A Palestinian was shot with live ammunition and Several others suffocated after inhaling tear gas fired at them by Israeli forces during clashes that broke out in the town of Taqou to the east of Bethlehem, according to a local municipal source. Head of Taqou municipality, Taysir Abu Mfreh, informed WAFA that clashes erupted between Palestinian locals and army forces in two different areas in the town, where the latter fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades toward locals, leaving many to suffocate from tear gas inhalation. The municipal source said that a Palestinian youth, who did not take part in the clashes, was shot with live ammunition in the pelvic area while he was standing in front of his home near the scene of the clashes. The youth, whose identity remains unidentified, was transferred to hospital for treatment, where his condition was described as moderate. Forces also detained 17-year-old Ameer Ayyash and led him to an unknown destination. An increasing number of unarmed and peaceful Palestinians were either killed or seriously injured as a result of Israel's constant use of tear gas against Palestinians. B'Tselem, the Israeli human rights information center, stated that "[Israeli] soldiers and Border Police often fire tear-gas grenades directly at demonstrators with the aim of hitting them, or fire carelessly, without ensuring that demonstrators are not in the direct line of fire, in direct contravention of regulations." The legal center, in a summary report published in 2013, demanded that Israeli security forces "completely prohibit the firing of 40mm tear-gas canisters either directly at individuals or horizontally, in a way that could cause result in injuries."
