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2018–2019 Gaza border protests

January 01, 1970

Not to be confused with March of Return (Israel).

The 2018–2019 Gaza border protests, also known as the Great March of Return (Arabic: مسیرة العودة الكبرى, romanized: Masīra al-ʿawda al-kubrā), were a series of demonstrations held each Friday in the Gaza Strip near the Gaza-Israel border from 30 March 2018 until 27 December 2019,[13][14][15] in which Israeli forces killed a total of 223 Palestinians.[4][13] The demonstrators demanded that the Palestinian refugees must be allowed to return to lands they were displaced from in what is now Israel. They protested against Israel's land, air and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip and the United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel.[16][17][18]

2018–2019 Gaza border protests
Part of Gaza–Israel conflict
UN OCHA map of the protests, 31 May 2018
Date30 March 2018 – 27 December 2019
(1 year, 8 months, 3 weeks and 6 days)[1]
Location
Gaza Strip, near the Israeli border
Caused by
Goals
ConcessionsNone
Parties
Casualties and losses

223 killed (including 46 children)[4]

9,204 injured[4][5][6]

0[5] or 1 killed[7]
4[5] or 11 wounded:

The first demonstrations were organized by independent activists, but the initiative was soon endorsed by Hamas,[19] the rulers of the Gaza Strip, as well as other major factions in Gaza. The activists who planned the Great March of Return intended it to last only from 30 March 2018 (Land Day) to 15 May (Nakba Day) but the demonstrations continued for almost 18 months until Hamas announced on 27 December 2019 that they would be postponed.[1] Thirty thousand Palestinians participated in the first demonstration on 30 March.[20] Larger protests took place on the following Fridays, 6 April, 13 April, 20 April, 27 April, 4 May, and 11 May — each of which involved at least 10,000 demonstrators — while smaller numbers attended activities during the week.[21][22]

Most of the demonstrators demonstrated peacefully far from the border fence. Peter Cammack, a fellow with the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, argued that the march indicated a new trend in Palestinian society and Hamas, with a shift away from violence towards non-violent forms of protest.[23] Nevertheless, smaller groups attempted to breach the fence, rolling tires, and throwing stones and molotov cocktails.[24][25][26] Israeli officials said the demonstrations were used by Hamas as cover for launching attacks against Israel.[27]

At least 189 Palestinians were killed between 30 March and 31 December 2018.[28]: 6 [29][30] An independent United Nations commission set the number of known militants killed at 29 out of the 189.[5] Other sources claim a higher figure, of at least 40.[31][20][32] Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and live ammunition.[33] According to Robert Mardini, head of Middle East for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), more than 13,000 Palestinians were wounded as of 19 June 2018. The majority were wounded severely, with some 1,400 struck by three to five bullets.[34] No Israelis were physically harmed from 30 March to 12 May, until one Israeli soldier was reported as slightly wounded on 14 May,[9] the day the protests peaked. The same day, 59 or 60 Palestinians were shot dead at twelve clash points along the border fence.[35] Hamas claimed 50 of them as its militants,[36][37] and Islamic Jihad claimed 3 of the 62 killed as members of its military wing.[38] Some 35,000 Palestinians protested that day, with thousands approaching the fence.[39][40]

Israel's use of deadly force was condemned on 13 June 2018 in a United Nations General Assembly resolution.[41] Condemnations also came from human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch,[42] B'Tselem,[43] and Amnesty International,[44] and by United Nations officials.[45][46] Kuwait proposed two United Nations Security Council statements, both blocked by the United States, which called for investigations into Israel's killing of Palestinian protesters.[47] The Israeli government praised Israeli troops for protecting the border fence.[45] Media coverage of the demonstrations, and what has been termed the "PR battle", has been the object of analysis and controversy.[48][49] In late February 2019, a United Nations Human Rights Council's independent commission found that of the 489 cases of Palestinian deaths or injuries analyzed, only two were possibly justified as responses to danger by Israeli security forces. The commission deemed the rest of the cases illegal, and concluded with a recommendation calling on Israel to examine whether war crimes or crimes against humanity had been committed, and if so, to bring those responsible to trial.

Background

Further information: Gaza Strip, Fatah–Hamas conflict, and blockade of the Gaza Strip
 
Map of the Gaza Strip showing the border proximity restrictions with Israel (as of December 2012)
  No-go zone 100 metres (330 ft)
  Access permitted by foot and by farmers only 100–300 metres (330–980 ft)
  At-risk zone

In 2005, Israel withdrew its forces from the Gaza Strip and allowed the Palestinian authority to take control. Despite the withdrawal, Israel still maintains direct external control over everyday life in Gaza, such as the territory's air and maritime space, most of its land crossings, electricity and water supply and other utilities.[50][51][52] According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Palestinians in Gaza still remain protected persons under the articles of the Geneva Conventions.[35]

Following the 2006 Palestinian election and the subsequent Battle of Gaza in 2007, Hamas took full control over the strip and expelled its rival and then-ruler of the West Bank, Fatah. The takeover by Hamas led Israel and Egypt to impose a land, air and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip. Gaza's economy has shriveled as a result, and many people in the territory do not have access to basic necessities.[53] Hamas has also been accused of frequently diverting portions of the international aid Gaza receives to its wars against Israel rather than the civilian population.[54]

 
The Gaza–Israel barrier seen from the Israeli side

As a result of numerous wars between Hamas and Israel, particularly the 2014 Gaza war, the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsened. Hamas struggled to Gaza, and the new leadership under Yahya Sinwar hoped to get the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority to take control of Gaza's civilian affairs through the 2017 Fatah–Hamas Agreement, which was ultimately unsuccessful. According to Israeli journalist Amos Harel, Hamas, which failed to lift the blockade for years, sought to use the demonstrations as a means to get out its strategic crisis, as it found armed conflict with Israel to be ineffective.[55]

 
Near Gaza's border with Israel in 2018

The principal demand of the protests was the right of return for Palestinian refugees and their descendants to present-day Israel. A majority of Gaza's population consists of refugees from the 1948 Palestine War and their descendants.[56] Israel rejects any right of return, fearing that Jews would become a minority in Israel if too many Palestinians returned.[57]

