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Palestinians wage violent riots in Judea and Samaria

Arab rioters waved Palestinian flags and burned tires to create smoke screens from which they attacked Israelis.

By World Israel News and AP

Turmoil from the battle between Israel and Hamas spilled over into Judea and Samaria on Friday, sparking the most widespread Palestinian rioting in years as hundreds of young Arabs in multiple towns clashed with Israeli troops.

On the outskirts of Ramallah, Nablus and other towns and cities, Arab rioters waved Palestinian flags and trucked in tires to burn in order to create smoke screens from which they could attack Israelis.

At least 10 violent rioters were killed by IDF soldiers. An 11th Palestinian was killed when he tried to stab a soldier at a military position.

Hamas has fired some 2,000 rockets toward Israel since Monday, according to the Israeli military.

Most have been intercepted by anti-missile defenses, but they have brought life to a standstill in southern Israeli cities, caused disruptions at airports and have set off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Palestinian rocket attacks have killed nine Israelis, including a 5-year-old boy.

On Israel’s northern border, a group of Lebanese and Palestinian rioters on the other side cut through the border fence and briefly crossed. One Lebanese was killed. Three rockets were fired toward Israel from neighboring Syria, but they either landed in Syrian territory or in empty areas, Israeli media said. It was not immediately known who fired them.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Hamas would “pay a very heavy price” for its rocket attacks. Israel called up 9,000 reservists Thursday to join its troops massed at the Gaza border.

On Friday, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Israel-Palestinian affairs, Hady Amr, arrived in Israel as part of an attempt by Washington to de-escalate the conflict.

U.S. President Joe Biden gave a show of support to Netanyahu in a call a day earlier, saying “there has not been a significant overreaction” in Israel’s response to Hamas rockets. He said the aim is to get a “significant reduction in attacks, particularly rocket attacks.”