Israeli soliers have clashed with hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators near the West Bank town of Jenin.

Two Palestinians were injured when troops fired rubber-coated bullets.

The protestors were demanding the release of the several-thousand Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Seven-hundred-and-fifty are being freed in three stages by the end of January under the agreement reached in the United States last month.

However, there have been Palestinian complaints that the first batch let out were mainly common criminals rather than prisoners held for politically-related actions.Elsewhere in the West Bank, scuffles broke out when Jewish settlers blocked the path of a party of Palestinian schoolgirls walking past their enclave.

A number of schoolgirls were taken to hospital.

Israeli troops detained several members of the school staff.

The school said the girls were going on a field trip.

The Israelis said they were taking part in an illegal demonstration.