Gaza's "no-go zone" and border barrier

In late 2005, after the Israeli disengagement from Gaza, the Israeli military imposed a "no-go zone" on the interior side of the Gaza–Israel border in response to rocket fire from Gaza falling on Israeli towns.[58] In 2023, this zone was around 300 meters wide.[59] According to the Israel Defense Force (IDF), this is done "to prevent the concealment of improvised explosives and to disrupt and prevent the use of the area for destructive purposes."[citation needed]

The border fence between Gaza and Israel (the separation barrier) is composed of a crude barbed-wire barrier, a brief gap, and then a 10 feet (3.0 m) high "smart fence" with sensors to detect infiltrators. A crowd surging towards the fence could cross the fence in some 30 seconds, according to one of the contractors who built it.[60]

Idea, organization, and strategy

The idea for a peaceful protest by Gazans demanding their right of return to Israel dates to the early 2010s. Ahmed Abu Ratima, a Palestinian journalist,[61] proposed a protest of this sort in a Facebook post.[62] Gazan journalist Muthana al-Najjar initiated the protest in 2018 by pitching a tent near the border for over a month.[63] It gained support from Gazan intellectuals like Atef Abu Saif and graduates of Gazan universities, who were said to have drawn inspiration from the examples of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.[64] The protests were eventually endorsed by most significant Palestinian political groups, including Hamas and its primary political opponent, Fatah.[64] Other factions, such as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and supporters of Muhammad Dahlan (who was expelled from Fatah in 2011) also endorsed the protests.[65]

The organizers tried to keep the protest independent from Hamas and other political groups, but by March 2018, Hamas had become heavily involved in organizing them.[63] Local newspapers, television and social media mobilized Gazans to join the March. Hamas also ordered its own soldiers to take part. To maximize the credibility of the protests, it reportedly planned to keep the peace by having plain clothed security personnel move among the protestors.[66]

The protests were planned for six weeks starting on 30 March to call for the lifting of the blockade the fulfilling the right of return, having been made public in advance.[67]

Timeline

Prior incidents

See also: List of violent incidents in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, 2018

There was some violence between Israel and Gaza militants in the months leading up to the protests. In February 2018, four IDF soldiers were injured by an explosive device concealed in a Palestinian flag placed on the Gazan border fence during a Palestinian protest.[68] Israel reacted with airstrikes on Hamas military positions.[69] Over the following days, Israel and Hamas exchanged further rocket fire, tank fire and further airstrikes.[68] The following month, the IDF fired some ten Iron Dome missiles to intercept what the IDF sensors interpreted to be rockets, but which later turned out to be high-trajectory machine-gun fire during Hamas military exercises.[70][71]

In the week prior to 30 March, the IDF arrested a suspect who crossed into Israeli territory from northern Gaza; two Palestinians were seen near the now-defunct Karni crossing container port trying to set fire to army engineering equipment close to the border fence; a group of four Palestinians infiltrated Israel near Kissufim; and 3 Gazans, armed with grenades and knives, crossed the border and were captured some 20 kilometers (12 mi) from the border, near Tze'elim.[72][73]

30 March 2018

The first protest took place on 30 March 2018, around 500 to 700 metres (1,600 to 2,300 ft) from the Israel–Gaza border fence.[74] The date was chosen to coincide with Land Day. 30,000 Palestinians participated.[25] The majority of the demonstrators in the encampments were away from the border security and did not engage in violence.[56] Hundreds of young Palestinians, however, ignored warnings by the organizers and the Israeli military to avoid the border zone.[75] Some began throwing stones and Molotov cocktails, to which Israel responded by declaring the Gaza border zone a closed military zone and opening fire at them.[56] The events of the day were some of the most violent in recent years.[76] In one incident, two Palestinian gunmen approached the fence, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and hand grenades, and exchanged fire with IDF soldiers. They were killed and their bodies were recovered by the IDF.[77][78][79]

That day, 15 Palestinians were killed by the IDF, in addition to one farmer who was allegedly killed by artillery fire in the morning prior to the protests. The IDF said a tank fired at two men who "acted suspiciously" near the border fence and did not confirm if one of them was killed.[25] The profile of the 15 men who were killed by the IDF was a subject of debate. The IDF published an infographic with the pictures of ten of those killed, saying they were members of militant-terrorist organizations, of the seven were Hamas militants and activists, one was a "global jihad activist" and one was a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militant group. Some of them appear in military uniform in their pictures.[77] Hamas, however, said that only five of its members were killed that day,[80] and one of the men the IDF said was a Hamas operative, was a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, according to the organization itself.[81] According to the IDF, among those Hamas confirmed were its members were a company commander and an operative in Hamas' tunnel warfare project.[77] Three other Palestinians who were shot on 30 March succumbed to their wounds in the following days. One of them was a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The organization said he was unarmed when he was shot.[82][83]

One notable casualty, and an example of this debate, is a 19-year-old Palestinian who was seen in footage[citation needed] from the protest being shot in his back while holding a tire and running away from the fence. The IDF said he was a member of Hamas,[77] a claim Hamas did not confirm[80] and his family denied, stating he was a restaurant worker. The IDF described the footage as "edited and fabricated".[77] His funeral did not involve the honors usually given to slain Palestinian fighters.[84] Another 20-year-old man was shot, according to his brother, in the head, while smoking a cigarette while standing behind a group of stone throwers.[85]

Disagreement exists also about the number of those injured that day. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 1,400 Palestinians suffered injuries. According to various Palestinian medical sources, around 800 were wounded with live ammunition, while the remaining were injured by rubber-coated projectiles and tear gas. The IDF, on the other hand, estimated only a few dozens were injured with live fire.[86][87][88]

Protests continued on a lower scale throughout the week following the 30 March events. The IDF continued to fire at Palestinians along the border fence.[89] A video was published in social media on Sunday, 2 April, showing a 19-year-old man among a group of protesters, placing a tire on another burning tire, to make it catch on fire, then waving his hands in celebration. He is then seemingly shot in the head by Israeli soldiers. Palestinian sources reported he was critically wounded.[90][91]

