2018-P

Shadi ‘Abed al-‘Al

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September 14, 2018: Shadi ‘Abed al-‘Aziz ‘Abed al-‘Al 11, was killed by Israeli soldiers near Jabalia, while taking part in a peaceful protest at the border fence. The 11-year old child sustained deep wounds after being hit with a solid object, which caused a fracture to his skull. Shadi was one of three Palestinian civilians killed at the protest. The soldiers also wounded 148 others, including 19 children, 5 women and 5 paramedics with live bullets and direct tear gas canisters. Six of those wounded sustained serious wounds.

According to PCHR fieldworkers’ observations, the border area witnessed heavy deployment of the Israeli forces this week as the army fired live bullets and tear gas canisters, increasing the number of casualties comparing with the previous weeks, despite the peaceful nature of the demonstrations.

The Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against the peaceful demonstrators who posed no threat or danger to the life of Israeli soldiers in the areas of demonstrations.

Investigations and observations by PCHR’s fieldworkers emphasize that the demonstrations in all areas were, as always, fully peaceful, and  neither weapons nor armed persons were seen. However, the Israeli forces’ snipers continued to position on the hills, behind the sand berms and in military jeeps along the border fence.

At approximately 16:30, thousands of civilians, including women, children and entire families, started swarming to the 5 encampments established by the Supreme National Authority for the Great March of Return and Breaking Siege along the border fence, east of the Gaza Strip governorates. They raised flags and chanted national songs.

Hundreds, including children and women, approached the border fence with Israel, set fire to tires and gathered 300 meters away from the main border fence.  Some of them attempted to throw stones at the Israeli forces, pulled parts of the barbed-wire fence established inside the Palestinian territories and released balloons along the border fence.

The Israeli shooting, which continued until 19:30, resulted in the killing of 3 civilians, including a child. The killed civilians were identified as:

  1.  Hani Ramzi ‘Afana (21), from Rafah, was hit with a live bullet to the chest in eastern Rafah.
  2. Mohamed Khalil Ghazi Shaqqourah (20), from al-Maghazi refugee camp, was hit with a live bullet to the chest in eastern al-Bureij camp.
  3. Shadi ‘Abed al-‘Aziz ‘Abed al-‘Al (11), from Jabalia, sustained deep wounds after being hit with a solid object, which caused a fracture to his skull, during his participation in Abu Safiyah area, northeast of Jabalia, according to the Ministry of Health.

Moreover, 148 civilians, including 19 children, 5 women and 5  paramedics, were wounded with live bullets and direct tear gas canisters.

Six of those wounded sustained serious wounds, in addition to dozens suffering tear gas inhalation and seizures after tear gas canisters were fired by the Israeli soldiers from the military jeeps and riffles in the eastern Gaza Strip.

PCHR condemned the crimes committed by the Israeli forces, believing it is as a result of Israel’s enjoying impunity thanks to the U.S. and so encouraging the Israeli forces to commit further crimes upon an official decision by the highest military and political echelons.

PCHR emphasized that continuously inflicting casualties, either killed or wounded, is unjustified, and using lethal force to target and kill civilians, who exercise their right to peaceful assembly or while carrying out their humanitarian duty, is a serious violation of the rules of international law, international humanitarian law, the ICC Rome Statute and Fourth Geneva Convention.

Thus, PCHR called upon the ICC Prosecutor to open an official investigation in these crimes and to prosecute and hold accountable all those applying or involved in issuing orders within the Israeli Forces at the security and political echelons.

PCHR also reiterated its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

PCHR called upon Switzerland, in its capacity as the Depository State for the Convention, to demand the High Contracting Parties to convene a meeting and ensure Israel’s respect for this Convention, noting that these grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the occupied territories.

Shadi was from Jabalia in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Hani Ramzi ‘Afana

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September 14, 2018: Hani Ramzi ‘Afana, 21, was killed by Israeli soldiers using excessive force against peaceful protesters in the eastern Gaza Strip for the 25th  Friday in a row. Hani was one of three Palestinian civilians killed at the protest, including a child. The soldiers also wounded 148 others, including 19 children, 5 women and 5 paramedics with live bullets and direct tear gas canisters. Six of those wounded sustained serious wounds.

According to PCHR fieldworkers’ observations, the border area witnessed heavy deployment of the Israeli forces this week as the army fired live bullets and tear gas canisters, increasing the number of casualties comparing with the previous weeks, despite the peaceful nature of the demonstrations.

The Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against the peaceful demonstrators who posed no threat or danger to the life of Israeli soldiers in the areas of demonstrations.

