A riot took place Thursday in the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Bil'in as more than 1,000 demonstrators protested the construction of a security barrier in the area. Several Arab and extreme leftist protestors began throwing rocks at soldiers stationed in the area.
Soldiers responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, bringing an end to the violent demonstration. Local Arabs claimed that one 13-year-old protestor was hit by a rubber bullet and moderately injured.
The riot was one of several to take place over the last several weeks in Bil'in, where residents say the Judea and Samaria security fence runs too close to their village. Villagers are calling on Israel to move the barrier to the west.
Riots have continued despite the Defense Ministry's agreement last month to change the route of the fence in order to give Bil'in an additional 750 dunams of land. The new planned route would take land from the Jewish city of Modi'in Illit, and would scuttle a plan to build 1,100 housing units in the Matityahu East neighborhood.
The Defense Ministry proposal has yet to receive authorization from the Supreme Court. The court ruled more than a year ago that Israel must change the route of the fence near Bil'in.
Residents of Bil'in are unhappy with the new proposal; they say it does not go far enough in providing more land. Villagers say an additional 1,250 dunams of land that are currently intended to remain to the west of the security barrier are also rightfully theirs.