During the week of 30 March 2018, two Palestinians were killed in two different incidents. In the first, a Palestinian member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) was shot by Israeli forces after he breached the fence and entered Israel. The IDF published a video from an observation camera, showing the man hitting the fence with what seems to be a metal pipe when four other people stand behind him. He then breaches the fence and enters along with another man, which is when warning shots were probably fired. The video cuts before the man was shot and it is unclear in what circumstances was he shot and killed.[92] In another incident, an Israeli aircraft attacked an allegedly armed Palestinian who approached the fence.[93] The IDF published a video from an observance camera, showing the man walking slowly towards the fence, holding what appears to be an assault rifle. The army also said he was equipped with grenades and a suicide vest. The incident took place before dawn.[94] In addition to these events, on 1 April the IDF arrested four unarmed Palestinians who entered into Israel illegally.[95]

6 April

Protest organizers and Hamas called for renewed demonstrations on the Gaza–Istrael border the following Friday, 6 April. The IDF stated that it intended to use the same force as the preceding week to prevent infiltrations of Israeli territory.[96]

Between 31 March and 6 April, demonstrators gathered tires in Gaza to be burnt on 6 April, in preparation for what was dubbed the "Day of the Tire" (Arabic: Jumat al-Kawshook)[97][98][99] Israeli officials have cautioned that the mass burning of tires along the border can produce environmental harm, calling on the World Health Organization to prevent, what they termed, an "ecological catastrophe".[99]

Thousands of Palestinians joined in 6 April demonstrations; the IDF estimated their number at 20,000 people.[100] Palestinian medical sources reported that 9 Palestinians were killed, 1,350 were injured, and 25 were in critical condition; and that approximately 400 of those injured were hit by live ammunition.[101][102] Another Palestinian who was shot that day succumbed to his wounds on 9 April.[103][104]

Among those killed was Yaser Murtaja, a 30-year-old Palestinian photographer, who, according to Palestinian Health Ministry, was shot in the stomach by an Israeli sniper despite wearing a jacket emblazoned with 'press' to identify him as a journalist. According to the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate, seven other Palestinian journalists were injured by the Israelis during that day's protest.[102] Israeli Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said in response that "anyone who flies drones over IDF soldiers puts himself at risk."[105] According to Israeli security sources, Murtaja was an officer in Hamas security apparatus and attempted to smuggle a drone to Gaza in 2015.[106] Hamas, as well as Murtaja's family, denied the allegation.[107] In addition to Murtaja, five other journalists were injured on 6 April, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists: five from live fire and one from shrapnel.[108]

8–12 April

On the evening of 8 April, according to the IDF, three Palestinians infiltrated the fence in the Northern Gaza strip, planted two explosive devices, and then quickly returned to Gaza. The IDF fired at the Palestinians with tank fire.[109]

In the early morning of 9 April, the IDF said it attacked a military compound belonging to Hamas in the northern Gaza strip in response to the attempted infiltration with explosives. The IDF said Hamas "is solely responsible for what is happening in the Gaza Strip from above and below the ground".[110]

On the morning of 11 April, Palestinians set off a bomb near an Israeli construction vehicle adjacent to the Gaza fence. The IDF fired tank shells at positions that it said belonged to Hamas.[111]

On 12 April, Israeli aircraft attacked Hamas targets in the northern Gaza Strip in retaliation for the previous days' bomb attack close to the border fence. Hamas fighters east of Shuja'iyya targeted the aircraft with machine gun fire, and several of the bullets fell on a home in Israel. An Israeli airstrike targeted them, killing one Hamas fighter and wounding another. The Hamas fighter who was killed was identified as Mohammed Hamada Hijila. It was subsequently reported that he had taken part in an infamous raid on an Israeli border post in which five Israeli soldiers had been killed during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict.[112][113][114]

13 April

Protests on a third consecutive Friday were smaller than prior weeks. The IDF estimated that 10,000 people protested on 13 April.[115] Palestinians attempted to breach the border fence, hurled molotov cocktails and explosive devices, and attempted to fly firebomb kites into Israeli territory.[116]

During the protests, the IDF killed three Palestinians:

  • Islam Hirzallah, who was hit by live ammunition to the abdomen.[115][117]
  • Tahrir Mahmoud Wahba, who is deaf, was fatally wounded, and died on 23 April.[118]
  • Ahmed Abu Hussein, a photojournalist wearing a protective vest marked 'press,'[119] was also fatally wounded and died in Sheba Hospital in Tel HaShomer on 25 April, after being transferred for treatment.[120]

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that 969 people were injured by Israeli forces, among them were 67 children, and 223 people hit by live ammunition. Fifteen of the people sustaining live-fire injuries were in critical condition late on 13 April.[121]

14–16 April

On 14 April, four Palestinians were killed in a blast near one of the protest camps,[122] the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine said that they were members of the organization and that they died during "preparations".[123]

Several kites with firebombs attached were flown by Palestinians into Israeli territory, sparking several fires, with at least 3 fire bomb kites located on 14 April. No injuries were caused.[124]

On 15 April, the IDF said it destroyed a tunnel that crossed the Gaza-Israel border.[125]

On 16 April, additional fire bomb kites were flown from the Gaza strip. One kite started a fire that burned a wheat field on the Israeli side of the border.[126]

20 April

Protests on Friday, 20 April, have been labeled the "Women's March of Gaza" and were intended to highlight the active role women are playing in the protest.[127] The IDF estimates that 10,000 people participated in protests.[128] At least four Palestinians were killed on 20 April,[129] among them a 15-year-old boy, and over four dozen were injured by Israeli soldiers.[130] Another Palestinian later died of wounds sustained that day.[131] Before the expected protests, the IDF dropped leaflets over Gaza Strip warning anyone against approaching the fence or attempting to damage it.[132]

Five Palestinians were fatally shot on by Israeli live fire on 20 April.

