower extremities."

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.