Palestinian officials said he was shot without provocation. When news of the death spread, hundreds of angry young Palestinians, some masked, others twirling slingshots, threw stones at Israeli soldiers who fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel pellets. Several dozen Palestinians were injured in three days of rioting along the main road, through which tourist buses pass on their way to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. This week, the road was closed and littered with rocks. He claimed the construction was part of an Israeli plot to keep pilgrims away.
Israeli officials deny the allegations, saying they simply aim to untangle traffic.
On workday mornings, hundreds of Palestinians who lack permits to enter Jerusalem simply walk around the roadblock, using a dirt path a few yards away. But Peter Lerner, the spokesman for Israel's military government in the West Bank, said there would not be a walkway and that checking procedures remained unchanged. He said there would be shuttle buses to and from the checkpoint. The Associated Press. All rights reserved.