At least three Palestinians were killed and 883 injured after being deliberately targeted by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) during the “Friday of Rebellious Youth” protests along Gaza’s eastern border.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health two of the martyrs were identified as Abdulsalam Baker 29 and Mohammed al-Muqayyad 21 while the third’s identity is still unknown.
The Ministry said in a statement that 883 Palestinians including 58 children and 29 women suffered different injuries by teargas canisters rubber bullets and live ammunition during the protests.
The PIC reporter said that thousands of Palestinian citizens since the morning hours started to march near the border fence to take part in the “Friday of Rebellious Youth” protests adding that some protesters set tires on fire to block the view of the Israeli snipers.
He reported that three journalists were injured while covering the event including the correspondent of al-Mayadeen TV channel Lana Shaheen who was targeted with a teargas canister.
Spokesman for Gaza’s Ministry of Health Ashraf al-Qedra said that the Israeli soldiers targeted a medical tent east of al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip injuring four paramedics.
A group of Palestinian youths on Friday morning managed to remove part of the border fence east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip at the beginning of the “Friday of Rebellious Youth” protests the PIC reporter said.
The Higher National Committee of the Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege called on the Palestinian people in Gaza to intensify their presence in al-Awda (Return) camps near the border fence on Friday.
The Committee affirmed in a press statement that the protests will maintain their peaceful and popular character.
It added that the Great March of Return’s main goal is to foil the conspiracies aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause particularly the so-called “deal of the century”.
The statement hailed the Gazan people taking part in the Great March of Return on a daily basis and praised the Palestinians in the West Bank and the 1948 occupied territories and abroad who support this movement.
The Great March of Return was first launched on 30th March to demand the Palestinian refugees’ right of return and call for an end to the decade-long blockade on Gaza.
So far 45 Palestinians have been killed including three children and two journalists and over 6000 injured as a result of Israel’s use of lethal force against peaceful protesters.