  • Mohammad Ayoub of Al Falouja neighborhood in Jabalia refugee camp, was fatally shot in the head.[133] His brother and cousin, who were eyewitnesses to his shooting, stated that Ayoub was sitting on the ground, then ran to escape the effects of tear gas, at which time he was shot.[134] Ayoub was the fourth Palestinian child to be killed during the protests.[134]
  • Ahmed Abu Aqel, 25, of Jabalia. Abu Aqel was shot a previous demonstration over US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017. He walks on crutches due to the injury and was on a sand dune 150 meters from the fence at the time of his shooting, according to the non-profit organisation Al Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza. Israeli forces fatally shot him to the back of the head.[135]
  • Ahmed Al Athamna, 24, of Beit Hanoun, was fatally shot by bullet to the upper back, according to Al Mezan.[135]
  • Sa'ad Abu Taha was fatally shot in the neck in eastern Khan Younis. He was approximately 100 meters from the border, according to Al Mezan.[135]
  • Abdullah Shamali was injured by a bullet to his abdomen east of Rafah, and died on the night of 22–23 April.[136]

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 445 people were injured in protests, including 96 who were shot with live ammunition.[137] 174 people were hospitalized while the remainder were treated at clinic tents at the protest sites.[137]

27 April

According to Israeli military estimates, over 10,000 people gathered to join the day's protest, themed the "Day of Rebellious Youth."[138][21]

For the first time in the five-week campaign, protesters reached the electrified border fence, having passed a smaller barbed wire barrier; Israeli soldiers fired shots and threw a hand grenade at a group of twelve men climbing the fence, hitting several in the head.[139] A large crowd (the IDF reported "several hundred"; The New York Times, "thousands") of people rushed toward the Karni border crossing, after a speech by Hamas leader Ismail Radwan. The IDF launched tear gas and opened fire with live ammunition at the crowd, injuring several people.[21][139] Israeli military sources state that at least two armed Palestinians, among the large crowd, approached the border and fired at least seven rounds at Israeli soldiers. According to The New York Times, retaliatory Israeli fire, which included a hand grenade, wounded two unarmed protesters.[139]

The Gaza Ministry of Health initially reported that three Palestinians were killed, all of them by bullets to the head.[140] Two more Palestinians later died of wounds suffered on 27 April. Overall, Palestinian reports stated that 884 protesters had been wounded, some 174 by live Israeli fire.[141] Four medical staff and six journalists were among those wounded.[138] Azzam Oweida was shot in the head and died on 28 April[142] Anas Abu Asr was fatally wounded near Gaza City and died on 3 May.[143]

On the night of 27 April, the Israeli Air Force attacked six targets in the Port of Gaza belonging to Hamas naval commando forces, injuring four people. The Israeli army said it was responding to "terror acts and the major attempt to infiltrate the border into Israeli territory earlier in the day."[144]

29 April

Three separate incidents along the fence occurred during the evening of 29 April between the IDF and Palestinians.[145] In the first incident, the IDF said that two men "attempted to infiltrate" Israel from the southern strip, one was killed and the other captured after being wounded. In the second incident, the IDF said that two men who had crossed the fence "hurled explosive devices" at IDF soldiers before they shot and killed them.[146] In a third incident, two Palestinians with breaching tools and knives were arrested while attempting to breach the fence.[145]

 
Protesters throwing rocks at IDF soldiers at Gaza border

2–7 May

A firebomb kite launched from Gaza caused a large fire in the Be'eri Forest, burning hundreds of dunams of woodland. Ten firefighter teams toiled to extinguish and contain the forest fire.[147]

Protesters organized for 4 May as the "Friday of the Palestinian Worker," in honor of International Workers' Day earlier in the week.[148] Israeli officials estimated that 10,000 people participated in the protests.[22] Shortly after noon, confrontations began between protesters, who threw stones, burned tires, and launched flammable kites, and Israeli soldiers, who fired tear gas and live ammunition.[148]

By evening, medical officials estimated that 1,100 protesters were injured, including 82 shot with live ammunition, and 800 suffering from the effects of tear gas.[148][22] Two off-the-shelf drones used by IDF were shot down by Palestinian slingshots.[22] Protesters entered and damaged property used by Israeli forces at Kerem Shalom border crossing; Israeli officials said the property was on the Palestinian side of the border. The damage included burning a pipeline that Israel uses to supply fuel to Gaza.[22][149]

Palestinians had prepared hundreds of firebomb kites, intending to fly them as swarms into Israel exploiting the heavy heat wave to ignite fires, however since the wind was blowing in the wrong direction to the west. The wind also blew tear gas and smoke from burning tires westwards into the Palestinian crowd chasing many away.[150]

On 5 May, six Hamas operatives were killed in an explosion in Deir al-Balah. A statement by Hamas' military wing blamed Israel – stating that it was a "heinous crime that has been committed against [its] fighters". The IDF spokesperson stated that "the IDF is not involved in this incident in any way". A Palestinian, a source for Haaretz, said that it was "an explosion resulting from the handling of explosives inside a building".[151]

The IDF struck a Hamas outpost in northern Gaza which was used to launch burning objects at Israeli territory. Maj Avichai Adraee tweeted "Attack kites are not a kids' game and we don't see it that way. Hamas is using you [Gazans] and is pushing you toward the circle of terrorism," while Shai Hajaj, head of Merhavim Regional Council in southern Israel, said "When the courts in Jerusalem are discussing petitions from left-wing organizations to tie the hands of the soldiers standing in front of the Gaza protesters who want to break through the fence, the arson continues in the field of farmers... We demand that the IDF stop this [Palestinian] violence immediately".[152]

On 6 May, three Palestinians were killed at the southern end of the Gaza border fence. According to the IDF, they were carrying petrol bombs, an ax, wire cutters, an oxygen mask and gloves.[153]

On 7 May, Incendiary balloons launched from the Gaza strip set fire to a wheat field near Mefalsim and to the Be'eri Forest. Similar to the firebomb kites, the incendiary balloon lofted an already-lit Molotov cocktail. The normally prevailing westerly winds propel the balloons to Israel, and the burning Molotov cocktail causes the balloons to explode in midair, with burning material falling to the ground below.[154]

