Israeli police asked right-wing Knesset members Idit Silman and Nir Orbach not to travel to the West Bank Homesh outpost Dec. 26, so as not to further increase tensions there. The two legislators intended to visit the place after attending an event in another West Bank settlement, not far away.
Just the day before, hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli troops in the village of Burqa, adjacent to Homesh. The Palestinian Red Crescent said that seven Palestinian demonstrators in Burqa, including a 17-year-old boy, were hurt by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) live fire. An IDF spokesperson said that the teen had hurled a Molotov cocktail at the troops, and that in return the troops responded with gunfire.