Israelis Kill Five as Palestinians Declare 'Day of Rage' in West Bank

Israeli security forces were on heightened alert Friday after several Palestinians were shot dead during a huge protest in the West Bank against Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

Palestinian medical and security sources told Agence France-Presse that five Palestinians were killed in the West Bank on Friday in two separate incidents involving both Israeli troops and Israeli settlers.

In the first incident, three Palestinian men were shot dead by Israeli troops while participating in a demonstration against the conflict in Gaza in the village of Beit Ummar near the flashpoint southern city of Hebron, Palestinian security sources said.

In the second incident, a group of settlers opened fire on protesting Palestinians after they threw stones at their car near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian security sources said.

The settler fire killed an 18-year-old Palestinian named as Khaled Oudeh.

Shortly afterwards, Israeli troops arrived at the scene and clashed with the Palestinians, firing live bullets and tear gas.

The Israeli army fire killed a second Palestinian, 22-year-old Tayyib Oudeh, the security sources said, adding that three other Palestinians were injured by live fire.

An Israeli army spokeswoman had no comment on the incident in Beit Ummar, but said there had been "confrontations" between Israeli troops and Palestinians near Nablus "in which settlers were involved," without giving further details.

Israeli army radio reported that a female settler has opened fire in in the incident near Nablus, killing Khaled Oudeh.

Palestinian factions in the West Bank had declared a "Day of Rage" after Thursday night's clashes around the West Bank and in some sectors of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

Police said that because of fears of violence over the deadly Gaza campaign, they would bar men under 50 from Jerusalem's flashpoint al-Aqsa mosque for what are usually packed prayers on the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.

"Different units have been mobilized in and around the Old City" of Jerusalem, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP on Friday.

"We're prepared to deal with any disturbances."

Outside the Old City in east Jerusalem on Friday, demonstrators clashed with police before being dispersed, an AFP correspondent said. Police said one person was arrested and none wounded.

In the southern West Bank city of Hebron, nearly 1,000 Palestinians were protesting against Israel's Gaza campaign, an AFP correspondent said, with a similar demonstration taking place in nearby Halhul.

Palestinian security and medical officials named the man killed on Thursday as Mohammed Al-Aaraj, 25, and said he was among at least 10,000 people who clashed with soldiers and border police in Qalandia, between Jerusalem and Ramallah.

They said 150 people were wounded by Israeli fire, five critically. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appealed for blood donors.

The army told AFP that live fire was used in a confrontation with protesters after rocks, firecrackers and petrol bombs were thrown at soldiers and border police.

Clashes in Qalandia ended early on Friday.

Israeli public radio said Palestinians and troops also clashed around the West Bank cities of Nablus, Hebron, Bethlehem and Tulkarem.

The confrontations came on Laylat al-Qadr, or Night of Destiny, when Muslims pray through the night as Ramadan nears its end.