Hani Abu Salah

Hani Abu SalahAugust 1, 2019: Hani Abu Salah, 20, was shot dead before dawn on Thursday by Israeli troops after he allegedly crossed the border between Gaza and Israel. Israeli forces claim that the young man exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers for an hour before they killed him.

The Palestinian was later identified as Hani Abu Salah. According to a statement issued by the Israeli army, the young man came across the border and clashed with the soldiers.

It is worth mentioning that Hani is the brother of Fadi Abu Salah, 20, who was killed by the Israeli army during on May 14, 2018. He was a wheelchair user who lost both of his legs during the Israeli war on Gaza in 2008.

According to the military, one officer sustained a moderate injury, and two other soldiers were slightly injured, and were transferred to the “Soroka” Hospital in Beer Sheva.

The Israeli army also announced that in the aftermath of this killing, they decided to begin firing tank shells toward the Palestinian city of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, which led to exchanges of fire with Palestinian fighters in which no injuries were reported.

Eyewitnesses in Gaza reported that the Israeli occupation army fired two shells and light bombs at the border area east of Khuza’a town in Khan Younis after hearing the sound of gunfire. Others also spoke of Israeli planes flying in the area .

Since weekly protests began on the Gaza-Israel border in 2018, at least 297 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces — most of them unarmed civilians participating in non-violent protests at the border. Seven Israelis have been killed by Palestinians during that same time period.

The protests have called for an end to the 12-year long siege of the Gaza Strip, and a return of the Palestinian refugees to their homes in what is now Israel.

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

Ahmad Mohammad al-Qarra

Ahmad al-QarraJuly 26, 2019: Ahmad Mohammad al-Qarra, 22, died from serious wounds he suffered in earlier that day when Israeli soldiers shot him during the Great Return March processions.

The Health Ministry said the young man, identified as Ahmad Mohammad al-Qarra, 22, was shot with a live round in his abdomen, suffering serious wounds, and died at a hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza Strip.

It added that the Palestinian was shot east of Khan Younis and was treated by the medics who rushed him to the hospital but succumbed to his serious wounds.

It is worth mentioning that the soldiers injured during Friday’s processions 71 Palestinians, including 30 children, one medic and three women, after the army attacked the Great Return March processions in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) said.

The PCHR referred to a report published last Tuesday by the Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Aharonot, in which is said that the army has, in recent months, been training the soldiers on a new type of a sniper rifle, which indicates that the military is using the Palestinians as target practice for its weapons, in direct violation of all international laws and regulations, including human rights treaties and International Humanitarian Law.

According to extensive and ongoing PCHR documentation, the Israeli army has killed 207 Palestinians, including 44 children, two women, 9 persons with special needs, four medics and two journalists, in addition to wounding 13323 Palestinians, including 2742 children, 409 women, 221 medics and 207 journalists, since the Great Return March processions started on March 30 2018.

196 of the wounded Palestinians. Including 28 children and 5 women, suffered permanent disabilities. 149 of them suffered amputations as a result of Israeli gunfire, 21 suffered paralysis, 26 lost their hearing or vision, and 9 suffered permanent damage to reproductive organs.

Ahmad was from Khan Younis, in the southern part of the West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Ra’ed Khalil Abu Teir

May 3, 2019: Ra’ed Khalil Abu Teir, 19, was killed by Israeli soldiers who shot him with a live round in the abdomen, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Ra’ed was shot when Israeli soldiers attacked the weekly Great Return March processions in the Gaza Strip, killing Ra’ed and another Palestinian, and injuring 82 others, including 34 children, two journalists and three paramedics.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) reported that in addition to Ra’ed, the soldiers killed Ramzi Rawhi ‘Abdo, 31, who died from serious wounds he suffered earlier that same day, when Israeli soldiers shot him with a live round in the head, east of al-Boreij in central Gaza.

It is worth mentioning that Ra’ed was still recovering from an in injury he suffered, last Friday, when the soldiers shot him with a live round in the leg, and was not near the fence when he was killed.

