Along with the barrage of rockets fired at Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip periphery area, a series of incidents took place in Arab communities across the country, Monday night.
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Unrest in the Shfela District
A man was arrested for suspected involvement in a shooting that killed one and wounded two others near the site of riots in the mixed Jewish-Arab city of Lod.
Two arson attacks were reported on Lod's pre-military academy as well as two yeshivas in the city's Ramat Eshkol neighborhood. Rioters also damaged a residential building, burned cars and Israeli flags, and threw rocks at buses and cars passing by. A special force was needed to evacuate Jewish students trapped inside a local community center.
Riots were also reported in Ramle, with young men throwing rocks at police officers, a bus, and buildings and burning tires and garbage cans. Rioters also started a fire at the local cemetery.
So far, 16 suspects have been arrested in connection with the rioting in Ramle and Lod.
Disturbances up north
In the north of the country, 11 people were treated at Tiberias' Baruch Padeh Medical Center for moderate injuries, including two officers and three teenagers, sustained in public disturbances in Kafr Kanna, Gazit Junction, Bir al-Maksur, and Shfaram.
Sixty-seven people were arrested for alleged involvement in dozens of incidents that saw fireworks lit, tires burned, rocks thrown, and roads blocked in Arab villages in Israel's north.
A religious Jewish resident of Nof Hagalil in his 40s was attacked while driving on Route 754, and his car's windshield was smashed. Residents of Kafr Kanna came to his rescue and called for medical assistance. Youths in the area pelted officers on the scene with rocks.
Youths from the Arab village of Shibli–Umm al-Ghanam blocked Highway 65, threw rocks at passersby, and burned tires. Police officers that arrived on the scene dispersed rioters, restored access, and arrested one suspect. In another incident Monday night, youths blockaded Highway 85 and burned ties.
According to the Israel Police, shots were fired at a café in the Arab town of Bi'ina. In a statement, it said, "Police forces engaged in a gunfight with the suspects in the shooting, during which one of the officers sustained moderate injuries, and following a manhunt, two suspects were arrested. On their persons, they had an M-16 rifle with a bullet in the barrel and two guns."
In the mostly-Arab Wadi Ara area, 13 suspects were arrested for attempting to run over an officer, rock-throwing, setting fire to garbage cans and tires, and attacking police.
On Highway 4, near the Arab town of Fureidis, 200 people blocked traffic and burned tires. In Kfar Qasim and Ilut, rioters threw rocks.
In addition, rioters attacked a police station in Kafr Manda and set two police cruisers on fire. In Uzeir, east of Shfaram, rioters attempted to set the local police station on fire.
Meanwhile, four people in their 20s were taken to Afula's Emek Medical Center overnight for injuries sustained as a result of rock-throwing by rioters.
Protests were also held in Haifa, where demonstrators hurled rocks at passersby. Police officers, one of whom was lightly wounded in the incident, arrested 15 involved in the rioting.
Rioting in the Jerusalem area
Police officers were sent into the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya following reports of rock-throwing, and garbage cans and tires set on fire. One Border Police officer required medical treatment for an injury to his head.
Firefighters and volunteers from Judea and Samaria were dispatched to extinguish over 40 fires, Monday night.
"A majority of the incidents, which took place near central access roads and near communities, were the result of the throwing of Molotov cocktails and burning tires. A team from the Binyamin Regional Station was caught up in rioting … and rocks were thrown at a fire truck, which sustained damage," according to a statement.
In Gush Etzion, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a car, causing damage.
At the Qalandiya Crossing between Israel and the northern West Bank, 200 people threw rocks and Molotov cocktails and security forces and burned tires. Three suspects were arrested for lighting fireworks at security forces.
At Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, 300 people burned tires and threw rocks, glass bottles, and around 30 Molotov cocktails at Border Police officers. Two suspects were arrested for rock-throwing, and 11 officers were lightly wounded and received medical treatment on the scene.
Public disturbances in the South
Around 4:00 a.m., a man was lightly wounded when rioters threw rocks at his car while he was driving on Highway 6, near the Bedouin town of Laqiya. Police have opened an investigation into the incident.
At Shokat Interchange, several people blocked the path of a car driving down Highway 6, removed the female driver from the vehicle and proceeded to set the car alight. Police have opened an investigation into the incident.
In the Bedouin city of Rahat, police officers were able to push pack dozens of rioters allegedly trying to cause damage to the local police station. Ten people were arrested. In Tel Sheva, five suspects were arrested for throwing rocks at the local police station. In addition, police arrested 15 suspects for throwing rocks at the police station in the Bedouin town of Segev Shalom.
In a statement, the local fire department said, "Firefighters and fire trucks were dispatched to incidents and fires in the communities of Ar'arat an-Naqab, Segev Shalom, and Tel Sheva. While en route to the scene of the incident, teams were pelted with stones and rocks that were thrown at them and caused serious damage to the firefighting vehicles while putting the firefighters at risk.
"Given the very real threat to their personal safety and after performing an assessment of the situation in cooperation with the police, forces have been instructed to wait for police escorts to the scene of the incident until firefighting operations are completed in the councils' vicinity."
In a statement Tuesday morning, the police said officers "acted Monday night to restore order and arrest suspects in rioting and public disturbances in the south. During the operation, officers arrested 31 suspects, including four minors, and they will be brought for a remand this morning. The investigation of the events is ongoing, and further arrests are expected."
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