It was reported by Haaretz that Hamas found itself in an "unprecedented" crisis and "dire" situation, and attempting to enter negotiations with Israel about establishing a long-term truce in order to ease the siege of the enclave, and lower tensions, without, as far as it is known, obtaining any clear response from Israel. The Israeli reluctance might, according to defense correspondent Amos Harel, lead to an explosion of rage on the forthcoming occasion of Nakba Day.[155]

11–13 May

15,000 demonstrators took part in Friday protests on 11 May. Some of them burned tires, in the hope the smoke would provide cover for saboteurs to destroy and cross the border fence, and threw grenades, pipe bombs and stones at Israeli troops. A 40-year-old Palestinian was killed and 973 were injured, seven of them critically. The IDF used new, small remote-controlled aircraft with knives on their wings to counter incendiary kites launched from Gaza, downing more than 40 kites.[156]

Palestinians broke into the Kerem Shalom border crossing, the main conduit of goods in and of the strip, setting a gas pipeline alight, damaging a fuel pipe, and torching a conveyor belt.[157] The Israeli air force destroyed an underground attack tunnel that reached just a few meters away from the border.[157]

On 12 May, Israel announced that the Kerem Shalom border crossing "will remain closed until the damage caused by the riots are repaired and will reopen in accordance with a situation assessment," opening only for humanitarian cases until such a decision is made.[157]

On 13 May, Israeli soldiers fired at Palestinians approaching within 75 feet (23 m) of the fence. Alaa Asawafiri, a 26-year-old woman who was part of a group of women shouting towards the fence, was shot in the stomach and hospitalised in critical condition.[158]

14 May

Protests and violence on 14 May coincided with the ceremony marking the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, which international media regarded as the reason for increased tensions.[159] Both events were timed to mark 70 years since the foundation of Israel.[160]

During the protests, the IDF used live fire, leading to 52 Gazan fatalities and injuring more than 1200 (according to Gaza health officials), making it "the bloodiest day in Gaza since the end of the 2014 war."[161] By the end of the day, at least 60 Palestinians were reported to have been killed,[162] when Hamas claim 50 of them as its militants,[36][37] and Islamic Jihad claimed 3 members of its military wing.[38] Palestinian sources said that about 2700 were injured.[160][163] Some of those who were killed or injured included health care workers providing medical care to the protesters.[164][165] One of the wounded subsequently died on 13 August.[166] One Israeli sniper later stated that on this day he and his locator broke the standing record for knee-shots that day, managing to make 42 hits.[167]

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that during the day, a Hamas squad attempted to breach the border fence with Israel and opened fire on Israeli forces. All eight attackers were killed by Israeli troops in the exchange of gunfire. The IDF released video of the incident.[168]

The IDF said three of those killed had attempted to plant explosives at the border fence, and that in two incidents Israeli troops opened fire after they were shot at.[169] The Israeli Air Force attacked five Hamas targets in a Jabalia training camp in response to the attempt at planting explosives and shooting at IDF troops.[170] Israel said that "Most of the people killed belonged to the Hamas terror group, and some to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad" and that "at least 24" of the people killed were later identified as known members of terrorist organizations .[171] One Israeli soldier was lightly wounded by what was believed to be a stone thrown by a Palestinian.[170] Likud's Avi Dichter reassured the Knesset that he was not concerned about any possible breach of the border fence since "the IDF has enough bullets for everyone."[172]

Hamas political bureau member Salah al-Bardawi said that 50 of the 62 killed in the protests from 14 to 15 May were Hamas members – adding that these were "official numbers", though he did not specify whether they were members of Hamas' armed or political wing.[173][174][175] Speaking to CNN, a Hamas spokesman, Abdel Latif Quanau, said he could not confirm or deny these numbers, and that "The protests are peaceful and include all political and military factions."[176] Amira Hass, an Israeli journalist for Haaretz, received al-Bardawi's statement with skepticism saying that one her friends in Gaza told her that "this [figure of 50] is another typical exaggeration of ours".[177] Islamic Jihad said three members of its Saraya al-Quds military wing were among those killed. An Islamic Jihad official said those killed were unarmed and participating in a legitimate protest.[178]

 
Protest in San Sebastián, Spain, 15 May 2018 showing an Israel flag crossed out.
 
Solidarity with Gaza Palestinians in Pamplona, 15 May 2018

A spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Rupert Colville, called the killings an "outrageous human rights violation" by Israel.[179] Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said "those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account".[179] Numerous countries expressed concern with the killings, including Russia, France, Germany, and the UK.[160] Germany, the UK, Ireland, and Belgium called for an independent inquiry.[180] The United States said the deaths were tragic and placed responsibility on Hamas, stating that Israel has the right to defend its borders.[181] South Africa withdrew its ambassador to Israel, citing "the indiscriminate and grave manner of the latest Israeli attack".[182] Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, addressing Turkish students in London in a speech broadcast by Turkey's state television, said that Turkey would recall its ambassadors from Israel and the U.S., and said that Israel's action against Palestinian protesters was "genocide".[183][184]

This statement started a diplomatic row between Turkish and Israeli leaders, causing the Knesset to propose that Israel officially recognize the killing of over a million Armenians by Ottoman Turkey in the early 20th century as an act of genocide, which modern-day Turkey has never acknowledged.[185]

15–16 May

Protest organizers declared a day of mourning for those killed on the prior day.[186] Fewer people attended protests at the border. One protester was killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.[186]

On 16 May, Several houses in the Israeli city of Sderot were hit by machine gun fire from Gaza, causing damage but no injuries.[187] Israel said Hamas curbed Gaza protests after pressure from Egypt.[188]

22 May

A group of Palestinians crossed the border fence on 22 May and set fire to an abandoned IDF post near Bureij. Following the incident, IDF tanks fired at a Hamas post in the area of the incident.[189][190]

