JERUSALEM, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Israeli police arrested five Israeli citizens on Tuesday after a clash between dozens of Israelis and local Palestinian residents in the northern West Bank village of Kifl Haris.
According to Israeli police and military statements, as well as media reports, about 100 Israelis belonging to an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect entered the village without authorization before dawn.
They intended to pray near two biblical tombs that they claim are located in the village, saying they are usually denied access to the site.
During the incident, two Israelis sustained minor injuries after being hit by stones, while several Palestinian vehicles were vandalized, according to the reports.
Israeli forces arrived at the scene after the group had left the village. Following an investigation, five Israelis aged 16 to 20 were identified and arrested at the Hizma military checkpoint near Jerusalem.
The Israeli military described the unauthorized entry as a grave act, claiming that it endangered local residents and disrupted the operational activities of the security forces in the area. ■
