Two people reportedly killed by Israeli tank fire in Gaza

The men, aged 25 and 28, were killed near the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, an official from the Health Ministry said, as cited by Arabic language media and AFP.  

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces released a statement saying that their tank “targeted a military observation post in the southern Gaza Strip a short while ago.” It added that “no injuries to IDF soldiers were reported,” without revealing details of any civilian casualties.

The IDF said that their troops detonated an explosive device “that was placed adjacent to the security fence with the intention of harming IDF soldiers who were present in the area.” According to the military, the bomb “went off during the clearing procedure.”

The incident comes as protests at the Israel-Gaza border resumed on Friday, resulting in dozens of injuries. According to Palestinian Health Ministry data from May 24, a total of 119 people have been killed, including 14 children.  

Human rights groups and representatives of the international community have repeatedly slammed Israel over its handling of the demonstrations. Amnesty International has called the situation in Gaza “another horrific example of the Israeli military using excessive force and live ammunition in a totally deplorable way.”

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