25 May

Some 1,600 Gazans attended the weekly Friday protests in two locations on 25 May. In one of the locations, dozens of youth reached less than 300 meters from the fence and burnt tires. East of the Gaza city reached the fence and tried to open it. The IDF Spokesperson's unit reported Palestinians threw an improvised explosive device towards soldiers. The IDF responded to the events with crowd-control means and live ammunition, hurting at least 109 Palestinians, ten of whom from live ammunition, according to medical sources in Gaza. Firebomb kites were also flown by the Palestinians towards Israel and were shot down by Israeli soldiers. Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar visited one of the protest camps.[191]

1 June

The Gaza Ministry of Health stated that 100 protesters were injured, 40 with live ammunition, and that among the casualties, Razan Ashraf al-Najjar, a young female paramedic[192] dressed in medical staff uniform was shot dead by snipers who had opened fire on a group of five paramedics as they moved to assist wounded demonstrators near the fence. Numerous protests continued, Israeli firefighters were called in to douse fires on their side of the border, tires were burned, some attempts were made to damage the border fence, military vehicles were fired on and one infiltrator entered Israel, set off a grenade, and returned to the Strip.[193][194]

22 June

On the afternoon on 22 June, an estimated 7,000 participants protested at the border. By evening 200 people had suffered injuries, including 8 minors.[195]

29 June

On 29 June, Yasser Abu al-Najja died of wounds to the head near eastern Khan Younis, while Muhammad Fawzi Muhammad al-Hamaydeh died of wounds to his stomach and legs east of Rafah.[196] According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, further 415 suffered injuries, from gunfire or tear-gas inhalation, with three in a critical condition.[197]

6–15 July (March of Return)

3,000 Gazans took part in the regular Friday protest. 396 were injured, 57 by live fire.[198] Zahadia Haniyeh, a niece of Hamas leader, Ismael Haniyeh, was reportedly shot in the stomach, while Mohammed Abu Halima was shot dead with a bullet wound to the chest.[198][199]

On 13 July two Palestinian children, Othman Rami Halas and Muhammad Nasser Sharab, were killed by Israeli live fire, the former near eastern Gaza City, the latter near in eastern Khan Younis. During the day's demonstrations, a further 68 to 200 Gazans were reportedly injured.[200][201]

An IDF officer was wounded by a hand grenade thrown by Palestinian assailants during clashes at the border fence.[202][8]

On 14 July, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike and four Israelis were wounded by mortar fire from Gaza in what the New York Times described as "the most severe exchange of fire between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since the 2014 war."[203] According to an IDF spokesman, "Saturday's operation aimed to stop arson attacks, attempted border breaches, and assaults on soldiers from Gaza that have grown increasingly violent."[204] Hamas and allied Islamic militant groups fired 100 to 174 projectiles from Gaza into Israel, one mortar struck a synagogue in Sderot.[203][205]

16 July

Israeli news media outlets announced that, in response to firebomb kites flown by Gaza militants, the Israeli government would temporarily suspend deliveries of gas and petrol through the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza, and will also limit offshore fishing to half the previous maritime limit.[206][207][208]

Palestinians outfitted a falcon with a harness with a flammable material strung at the end of a steel wire and sent the bird across the border, attempting to start a fire in Israel.[209]

20 July

Four Palestinians were killed and an estimated 120 Gazans were injured, including a 14 year old with a bullet shot to the head.[210][211]

Fire exchange

On 20 July, an Israeli soldier was killed near the Gaza border, allegedly, by a Palestinian sniper.[212][7][213] In response, the Israeli army retaliated with air attacks and tank fire aimed at eight military Hamas posts east of Khan Yunis and near the southern Rafah. Four Hamas military wing members were killed in the exchange of fire.[212][214][215][216][217] Following the strikes, three rockets were fired into Israeli communities around Gaza. Two projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome and another fell in an open field.[218] United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov tweeted "everyone in Gaza needs to step back from the brink. Not next week. Not tomorrow. Right NOW! Those who want to provoke Palestinians and Israelis into another war must not succeed."[219] According to Hamas, there was a ceasefire agreed upon afterwards, but Israel did not comment.[220][221]

21 July

Several Palestinians crossed the border fence into Israel, then returned to Gaza's territory.[222] An IDF tank fired at a Hamas post in northern Gaza in response.[223][224]

27 July

Two Palestinians, Majdi Ramzi Kamal al-Satri and Ghazi Muhammad Abu Mustafa were shot dead with bullets to the head, east of Rafah and east of Khan Younis respectively. A further 246 were reportedly injured. Three paramedics among the injured sustained moderate wounds, at eastern Jabaliya.[225]

3 August

Eight Palestinians were reportedly shot, east of Khan Younis in 19 March, which was conducted under the slogan of "Martyr of Jerusalem, Muhammad Youssef," a 17 year old killed earlier.[226]

7–8 August

Israel killed two Hamas members in Gaza on 7 August. Hamas said that the two men were snipers taking part in an live-fire exercise in Gazan territory. Israel stated that the gunmen fired on its soldiers and an Israeli tank shelled them in response.[227]

Gaza militants fired rockets into Israel and the Israeli military responded with air strikes on 8 August.[228] The Washington Post reported than 180 rockets and other rounds of munition were fired into Israel with the Israeli air force firing at about 150 targets in the Gaza Strip. A pregnant Palestinian woman and her daughter, a toddler, were killed.[229]

10 August

Abdullah Al-Qatati, a Palestinian medic, died after being shot in the head by a sniper. Ahmad Jamal Abu Luli died after being shot in the pelvis. Ali Said al-Aloul was the third fatality in the shootings. 307 Palestinians were reportedly injured, 70, including 28 children, five paramedics and two journalists, were wounded by live fire, five critically. One attempt was made to cross the border, and a grenade was reportedly thrown.[230][231]

17 August

241 Palestinians were reportedly wounded, some 40 by live fire. 18 minors were among those injured. Two Palestinians were shot dead one identified as Karim Abu Fatayir east of al-Bureij refugee camp and the other identified as Saadi Akram Muammar east of Rafah.[232]

