Jewish Settlers Attack IDF Post after Yitzhar Illegal Buildings Demolished in 'Act of War'

Six Israeli policemen were injured, as hundreds of Jewish settlers rioted after security forces demolished several illegal buildings in the West Bank.

Violence erupted as Israel's border police moved to pull down five structures, including two mobile homes in the hard-line Yitzhar settlement, south of the Palestinian city of Nablus.

Settlers set tyres alight, erected road blocks and threw stones at police, in what security sources described as extreme violence.

The rioters also attacked a nearby military post, set up by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to protect Yitzhar.

"The security forces used crowd-dispersing methods," the IDF said. "We take a grave view of any attempt to harm the security forces, who came to the area to do their job and enforce law and order."

Six border policemen suffered from light injuries in the clashes and two had to be taken to hospital for treatment, Israel Radio reported. Eight people were detained by police.

An Israeli member of parliament or Knesset (MK) with the right-wing pro-settlements Jewish Home party condemned police action saying it came in retaliation for a "price-tag" attack against an IDF vehicle in the area.

Just hours before the clashes, suspected Jewish right-wing vandals had slashed the tyres of an IDF jeep for the second time in two days.

MK Orit Struk described the police raid as "collective punishment and destruction of homes as vengeance".

"Puncturing the tyres of vehicles of IDF soldiers and commanders is a criminal act," Struk told Arutz Sheva 7 news.

"This does not justify in any way the declaration of war on the whole community because of the actions of some resident youths, especially when police know how and where to find them and bring them to justice, according to the law."

They "price-tag" is the term for a retaliatory attack against non-Jews or their property carried out by Jewish right-wing extremists.

They usually target Palestinian properties but also Mosques, churches and Israeli military bases have been subject to vandalism.