Ra’ed was among hundreds of Palestinians, including women and children, who were near the tents of the Great Return March encampments, hundreds of meters away from the fence.

The PCHR stated that there were only a few incidents where a limited number of protesters attempted to approach the fence, and threw stones at the soldiers.

The PCHR added that the soldiers resorted to the excessive use of force against the unarmed protesters, on the 57th Friday of the Great Return March and Breaking the Siege, killing the two young men, and wounding 82 others.

It also confirmed that among the wounded are 34 children, five women, three paramedics and two journalists, who were all injured in several areas in the eastern parts of the coastal region.

Four of the injured Palestinians, including one girl, suffered serious wounds.

The soldiers were stationed in their sniper posts, and armored military jeeps across the perimeter fence, and fired a barrage of live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets and high-velocity gas bombs at the unarmed protesters.

The soldiers injured the three paramedics while trying to provide treatment to wounded Palestinians east of Jabalia in northern Gaza, in addition to al-Boreij in central Gaza, and in Gaza city.

In addition, the soldiers also targeted a Palestinian ambulance with a high-velocity gas bomb east of Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

The PCHR denounced the systematic Israeli policy of targeting medical personnel and obstructing their humanitarian wok in direct violation of International Law.

According to PCHR data and documentation of the ongoing Israeli excessive use of force against the Great Return March processions, which started on Palestinian Land Day March 30th 2018, the soldiers killed 204 Palestinians, including 44 children, 2 women, 3 medics, 2 journalists and 8 persons with disabilities.

The following table shows the number of civilian casualties due to the Israeli forces’ suppression of the Great March of Return as published by the PCHR in its report this Friday: (This report was issued before Ramzi Rawhi Abdo died from his wounds, therefore, the number of slain Palestinians is now 205)

Killed Wounded
Total 204 12350
Children 44 2424
Women 2 375
Journalists 2 201
Medical personnel 3 201
Persons with disabilities 8 Undefined
Note:Among those wounded, 548 are in serious condition and 137 had their lower or upper limbs amputated; 123 lower-limb amputations, 14 upper-limb amputations, and 25 children had their limbs amputated according to the Ministry of Health.  The number of those wounded only include those wounded with live bullets and directly hit with tear gas canisters, as there have been thousand others who suffered tear gas inhalation and sustained bruises.

Ra’ed was from Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Source: IMEMC

Fares Abu Hajras

April 1, 2019: Fares Abu Hajras, 26, died from serious wounds he suffered the previous Saturday when Israeli soldiers shot him east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, during the Land Day protest.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that Fares was shot with a live round in the abdomen, and remained in critical condition until he succumbed to his wounds.

He was shot, Saturday, east of Khuza’a town, east of Khan Younis, while the Palestinians were marking the first anniversary of the Great Return March, and the 43rdanniversary of Palestinian Land Day.

On the day of his injury, the soldiers killed four Palestinians, and injured 316 others, including 14 who suffered life-threatening wounds, during protests across the perimeter fence, in the eastern parts of the Gaza Strip.

The Maan News Agency has reported that Israeli soldiers have killed 271 Palestinians since March 30th, 2018 in the Gaza Strip, and injured more than 30398 others, including 16027 who were moved to various hospitals and medical centers.

The Health Ministry said that among the wounded are 3175 children and 1008 women and added that 136 Palestinians suffered amputations; 122 in the lower limbs, and 14 in the upper limbs.

The army also killed three medics, identified as Razan Najjar, 22, Mousa Jaber Abu Hassanein, 36, and Abdullah al-Qutati, 20, and injured 665 others, in addition to causing damage to 112 ambulances.

Also among the slain Palestinians are two journalists, identified as Yasser Mortaja, and journalist Ahmad Abu Hussein, in the Gaza Strip, while the soldiers injured dozens of journalists.

The information does not include dozens of Palestinians who were killed or injured by the Israeli army after crossing the perimeter fence and were never returned to the Gaza Strip.

