Israeli soldiers have shot and wounded nine Palestinians, including one seriously, during an operation in the West Bank town of Nablus. 

Adli Yaaish, head of the Nablus municipality, told Aljazeera that nine Palestinians were injured, three by live bullets and six by rubber-coated bullets in the raid at 1.30am on Saturday.

Witnesses said soldiers fired on Palestinians throwing stones at them, wounding a 15-year-old boy seriously and the rest lightly.

They said the protesters threw stones after the army surrounded a building where two wanted al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades fighters were believed to be holed up.

Aljazeera's correspondent said Israeli bulldozers demolished the four-storey building which housed about 100 people, after the two refused to surrender.

Yaaish said the soldiers forced residents of the building out and interrogated them.

The Israeli army said it would not comment because the operation had not ended.

Gaza arrests

Israeli troops also detained four Palestinians in the Gaza Strip near the southern town of Rafah, residents said, adding that those taken away were not fighters.

An army spokeswoman said two militants from the governing Hamas movement had been detained.

Residents said two Palestinians were wounded by gunfire in that operation.

Photo Caption

Israeli bulldozer demolishing a building