24 August

189 Palestinians were reportedly injured, 50 by live ammunition, and the others by rubber-coated steel bullets or tear-gas inhalation. 73 were hospitalized.[233]

12 October

 
View from the Israeli side of the border on 5 October

Seven Palestinians were killed in violent protests along the border fence.[234] Four Palestinians were shot dead after they crossed into Israeli territory and approached a sniper's post.[235]

Casualties

Fatalities and injuries between 30 March and 31 December 2018[28]: 6 
Gaza Israel
Live ammunition fatalities 183 0
Live ammunition injuries 6106 0
Shrapnel injuries 1576 1
Rubber-coated bullet injuries 438 0
Tear-gas canister injuries 1084 0
Stone/explosive injuries 0 4

One Israeli soldier was injured due to shrapnel from a grenade thrown by a Palestinian from inside Gaza and one Israeli soldier was killed by Palestinian sniper fire near the fence but outside of the context of the protests.[236]

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s office in Gaza, Gerald Rockenschaub, described the casualties as overwhelming an already weak health care system: "the deteriorating humanitarian situation is extremely worrying. Hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed with the influx of injured patients. With further escalations expected during the coming weeks, the increasing numbers of injured patients requiring urgent medical care is likely to devastate Gaza's already weakened health system, placing even more lives at risk."[237] According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 69 ambulances were damaged.[238]

Doctors Without Borders released a statement on 14 May 2018 calling the Israeli response "inhuman and unacceptable" saying that the hospitals in Gaza were overwhelmed and in a chaotic situation comparable to the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. It stated that "most of the wounded will be condemned to suffer lifelong injuries".[239]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) observers stated, with regard to 30 March, "while some protesters near the border fence burned tires and threw rocks, [HRW] could find no evidence of any protester using firearms or any IDF claim of threatened firearm use at the demonstrations." The organization said there is evidence of Palestinians who did not pose any threat to Israeli guards being shot.[42] B'Tselem said that "shooting unarmed demonstrators is illegal and the command that allows it is manifestly illegal."[43]

On 29 April 2018, with the death toll at 44, an Israeli officer claimed that most of the deaths were unintentional, and that the snipers aimed for protesters' legs but sometimes missed, the bullets ricocheted, or the protesters suddenly bent over.[240]

Characterization of the injuries caused by Israeli fire

The Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) stated that the ammunition used by Israel caused severe internal damage to internal organs, muscle tissue and bones. A Palestinian doctor interviewed by CNN stated that about a half of the wounded people would never walk normally again.[241] The head of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza wrote a letter to The British Medical Journal stating that "from the appearance of the wounds there appears to have been systematic use by [IDF] snipers of ammunition with an expanding 'butterfly' effect.", and stated that since the surgical procedures and rehabilitation facilities are not available in Gaza due to 2014 conflict and the blockade of Gaza, "mass lifelong disability is now the prospect facing Gazan citizens, largely young."[242] The Israeli military stated that they only used normal sniper ammunition, and fired at the feet and legs to minimize civilian casualties.[241]

According to Amnesty International, who interviewed military experts and a forensic pathologist, "many of the wounds observed by doctors in Gaza are consistent with those caused by high-velocity Israeli-manufactured Tavor rifles using 5.56mm military ammunition. Other wounds bear the hallmarks of US-manufactured M24 Remington sniper rifles shooting 7.62mm hunting ammunition, which expand and mushroom inside the body. The nature of these injuries shows that Israeli soldiers are using high-velocity military weapons designed to cause maximum harm to Palestinian protesters who do not pose an imminent threat to them."[236]

Killing of medical personnel

There have been several accusations of Israel attacking medical personnel. On 18 April, the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq accused Israel of shooting at civilians who were providing medical assistance to the wounded.[243]

The Gaza-based human rights organization Al Mezan stated on 25 April that Israel had shot two paramedics working with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. It also stated that the situation has been compounded by Israel's refusal to allow personal safety equipment into Gaza, including respirators.[244]

A Canadian doctor, Tarek Loubani, was one of 19 medical personnel shot on 14 May. He stated that he was clearly marked, and believed that he was targeted by the Israeli military. One of the paramedics who treated Loubani was killed later on the same day. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "appalled" at the shooting of Loubani and called for "an immediate independent investigation to thoroughly examine the facts on the ground – including any incitement, violence, and the excessive use of force".[245][246]

In June 2018, Palestinian nurse Rouzan al-Najjar was fatally shot in the chest as she, reportedly with her arms raised to show she was unarmed,[247] tried to help evacuate the wounded near Israel's border fence with Gaza.[248]

Other notable casualties

An eight-month-old child, Leila al-Ghandour was widely reported, following an initial statement by the Gaza Health ministry, to have been a victim of tear-gas at the border.[249] The following day, the Gaza Health Ministry announced that it was not certain of the cause of death and two weeks later struck her name off the official list of people killed during the protests.[250][251] In a court case against a Fatah al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades militant, who had been captured on the border, the indictment stated that man in question was a relative of the deceased's parents, and had stated the latter had been paid by Yahya Sinwar, the head of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, about US$2,200 to report to the media that she had died of tear gas inhalation rather than from a pre-existing medical condition.[250][252]

Prevalence of militants among the killed

Israeli defense sources claimed that a large fraction of those killed were members or otherwise affiliated with Palestinian militant organizations. According to Israel, the demonstrations provided cover for attacks by militants.[253][254]

On 11 April, the military-affiliated Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) published a report in which it stated that 26 of the 32 persons killed belonged to or were affiliated with Palestinian militant groups.[255][256] The report identified thirteen of these as belonging to the military wings of these organizations, and six as members of the Gaza security forces.[257]

On 14 May, when 59 to 62 Palestinians were killed, Hamas claimed 50 of them[36][37] and Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed three as members of its military wing.[38]

On 8 June, ITIC stated that it had identified 124 of the 127 Gazans reportedly killed in demonstrations since March. It reported that 102 of the killed were affiliated with either the militant or civilian wings of Fatah, Hamas, PIJ, the DFLP, or the PFLP.[258]