Fares was from Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Bassam Sami Othman Safi

March 11, 2019: Bassam Sami Othman Safi, 22, died from serious wounds he suffered by Israeli army fire, on February 22, 2019.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip has reported that the young man, Bassam Sami Othman Safi, 22, was shot with a high-velocity gas bomb which struck him directly in the head, causing a very serious injury.

It added that Bassam, who was injured during the Great Return March, east of Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza Strip,  remained unconscious and in a critical condition, until he succumbed to his wounds, on Monday morning, despite all efforts to save his life.

Also on Monday, Israeli navy ships attacked, Monday, Palestinian fishing boats in the Waha Sea area, northwest of Gaza city, and abducted two fishermen.

On Friday, the soldiers killed one Palestinian, identified as Tamer Khaled Arafat, 23, and injured 48 others, including four medics and two journalists, in the Great Return March processions, in the eastern parts of the besieged Gaza Strip.

On March 7th, a child, identified as Saifeddin Emad Abu Zeid, 15, died from serious wounds he suffered late, a day earlier, when Israeli soldiers shot him with a live round, and injured several others, during protests on Palestinian lands, close to the perimeter fence, east of Gaza city.

On Sunday at dawn, March 10, the soldiers killed a young Palestinian man, identified as Salama Salah Ka’abna, 22, while driving through a military block on Road #90 in the Jordan Valley area, near Jericho in the occupied West Bank.

Bassam was from Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Hasan Eyad Shalabi

February 8, 2019: Hasan Eyad Shalabi, 14, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers while participating in the Great March of Return protest at the Gaza-Israel border near Khan Younis. This was the 46th week of the Great Return March demonstrations in Gaza.

The Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip confirmed that Israeli soldiers shot and killed two Palestinian teens, 17 and 14 years of age, and injured 104, 22 of whom were hit with live fire, when the Israeli army engaged in the excessive use of force against the Great Return March processions in several parts of the coastal region.

The Health Ministry said the soldiers killed a child, identified as Hasan Eyad Shalabi, 14, from the Nusseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza, after shooting him with live fire in the chest, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

The Ministry added that the soldiers also killed Hamza Mohammad Roshdi Eshteiwi, 17, from Gaza city, after shooting him with live fire in the neck, east of Gaza.

Furthermore, the soldiers fired many live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets and high-velocity gas bombs at protesters in many areas across the coastal region, especially in Malka area, east of Gaza city, and areas east of Jabalia in northern Gaza, in addition to the al-Boreij refugee camp in central Gaza.

The Israeli army fire injured eighteen Palestinians with live rounds, and injured dozens with rubber-coated steel bullets, in addition to the effects of teargas inhalation.

Also on Friday, a Palestinian detainee, identified as Yasser Eshteyya Hamed, 36, from Tal village, southwest of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, died at the Be’er as-Sabe’ (Beersheba) Israeli prison, due to the lack of adequate medical treatment. Hamed was taken prisoner in 2009, and is serving a life term.

His death just came two days after a political prisoner, identified as Fares Baroud, 51, from Shati’ refugee camp in Gaza, died due to the lack of medical treatment.

UNICEF issued a statement condemning the killing of the two children, stating, “This is another stark reminder of the significant violence that children in the State of Palestine continue to endure. As we mark 30 years since the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is essential that the fundamental rights of children be respected”.

“It is time that violence against children ends. For years, children in the State of Palestine and Israel have suffered not only physically but have also borne the brunt emotionally”, the UN organization said.

“Children are children. They must be protected at all times. Children should never be a target. Nor should they be exposed to any form of violence, by any party””, continued the UNICEF statement.

The documentation by Al Mezan Center for Human Rights shows that, on Friday, 8 February, 2019, Israeli forces killed two children and injured 104 protesters, including 43 children, five women, and one paramedic — 22 by live ammunition and 48 by tear gas canisters. One protester was seriously wounded.