Investigations and observations by PCHR’s fieldworkers emphasize that the demonstrations in all areas were, as always, fully peaceful, and  neither weapons nor armed persons were seen. However, the Israeli forces’ snipers continued to position on the hills, behind the sand berms and in military jeeps along the border fence.

At approximately 16:30, thousands of civilians, including women, children and entire families, started swarming to the 5 encampments established by the Supreme National Authority for the Great March of Return and Breaking Siege along the border fence, east of the Gaza Strip governorates. They raised flags and chanted national songs.

Hundreds, including children and women, approached the border fence with Israel, set fire to tires and gathered 300 meters away from the main border fence.  Some of them attempted to throw stones at the Israeli forces, pulled parts of the barbed-wire fence established inside the Palestinian territories and released balloons along the border fence.

The Israeli shooting, which continued until 19:30, resulted in the killing of 3 civilians, including a child. The killed civilians were identified as:

  1.  Hani Ramzi ‘Afana (21), from Rafah, was hit with a live bullet to the chest in eastern Rafah.
  2. Mohamed Khalil Ghazi Shaqqourah (20), from al-Maghazi refugee camp, was hit with a live bullet to the chest in eastern al-Bureij camp.
  3. Shady ‘Abed al-‘Aziz ‘Abed al-‘Al (11), from Jabalia, sustained deep wounds after being hit with a solid object, which caused a fracture to his skull, during his participation in Abu Safiyah area, northeast of Jabalia, according to the Ministry of Health.

Moreover, 148 civilians, including 19 children, 5 women and 5  paramedics, were wounded with live bullets and direct tear gas canisters.

Six of those wounded sustained serious wounds, in addition to dozens suffering tear gas inhalation and seizures after tear gas canisters were fired by the Israeli soldiers from the military jeeps and riffles in the eastern Gaza Strip.

PCHR condemned the crimes committed by the Israeli forces, believing it is as a result of Israel’s enjoying impunity thanks to the U.S. and so encouraging the Israeli forces to commit further crimes upon an official decision by the highest military and political echelons.

PCHR emphasized that continuously inflicting casualties, either killed or wounded, is unjustified, and using lethal force to target and kill civilians, who exercise their right to peaceful assembly or while carrying out their humanitarian duty, is a serious violation of the rules of international law, international humanitarian law, the ICC Rome Statute and Fourth Geneva Convention.

Thus, PCHR called upon the ICC Prosecutor to open an official investigation in these crimes and to prosecute and hold accountable all those applying or involved in issuing orders within the Israeli Forces at the security and political echelons.

PCHR also reiterated its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

PCHR called upon Switzerland, in its capacity as the Depository State for the Convention, to demand the High Contracting Parties to convene a meeting and ensure Israel’s respect for this Convention, noting that these grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the occupied territories.

Hani was from Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Mohammad Khalil Shaqqourah

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September 14, 2018: Mohammad Khalil Ghazi Shaqqourah, 20, was killed by Israeli soldiers using excessive force against peaceful protesters in the eastern Gaza Strip for the 25th  Friday in a row. Hani was one of three Palestinian civilians killed at the protest, including a child. The soldiers also wounded 148 others, including 19 children, 5 women and 5 paramedics with live bullets and direct tear gas canisters. Six of those wounded sustained serious wounds.

According to PCHR fieldworkers’ observations, the border area witnessed heavy deployment of the Israeli forces this week as the army fired live bullets and tear gas canisters, increasing the number of casualties comparing with the previous weeks, despite the peaceful nature of the demonstrations.

The Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against the peaceful demonstrators who posed no threat or danger to the life of Israeli soldiers in the areas of demonstrations.

Investigations and observations by PCHR’s fieldworkers emphasize that the demonstrations in all areas were, as always, fully peaceful, and  neither weapons nor armed persons were seen. However, the Israeli forces’ snipers continued to position on the hills, behind the sand berms and in military jeeps along the border fence.

At approximately 16:30, thousands of civilians, including women, children and entire families, started swarming to the 5 encampments established by the Supreme National Authority for the Great March of Return and Breaking Siege along the border fence, east of the Gaza Strip governorates. They raised flags and chanted national songs.

Hundreds, including children and women, approached the border fence with Israel, set fire to tires and gathered 300 meters away from the main border fence.  Some of them attempted to throw stones at the Israeli forces, pulled parts of the barbed-wire fence established inside the Palestinian territories and released balloons along the border fence.

