22 Israeli Soldiers Jailed for Rampage at Refugee Camp

The Israeli army said Friday that it has jailed 22 soldiers who rampaged through a U.N. refugee camp after Palestinians threw stones. The action was largest punishment of Israeli troops in the nearly year-old Palestinian uprising in the occupied territories.

The army said the jailing of the soldiers stemmed from an incident last Sunday at the U.N.-run Kalandia refugee camp north of Jerusalem. The soldiers received jail sentences for periods of up to two weeks, the army said.

Palestinians at the refugee camp reportedly stoned the vehicle in which the soldiers were riding. The soldiers retaliated by rampaging through the camp, slashing car tires and smashing windows and windshields, the army said. No injuries were reported.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Dan Shomron told Israel Radio that the soldiers simply got carried away. He said soldiers are forbidden to punish residents of the occupied territories who are not connected to disturbances.

Elsewhere, soldiers shot and wounded at least three Palestinians Friday during scattered disturbances in the occupied territories, Palestinian sources said.