Al Mezan added that, since the start of the protests on 30 March, 2018, 265 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip. Of the total fatalities, 188 were killed at the protests, including 38 children, two women, two journalists, three paramedics, and eight persons with disability, including one child. Another 14,378 persons have been wounded, including 3,058 children, 630 women, 171 paramedics, and 149 journalists. Of those wounded, 7,635 were hit by live fire, including 1,426 children and 152 women. The Israeli forces continue to keep the bodies of 11 fatalities, including three minors.

Hasan kissing his mom

Hasan was from Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC 

Hasan in the street of Gaza
Hasan dabbing in the street just days before he was killed

Hamza Mohammad Eshteiwi

February 8, 2019: Hamza Mohammad Roshdi Eshteiwi, 17, from Gaza city, after shooting him with live fire in the neck, east of Gaza.

Hasan Eyad Shalabi, 14, was also shot and killed by Israeli soldiers while participating in the Great March of Return protest at the Gaza-Israel border near Khan Younis. This was the 46th week of the Great Return March demonstrations in Gaza.

The Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip confirmed that Israeli soldiers shot and killed two Palestinian teens, 17 and 14 years of age, and injured 104, 22 of whom were hit with live fire, when the Israeli army engaged in the excessive use of force against the Great Return March processions in several parts of the coastal region.

In addition to Hamza, the Health Ministry said the soldiers killed a child, identified as Hasan Eyad Shalabi, 14, from the Nusseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza, after shooting him with live fire in the chest, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Furthermore, the soldiers fired many live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets and high-velocity gas bombs at protesters in many areas across the coastal region, especially in Malka area, east of Gaza city, and areas east of Jabalia in northern Gaza, in addition to the al-Boreij refugee camp in central Gaza.

The Israeli army fire injured eighteen Palestinians with live rounds, and injured dozens with rubber-coated steel bullets, in addition to the effects of teargas inhalation.

Also on Friday, a Palestinian detainee, identified as Yasser Eshteyya Hamed, 36, from Tal village, southwest of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, died at the Be’er as-Sabe’ (Beersheba) Israeli prison, due to the lack of adequate medical treatment. Hamed was taken prisoner in 2009, and is serving a life term.

His death just came two days after a political prisoner, identified as Fares Baroud, 51, from Shati’ refugee camp in Gaza, died due to the lack of medical treatment.

UNICEF issued a statement condemning the killing of the two children, stating, “This is another stark reminder of the significant violence that children in the State of Palestine continue to endure. As we mark 30 years since the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is essential that the fundamental rights of children be respected”.

“It is time that violence against children ends. For years, children in the State of Palestine and Israel have suffered not only physically but have also borne the brunt emotionally”, the UN organization said.

“Children are children. They must be protected at all times. Children should never be a target. Nor should they be exposed to any form of violence, by any party””, continued the UNICEF statement.

The documentation by Al Mezan Center for Human Rights shows that, on Friday, 8 February, 2019, Israeli forces killed two children and injured 104 protesters, including 43 children, five women, and one paramedic — 22 by live ammunition and 48 by tear gas canisters. One protester was seriously wounded.

Al Mezan added that, since the start of the protests on 30 March, 2018, 265 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip. Of the total fatalities, 188 were killed at the protests, including 38 children, two women, two journalists, three paramedics, and eight persons with disability, including one child. Another 14,378 persons have been wounded, including 3,058 children, 630 women, 171 paramedics, and 149 journalists. Of those wounded, 7,635 were hit by live fire, including 1,426 children and 152 women. The Israeli forces continue to keep the bodies of 11 fatalities, including three minors.

Hamza was from Gaza City, in the central part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC 

Anwar Mohammad Qdeih

January 13, 2019: Anwar Mohammad Qdeih, 33, died of wounds sustained three weeks earlier, when he was shot in the neck by Israeli sharpshooters while participating in the Great Return March in Gaza.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported Sunday, that Anwar died from his wounds in a hospital in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, after having been shot and seriously injured by Israeli army fire, three weeks ago.

