Osama Khalil Abu Khater

June 24, 2018: Osama Khalil Abu Khater, 29, died at dawn from serious wounds he suffered last Friday when Israeli soldiers shot him with live fire during a demonstration at the Gaza border fence.

Dr. Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza said the young man, identified as Osama was shot with a live Israeli army bullet in the abdomen, during Friday’s Great Return March procession.

He added that Abu Khater, who was shot east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, suffered a serious injury, and was rushed to the Gaza European Hospital, in southern Gaza, but succumbed to his wounds.

On Tuesday June 19, a cancer patient identified as Masoud Abdul Hai Abu Saqer, aged 49, died at Erez/Beit Hanoun crossing between Gaza and Israel, while awaiting to be interviewed by Israeli security officers, to discuss his permit application to receive treatment at an East Jerusalem hospital.

On Wednesday June 20, a young Palestinian man, identified as Mohammad Ghassan Abu Doqqa, 22, died from serious wounds he suffered when Israeli soldiers shot him on May 14th, 2018, east of Khuza’a town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Dr. al-Qedra said Abu Khater’s death brings the number of Palestinians, killed by Israeli army fire since the Great Return March processions started on Palestinian Land Day, on March 30th, to 131, including 13 children, and two journalists, identified as Yasser Mortaja, 31, and Ahmad Abu Hussein, 25, and wounded 144 others.

The soldiers also  killed two medics, identified as Razan Najjar, 22, and Mousa Jaber Abu Hassanein, 36, injured 223 others, and caused damage to 37 ambulances.

More than 14.811 Palestinians were injured, including hundreds who suffered serious wounds, mainly after being shot with expanding bullets. Osama was from Khan Younis. Source: IMEMC