A Palestinian described as mentally unstable has been shot and wounded after throwing acid at a family of Israelis who gave him a ride in the West Bank, residents and the army say.
Friday's incident came as tensions run high in the occupied territories after months of unrest and the death on Wednesday of senior Palestinian official Ziad Abu Ein in a confrontation with Israeli troops.
"A vehicle carrying a family with four girls picked up a hitchhiker" near a checkpoint outside Bethlehem and close to the Gush Etzion settlement area, an army statement said.
"The hitchhiker threw acid on the passengers, injuring them lightly."
The attacker got out of the vehicle and was shot in the leg by a civilian and arrested. It was unclear how seriously he was wounded.
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Israeli public radio said a man and three children were injured in the attack.
The Israelis were taken to hospital, an AFP photographer said, and emergency services confirmed they had suffered light wounds.
Palestinians residents named the attacker as Jamal Ghayyada, 46, from the nearby village of Nahalin, saying he was mentally unstable and had received treatment at a mental health clinic in Bethlehem.
Elsewhere in the West Bank, several Palestinian protesters were lightly to moderately wounded during clashes with Israeli troops, Palestinian security and medical sources said.
Some 100 Palestinians demonstrated outside the Ofer military prison near Ramallah, and troops shot live bullets at their legs, wounding 10, medics said.
In Hebron, south of Bethlehem, youths clashed with soldiers and were also shot in the legs, one with live rounds and three with rubber bullets.