Dr. Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza, said an Israeli army sharpshooter shot Anwar with a live bullet in his neck, near the perimeter fence, east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

The man underwent several surgeries following his serious injury, on Friday, October 19th 2018, but remained in a critical condition at a Gaza European Hospital, until he succumbed to his serious wounds.

On Friday, an Israeli army sharpshooter shot and killed a Palestinian woman, identified as Amal Taramisi, 43, during the Great Return March procession, east of Gaza city.

Anwar was from Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Karam Mohammad Fayyad

December 28, 2018: Karam Mohammad No’man Fayyad, 26, a disabled Palestinian man, was shot in the head and killed by Israeli forces at the Great March of Return east of Khan Younis in Gaza. In addition to Karam, Israeli soldiers shot and injured at least eight other protesters with live ammunition, including a medic and a photojournalist, during the Great March Of Return processions in the besieged Gaza Strip. The Health Ministry said two of the wounded suffered life-threatening injuries.

Dr. Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza, said the soldiers fired dozens of live rounds, high-velocity gas bombs and concussion grenades at the marchers, killing Karam, and wounding eight others.

Among the eight Palestinians shot with live ammunition were a child who was shot in the neck, a journalist and a female medic. They were all shot along the perimeter fence areas, in the eastern parts of the Gaza Strip, as the Great Return March processions continued for the fortieth consecutive week.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said the soldiers fired a barrage of live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, in addition to high-velocity gas bombs and concussion grenades, especially east of Gaza city, al-Boreij refugee camp, Khan Younis and Rafah.

It is worth mentioning that, since the Great Return March procession started in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has killed at least 190 Palestinians, and injured more than 25,000 others.

No Israeli soldiers have been killed by Palestinian demonstrators participating in the ‘Great March of Return’ that has taken place each Friday since March 30th, 2018.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a total of 295 Palestinians were killed and over 29,000 were injured in 2018 by Israeli forces.

This is the highest death toll in a single year since the Gaza conflict of 2014 and the highest number of injuries recorded since OCHA began documenting casualties in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2005.

About 61 per cent of the fatalities (180 people) and 79 per cent of the injuries (over 23,000) were in the context of Gaza’s ‘Great March of Return’ demonstrations by the fence. Across the Occupied Palestinian Territories, 57 of the Palestinian fatalities and about 7,000 of the injuries were under 18 years of age. 28 of the 295 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in 2018 were members of armed groups in Gaza and another 15 were perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of attacks against Israelis in the West Bank. The other 252 were civilians.

A total of 14 Israelis were killed during the year by Palestinians and at least 137 others were injured. While the number of fatalities is nearly the same as in 2017 (15 people), the proportion of civilians among these fatalities (50 per cent) increased compared to the previous year (27 per cent).

Karam was from Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Ghanem Ibrahim Sharab

November 5, 2018: Ghanem Ibrahim Sharab, 44, died from complications resulting from wounds he suffered three weeks earlier, after Israeli soldiers shot him in southern Gaza.

The sources said that Ghanem was shot by the soldiers three weeks ago, and died from serious complications resulting from his injury. These complications progressed quickly after the doctors had to amputate his left foot, on October 29th.

Gaza Strip hospitals have been complaining from serious deficiency in urgent medical supplies and equipment in the besieged and improvised coastal region.

The Health Ministry in Gaza issued numerous statements and appeals regarding the seriously deteriorating conditions in the hospitals, due to the thousands of injuries, including hundreds who suffered very serious wounds, since the Great Return March processions started on March 30th, and the ongoing Israeli siege on the coastal region.

On Sunday evening, a Palestinian teenage boy, identified as Emad Khalil Shahin, 17, from the Nusseirat refugee camp in Central Gaza, died from serious wounds he suffered a day earlier, after Israeli soldiers shot and seriously injured him.

On Saturday, a Palestinian child, identified as Mohammad Nasr al-Reefy, 14, died from serious wounds he suffered after the army fired a missile at his home, during the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, in the summer of 2014.

Ghanem was from Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC