Israeli occupation forces have shot a stone-throwing boy while up to a dozen Palestinians have also been wounded on the sixth day of a curfew in Nablus. The boy was injured in the leg on Sunday and treated at a nearby hospital, Aljazeera's correspondent reported. Medical sources told Aljazeera that around ten other Palestinians were also injured, some by live bullets, following protests later in the day. Clashes have continued in the town as Israeli troops occupied several buildings, under the pretext of searching for wanted resistance fighters. Aljazeera's correspondent reported that the occupation forces also attempted to force foreign peace activists out of the city after declaring it a closed military zone. **Solidarity protest*** The activists earlier on Sunday broke the curfew and together with Palestinians marched through the Old City in solidarity with the affected citizens. Families of Palestinian detainees on hunger strike in Israeli jails also protested. Israeli soldiers fired teargas to disperse the protesters in the centre of the city, though some Palestinians were reportedly wounded by live bullets. Ten Palestinians and at least three foreign activists were detained. Israeli forces said on Saturday they had blown up a suspected bomb-making operation hidden in a metal workshop in the Old City of Nablus. **US Stance on Settlements Blasted*** Palestinians have accused the United States of destroying the Middle East peace process after Washington signaled it could accept some growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Until now the US had demanded the freezing of all building on land occupied in the 1967 Middle East war. Such building is seen as illegal by almost every country although Israel disputes this. But the Bush administration signaled flexibility on Saturday on limited growth in West Bank settlements, to help embattled Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as he tries to get a plan for withdrawal from occupied Gaza past his far right opponents. "I do not believe that America says now that settlements can be expanded. This thwarts and destroys the peace process," Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Quraya said. **'Destroying peace'*** Palestinians - who fear uprooting the Gaza settlers is a cover for strengthening Israel's hold on bigger West Bank enclaves -said the US was shredding its own peace "road map", a blueprint for a Palestinian state that has been stalled by violence. A senior US administration official, commenting on Israel's plan to build 1000 more settler homes said on Saturday: "There is some flexibility there." While the White House denied any official change in the US stance, an official said efforts were under way to clarify with the Israelis what "settlement activity" meant. Based on this new understanding, officials said Washington could agree to new construction provided it did not take place outside the boundaries of existing settlements in undeveloped parts of the West Bank. **Aiding Sharon*** A senior Israeli source said there was a clear understanding the US was trying to help Sharon push through his plan for "disengagement" from nearly four years of conflict with the Palestinians. "This is crucial for Sharon to get through the disengagement plan. He needs it for the Israeli public and his party. The Americans understand that," the source said. Accepting limited construction within existing settlements could also benefit President George Bush, who would not want to cross Jewish-American voters who back settlements and other conservative supporters of Israel in the run-up to the November election. **PHOTO CAPTION*** A construction site in the new neighborhood in the Adam Jewish settlement near Jerusalem is shown August 22, 2004. (Reuters)