GAZA, Palestine, Feb 23 (NNN-WAFA) – One Palestinian teenager was killed on Friday, and dozens injured, in clashes between hundreds of Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers, during the weekly anti-Israeli rallies and protests, held in the eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel, medics said.
Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in Gaza, told reporters that, Yousef al-Dayah, 15, from Gaza city, was killed, after he was shot in his chest by Israeli soldiers’ live gunfire, during the protests.
Al-Qedra also said that, 41 Palestinian demonstrators were shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers’ gunfire, on the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, adding that, dozens suffered suffocation after inhaling tear gas or being shot by rubber bullets, including a paramedic and a local photojournalist.
An Israeli army spokesman said earlier that, around 8,000 Palestinians joined the weekly riots in eastern Gaza Strip, near the border with Israel, adding that, they burned tires, threw stones and percussion bombs at the soldiers on the border.
On Friday, hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated in eastern Gaza Strip along with the border with Israel and clashed with Israeli soldiers, eyewitnesses and field paramedics said.
They added that the demonstrations are part of the anti-Israel weekly rallies and protests which go on since Mar 30, last year, better known as “the Great March of Return” to break the Israeli siege.
Eyewitnesses told local radio stations, hundreds of protesters gathered in various locations, in eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel.
They waved Palestinian flags, burned tires, chanted anti-Israel slogans and threw stones at the soldiers stationed on the border.
Paramedics in the field said, the soldiers fired tear gas, rubber bullets and live gunshots, adding that, dozens were injured and treated in the field.
The demonstrators gathered in the area in response to the call of the highest commission of the marches of return to join the 48th Friday rally.
The Hamas-ruled commission insists that the marches of return against Israel will go on until achieving its goals of ending 12 years of Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.
Gaza Health Ministry officials said, since the outbreak of the marches of return, the Israeli army shot and killed more than 250 demonstrators and wounded around 26,000 others. Around 40 percent of them were injured by live gunshots.– NNN-WAFA