The Israeli shooting, which continued until 19:30, resulted in the killing of 3 civilians, including a child. The killed civilians were identified as:

  1.  Hani Ramzi ‘Afana (21), from Rafah, was hit with a live bullet to the chest in eastern Rafah.
  2. Mohammad Khalil Ghazi Shaqqourah (20), from al-Maghazi refugee camp, was hit with a live bullet to the chest in eastern al-Bureij camp.
  3. Shady ‘Abed al-‘Aziz ‘Abed al-‘Al (11), from Jabalia, sustained deep wounds after being hit with a solid object, which caused a fracture to his skull, during his participation in Abu Safiyah area, northeast of Jabalia, according to the Ministry of Health.

Moreover, 148 civilians, including 19 children, 5 women and 5  paramedics, were wounded with live bullets and direct tear gas canisters.

Six of those wounded sustained serious wounds, in addition to dozens suffering tear gas inhalation and seizures after tear gas canisters were fired by the Israeli soldiers from the military jeeps and riffles in the eastern Gaza Strip.

PCHR condemned the crimes committed by the Israeli forces, believing it is as a result of Israel’s enjoying impunity thanks to the U.S. and so encouraging the Israeli forces to commit further crimes upon an official decision by the highest military and political echelons.

PCHR emphasized that continuously inflicting casualties, either killed or wounded, is unjustified, and using lethal force to target and kill civilians, who exercise their right to peaceful assembly or while carrying out their humanitarian duty, is a serious violation of the rules of international law, international humanitarian law, the ICC Rome Statute and Fourth Geneva Convention.

Thus, PCHR called upon the ICC Prosecutor to open an official investigation in these crimes and to prosecute and hold accountable all those applying or involved in issuing orders within the Israeli Forces at the security and political echelons.

PCHR also reiterated its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

PCHR called upon Switzerland, in its capacity as the Depository State for the Convention, to demand the High Contracting Parties to convene a meeting and ensure Israel’s respect for this Convention, noting that these grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the occupied territories.

Mohammad was from al-Maghazi refugee camp, in the central part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Attaf Abed-Rabbo Saleh

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Attaf SalehSeptember 9, 2018: Attaf Abed-Rabbo Saleh, 32, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers near the border fence between Gaza and Israel, in the Abu Safiyya area east of Jabalia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army claimed the Palestinian was killed by the soldiers while trying to breach the perimeter fence. After killing Attaf, the soldiers abducted three Palestinians from the same area.

The Israeli military claimed that the young men they abducted were carrying knives. They were taken to an interrogation facility where they were subjected to harsh interrogation techniques by the Israeli soldiers.

After shooting Attaf, the soldiers crossed the fence and advanced a few meters into Gaza, before taking him, and the other Palestinians. It’s unclear whether Attaf was still alive when the soldiers dragged his limp body across the rocky ground. The army later issued a statement that Attaf died from his wounds.

Medical sources in Gaza said Palestinian medics tried to reach the seriously wounded young man, but the soldiers opened fire at them, preventing them from even approaching him.

Attaf was from Jabalia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Ahmad Misbah Abu Tyour

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September 8, 2018: Ahmad Misbah Abu Tyour, 16, was shot in the chest with live ammunition by Israeli soldiers stationed at the Israel-Gaza border over 100 meters away from where Ahmad was standing with his hands up.

A video has surfaced showing how Israeli forces targeted and killed the 16-year-old boy while he was participating in “The Great March of Return” protests in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The video shows the Palestinian teen, while maintaining his distance, throwing rocks towards the border with Israel as a form of protest to the nearly 12-year Israeli siege of Gaza.

Ahmad’s rock-throwing posed no threat to the heavily armed Israeli forces.

The video also shows Ahmad raising his hands up, seconds prior to an Israeli sniper shooting him in the chest and causing him critical injuries.

Ahmad succumbed to his wounds on Saturday morning, the day after he was shot, according to Ma’an News.

The video is not the first of its kind to document Israel’s intentional killing of Palestinian children, who did not pose any threat to Israel, but Israeli soldiers have never been convicted in a case where they opened fire with live fire against a child throwing stones – despite the fact that such actions are a direct violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Israeli authorities announced a decision to open an investigation into the matter.

Ahmad was from the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Bilal Mustafa Khaffaja

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BilalMKhaffajaSeptember 7, 2018: Bilal Mustafa Khaffaja, 17, was killed by Israeli forces during a Great Return March demonstration in the besieged Gaza Strip. Nearly 400 Palestinians were wounded on the same day, many shot with live fire from the Israeli forces.

Dr. Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza said the soldiers killed Bilal after shooting him with a live round in the chest, east of Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

He added that the soldiers also injured nearly 400 Palestinians, including 45 with live fire, and added that 70 of the wounded were moved to several hospitals, while the rest received treatment in make-shift hospitals. Among the wounded were at least fifteen children.

Media sources in Gaza said the soldiers, including sharpshooters, stationed on sand hills and fortified posts, fired dozens of live rounds, in addition to rubber-coated steel bullets and high-velocity gas bombs at the protesters, along the eastern part of the Gaza Strip.

Dr. al-Qedra said the Israeli army continued its excessive use of force against the processions for the 24th consecutive week of Friday protests in Gaza.

The soldiers also shot one Palestinian east of Jabalia town, in northern Gaza, causing moderate wounds, before he was rushed to the Indonesian hospital in nearby Beit Lahia.

Another Palestinian was shot in his leg, east of Khuza’a town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, before he was rushed to the European hospital, suffering a moderate injury.

The soldiers also attacked and injured several Palestinians, east of the al-Boreij refugee camp, in central Gaza, and east of Rafah, in the southern part of the coastal region.

One of the wounded Palestinians was rushed to Abu Yousef Najjar hospital, in Rafah, after suffering a moderate injury, while dozens were treated for the effects of teargas inhalation.

Dr. Al-Qedra said the Israeli military killed 173 Palestinians, including three medics and two journalists, and injured 19139 others in the Gaza Strip, since the Great Return March procession started on Palestinian Land Day, March 30th, 2018.

Bilal was from Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Wael Abdul-Fattah al-Ja’bari

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Wael JabariSeptember 3, 2018: Wael Abdul-Fattah al-Ja’bari, 27, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers near the al-Mowahel military checkpoint, located near the illegal Israeli settlement of Keryat Arba in Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank.

The soldiers shot the young man with multiple live rounds, then left him lying on the ground and prevented ambulances from reaching him. He eventually bled to death from his wounds.

Although the soldiers claimed that the young man had attempted to carry out a stabbing attack at the checkpoint, they presented no evidence for this claim, and the video released by the Israeli military shows al-Jabari’s body lying on the ground far from the checkpoint in the middle of the street.

This is presumably where he was standing where he was shot, and the location is at least twenty meters away from the checkpoint.

The Palestinian has been identified as Wael Abdul-Fattah al-Ja’bari, a 27-year-old Palestinian, from Hebron.

The slain Palestinian is a married father of two children,  and was shot just meters away from his home.

Israeli forces reportedly shot the youth with several bullets throughout his body and prevented the access of ambulance crews to the site of the incident, leaving the youth to bleed to death.

No Israeli soldiers were injured or hurt in any way, as the young man was shot while far from the checkpoint.

Reporters from Palestine TV attempted to cover the incident, but were prevented by Israeli soldiers from accessing the area, and were attacked by the soldiers, who hit them and tried to break their equipment.

According to Human Rights Watch, Palestinians in Hebron are subjected to harassment ‘almost every day’ owing to a resurgence of extremist Zionism within Jewish enclaves.

In 2016, two Israeli soldiers received only 9 months in prison for shooting two Palestinian civilians dead; in 2012 a female Israeli soldier was awarded a Certificate of Merit for shooting an unarmed 17-year-old boy at a checkpoint, according to journalist Ruari Wood of Amity Underground.

Israeli settlers in Hebron frequently chop down olive trees that provide a livelihood to many Palestinians, and rolling armored Caterpillar bulldozers through buildings that have reliably sheltered generations of Palestinian families.

Wael was from Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Hani Mohammad al-Majdalawi

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Hani MajdalawiAugust 20, 2018: Hani Mohammad Odah al-Majdalawi, 24, was killed by Israeli sharpshooters near the border fence between Gaza and Israel, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army said their soldiers opened fire at Hani and killed him. The soldiers then kidnapped his corpse and took it to an unknown location. The army claimed that Hani  had fired shots at the soldiers stationed at a military base on the border, but presented no evidence of this claim. The army said no soldiers were injured.

The military published a picture of the slain Palestinian after he was shot, and his family found out about his death by seeing his picture posted on Israeli media.

Since March 30th, 2018, 171 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, in addition to 18300 who were injured.

Most of the Palestinians were killed in non-violent protests, which began on March 30th, 2018, call for ending the 12-year-long Israeli blockade of Gaza and for the right of return of the refugees.

Many of the casualties occurred on May 14, when Israeli forces attacked Palestinian protesters marking the 70th anniversary of Israel’s occupation of historical Palestine and the ensuing ethnic cleansing of half a million Palestinian refugees. It also marked the date that the U.S. President, Donald Trump, chose to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, thus denying the right to exist for the nearly one million Palestinian residents of Jerusalem.

Hani was from Jabalia refugee camp, in northern Gaza. Source: IMEMC

Ahmad Mahameed

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MahameedAugust 17, 2018: Ahmad Mahameed, 30, was shot dead in occupied Jerusalem, after attempting to stab an Israeli police officer.

Ahmad, from the town of Umm al-Fahm in Israel, was shot and killed by Israeli police after attempting to stab an Israeli police officer in the Old City of Jerusalem, near the Damascus Gate.

Israeli police released a video showing the street from above, with people walking, then a young man pulling out a knife and trying to stab an Israeli police officer, with the officer then moving backward behind a barricade. But the released video cuts off at that point, and does not show the officers shooting the man.

No Israelis were hurt in the incident.

Ahmad Mahameed, 30, was identified by Israeli police as the man who was killed. He had never been arrested by Israeli authorities before, nor was he on any ‘wanted’ list of suspects.

The Israeli media alleges that Mahameed left the Council Gate at the al-Aqsa Mosque at about 5:30pm. He then turned toward a group of policemen stationed a few meters away, and tried to stab one of them with the knife he was holding.

Mahameed’s hometown, Umm al-Fahm, is one of the few Palestinian towns that survived the expulsion of Palestinians in 1948 for the creation of the state of Israel. It is now home to 60,000 residents, all Palestinians. Israeli authorities have failed to provide adequate, electric, plumbing or sewage facilities to the town, and frequently deny requests from the town’s council for basic services. Though the town is located near Jenin, and has an historic relationship with the city, it has been cut off from all access to Jenin since the construction of the Israeli Annexation Wall in 2003.

Following the incident, Israeli police and military cordoned off a large area of the Old City of Jerusalem, including the al-Aqsa Mosque, and prevented Palestinians from entering for evening prayers. They also forced all worshipers who were in the mosque to leave.

In addition, the Israeli army invaded Mahameed’s town, Umm al-Fahm, closed the entrances to the town and ransacked his family home, taking several members of his family into custody for interrogation.

The commander of the Jerusalem District, Major General Yoram Halevy, told media that he deployed troops throughout the area, interrogating multiple suspects in the area of the Mosque, and removing the public from the scene.

The Palestinians responded to the decision to close the Al-Aqsa Mosque by calling for evening prayers outside at the door to the mosque. Hundreds of Jerusalemites gathered and recited the

People praying outside after Israeli forces closed the al-Aqsa Mosque

People praying outside the al-Aqsa Mosque

Maghrib and ‘Isha’ prayers at the doors of the mosque and demanded that it be reopened.

Worshipers said that they would continue their prayer protest until the reopening of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Ahmad was from the town of Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel. Source: IMEMC

Sa’adi ِAkram Abu Muammar

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Saadi Akram MoammarAugust 17, 2018: Sa’adi ِAkram Abu Muammar, 26, was killed by an Israeli army sharpshooter, while he was participating in a non-violent protest near Rafah, in southern Gaza.

Sa’adi is a married father of two daughters, Rahaf, 5, and Aseel, 3, and his wife is seven months pregnant.

He was one of two Palestinians killed on August 17th by the Israeli military while participating in the ‘Great March of Return’ protests.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip confirmed that Israeli soldiers killed, Friday, two Palestinians and injured 270 others, including 60 who were shot with live fire.

In addition to Saadi, the soldiers killed Karim Abul-Fatayer, 30, who was shot in the head at a protest near al-Boreij refugee camp in central Gaza. Karim was shot in his eye, and the bullet exited through the back of his head after fracturing his skill and scattering his brain.

The Health Ministry also said the soldiers injured 270 Palestinians in several parts of the Gaza Strip, during the Great Return processions; 166 of them were treated in field clinics, and 104 were rushed to hospitals.

Among the wounded are 60 who were shot with live fire, including 19 children, in addition to nine medics, who were injured by shrapnel or suffered the effects of teargas inhalation.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said the latest Israeli assaults bring the number of slain Palestinians since March 30th, to 170, in addition to 18300 who were injured.

The protests, which began on March 30th, 2018, call for ending the 12-year-long Israeli blockade of Gaza and for the right of return of the refugees.

Many of the casualties occurred on May 14, when Israeli forces attacked Palestinian protesters marking the 70th anniversary of Israel’s occupation of historical Palestine and the ensuing ethnic cleansing of half a million Palestinian refugees. It also marked the date that the U.S. President, Donald Trump, chose to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, thus denying the right to exist for the nearly one million Palestinian residents of Jerusalem.
Saadi was from Rafah, in southern Gaza. Source: IMEMC