During the ensuing clashes with dozens of settlers, the tires of a vehicle belonging to the Civil Administration were punctured and, according to the IDF, one settler unleashed his dog on a soldier, who sustained light injuries. Another soldier broke his finger during the clashes. Police forces dispatched to the scene managed to calm the situation down.

'Commander forgot to leave his politics at home'

A short while later the IDF reported that settlers began hurling stones at Palestinian vehicles travelling near Yitzhar in Samaria. The Palestinians retaliated, and soldiers arrived at the scene to disperse the crowd.

In the evening hours some 40 settlers arrived at an IDF position near the Talmon settlement, west of Ramallah. The settlers assaulted reservists manning the post and called them "Nazis".

An army official said in response to the violent incidents that a "red line was crossed", adding that the IDF intends to bring those involved in the disturbances to justice.

The Binyamin Settlers? Committee issued a statement blaming the IDF and the Civil Administration for the violence, saying the "company commander at the scene apparently forgot to leave his political views at home.

"The soldiers beat teenagers with the butt of their rifles and cased damage to generators and water tanks," the committee charged.

According to the settlers, the incident at the outpost near Talmon followed a demonstration held near an IDF base against the decision to close a road leading to Gush Talmonim region when settlers were driving home from work. The decision, the settlers said, came in response to the incident at the Yad Yair outpost.