Palestinians Clash With Israeli Soldiers As Statehood Bid Looms

An Israeli baby sustained a head injury as Palestinians clashed with Israeli soldiers ahead of the Palestinians' imminent statehood bid at the United Nations.

The 16-month-old girl was hit in the head with a rock during the Palestinian riots late Wednesday afternoon in the northern West Bank. She was rushed to a hospital in Petach Tikvah.

Gunshots were fired at a car traveling near the northern West Bank community of Karnei Shomron. Bullet holes were discovered in the car; no one was injured.

Hundreds of Palestinians rioted near Hebron, according to reports, and dozens gathered at checkpoints throughout the West Bank, throwing stones at Israeli troops and burning tires. Three Palestinians were arrested in the clashes.

Israeli troops used a new weapon to disperse Palestinian rioters. "The Scream," a non-lethal sonic weapon, releases a very loud noise that people cannot tolerate, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The clashes come a day after hundreds of Jewish settlers and their supporters marched from several sites in the West Bank to protest the Palestinians' statehood bid.

Also Wednesday, thousands of Palestinians rallied in the West Bank city of Ramallah in support of their statehood bid at the U.N., which is expected to come Friday at the Security Council.

Participants at the rally near the burial place of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat waved Palestinian flags and signs in support of Palestine becoming the 194th U.N. member state.

Palestinian Authority schools were closed to allow students to attend the rally. Civil servants also were allowed to attend during work hours, Haaretz reported.

Marches and rallies are scheduled for other Palestinian cities throughout the week, Ynet reported.