The IDF neutralizes 100 explosive devices which were hurled at troops during the protests on Friday. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)
The IDF neutralizes 100 explosive devices which were hurled at troops during the protests on Friday. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)
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Seven Palestinians were killed including two teen boys and hundreds more injured during the weekly Great March of Return protests along the Gaza border fence on Friday, which also saw over 100 explosive devices hurled at IDF troops.
The fatalities were identified by the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza as 12-year-old Nasser Musabbeh, 14-year-old Mohammad Nayef al-Houm, 18-year-old Mohammad Ali Inshasi, 20-year-old Iyad Khalil Shaer, 24-year-old Mohammad Walid Haniya, 24-year-old Mohammad Bassam Shakhsa, and 26-year-old Mohammad Ashraf Awawdeh.
Thousands attended their funerals in Gaza City, at Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, Khan Younis in the south of the Hamas-run coastal enclave.
Palestinian Wafa News Agency claimed another 508 were injured in the protests, including 90 from live bullet wounds. Among the injured, 35 were children, four women, four paramedics, and two journalists.
According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, over 20,000 protesters took part in violent demonstrations along the border fence, throwing explosive devices, grenades and stones at IDF troops and burning tires. A number of attempts to cross the border fence also occurred throughout the riots.
The IDF responded to the violence and attempted sabotage of the fence with crowd dispersal techniques in accordance with open-fire regulations. Israeli aircraft also carried out two airstrikes against Hamas positions in response to the violence.
“Hamas continues its terrorist activities in the Gaza Strip, cynically using Gazan residents and endangering children sent to the fence as a cover for terrorist activities,” read a statement released by the IDF’s Spokesperson’s Unit, adding that Hamas is responsible for the violence and its consequences.
“The IDF is determined to continue to act to protect the citizens of Israel and against those who seek to harm Israel’s security. The IDF is prepared to act in the face of similar events and those who attempt to carry out terrorist activities will encounter a severe response,” the statement added.
The military released footage of the demonstrations which were the most violent seen in the past two months and on Saturday troops were still busy carrying out controlled explosions of the unexploded IEDs thrown by Palestinians on Friday.
Following several improvised devices planted along the fence in recent weeks, the military has warned of an increased use in such devices as well as the use of grenades and possibly live fire against troops.
Close to 190 Palestinians have been killed and thousands others injured since the outbreak of the Gaza border protests which began on March 30 and which call for an end of the 12 year long Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Gazans have also begun gathering for violent demonstrations from early evening until midnight, pointing lasers at IDF snipers as well as blasting songs and other loud messages aimed at Israeli civilians living in the Gaza vicinity as well as launching incendiary balloons towards southern Israel.
According to a report in Haaretz, Hamas has been significantly bolstering their forces in recent weeks as the reconciliation talks with the Palestinian Authority have broken down and the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen.
The Gazan terror group had also vowed to intensify the riots in response to the collapse of the ceasefire talks with Israel mediated by Egypt.
On Saturday a senior Hamas delegation led by the group’s deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya left the Gaza Strip for another round of talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo in an attempt to reach an agreement with the PA and a long-term ceasefire arrangement with Israel.
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