Legal cases

Two Palestinians, Yousef Karnaz and Mohammad Al-Ajouri, each had to have one of their legs amputated after Israeli authorities denied their requests to receive medical treatment at a better-equipped hospital in the West Bank. Israeli authorities issued a statement claiming that "The main consideration for the refusal stems from the fact that their medical condition is a function of their participation in the disturbances."[259] The Israeli Arab minority rights organization Adalah and Al Mezan petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to grant an emergency hearing to consider the request on 12 April, but as the Court decided to give the Israeli government three days to respond and due to this delay, doctors were forced to amputate their legs.[259][260]

On 15 April, four Israeli human rights organizations, Yesh Din, Gisha, HaMoked, and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel jointly petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to revoke the rules of engagement used by the IDF in response to the protests. They argued that "there is no prohibition on demonstrating in Gaza and that if incidents of violence or attempts to cross the fence occur during demonstrations, they alone constitute civil disturbances of the peace. In such disturbances, the law permits live fire only in cases of immediate mortal danger."[261] In response, the Israeli government refused to disclose its rules of engagement publicly, but said they "comply with Israeli law and with international law."[262] The government indicated that it views the protests as "part of the armed conflict between the Hamas terror organization and Israel, with all that this implies." On 24 May 2018, the Supreme Court rejected the petition, ruling that the protests were not unarmed protests but a part of an armed conflict which were used as a cover to carry out terror attacks against Israel and risk Israeli lives.[263]

On 16 April, the Supreme Court ruled that Karnaz must be allowed to exit Gaza to receive medical treatment in the West Bank to save his remaining leg.[264]

Investigations

On 5 April 2018, the IDF announced that its Southern Command would conduct an internal investigation into the deaths of civilians during the prior week.[265] Brigadier General Moti Baruch was appointed to lead a second government investigation.[266] Press reports indicate that Baruch's investigation will focus on incidents which appear to have a cause for inquiry.[266]

On 18 March 2019, a three-person United Nations commission urged Israeli authorities to "step up" their investigations into Israeli troops shootings of Palestinian demonstrators during the protests. The U.N. investigators believe that the shootings "may have constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity."[6] The commission of inquiry presented the United Nations Human Rights Council a full 250-page report.[267]

Tactics

Palestinian tactics

Observers from the International Rescue Committee and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the majority of protesters acted nonviolently on 30 March[79] and 6 April.[101]

On both of the larger protest days, hundreds of primarily young men approached or entered the 300-metre "exclusion zone" declared by Israeli military forces, thrown stones, hurled Molotov cocktails, and attempted to plant Palestinian flags.[101][79] A New York Times account described the purpose of approaching the fence as "a powerful statement of defiance, bravery and national pride" among Palestinians.[268]

The Israeli military accused Hamas of using the protests as a guise to launch attacks against Israel, and warned about further reprisals.[27] IDF spokesperson Ronen Manelis said that Hamas was forcing bus companies to transport people to the border for 6 April protests.[96]

Israeli politicians repeated their accusations that Hamas utilizes protesters as human shields.[96] The United States' Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt stated, with regards to the planned 6 April protest, that "[they] condemn leaders and protestors who call for violence or who send protestors – including children – to the fence, knowing that they may be injured or killed".[269]

Tent encampment

Organizers set up five tents 500 to 700 metres (1,600 to 2,300 ft) from the border and during the campaign their number grew to several dozen. Each tent was labeled with the town or village from which its occupants were expelled.[127] In the encampment, protesters slept, ate, lived on the site which also hosted religious gatherings and weddings.[270][268] Protests near the camps were large, diverse in participation, and peaceful.[271] Many engaged in sit-in protests organized around their tents.

Earthen embankments were erected near the 300 m (980 ft) mark to try to shield those further away from Israeli sniper fire.[45]

Tire burning

Palestinians frequently burned tires and t-shirts which produced thick smoke and obstructed the sightlines of Israeli snipers.[100] To this end, thousands of old tires were collected from around the Gaza Strip and transported to the border. Often young men would roll burning tires towards the fence to set it on fire and to create smokescreens.[272][273]

Mask usage

Palestinian protesters wore masks to protect themselves both from tear gas inhalation and to obscure their faces as it was speculated that the Israeli military was identifying and targeting known militants.[100][268]

Incendiary kites and balloons

Main article: Palestinian airborne arson attacks
 
Crop fields near Kibbutz Be'eri burnt by incendiary kite sent from the Gaza Strip

In April 2018, Palestinians begun launching incendiary kites and balloons over the border, some of which set fire to Israeli crop fields and forests.[124][147]

As of early June, roughly 5,000 dunams of Israeli crop fields had been burned by kites launched from Gaza, with an estimated economic loss of US$1.4 million,[274][275] in addition to 2,100 dunams of Jewish National Fund forests in the area and 4,000 to 5,000 dunams in the Besor Forest Nature Reserve.[276] The New York Times reported one of its journalists sighting "vast stretches of scorched earth", with "losses to Israeli agriculture from flaming kites [being] immense."[277]

Compensation for casualties

Hamas said on 5 April 2018 that it would offer compensation for people injured or killed by Israeli soldiers while participating in the demonstrations. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qasem stated that families to those killed would receive $3,000 and families to severely injured $500. Lightly injured persons would receive $200.[278][279][280]

Israeli tactics

The Israeli military deployed soldiers, including snipers and tanks, to the border. Soldiers opened fire on Palestinians approaching the fence with tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition.[100] Soldiers fired from artificial sand berms that overlooked the protests.[268] Israeli tear gas canisters penetrated more than 300 metres (980 ft) into the Gaza Strip.[45][96] An investigation by B'Tselem found that Israeli soldiers launched tear gas at family tents, located 400 to 600 metres (1,300 to 2,000 ft) from the fence, causing hundreds of people to suffer injuries.[281] Protest participants interviewed by B'Tselem reported cases of suffering from tear gas inhalation and injury from tear gas canister impacts.[281]

While the IDF has not publicly disclosed its rules of engagement, press reports indicate that soldiers are permitted to shoot armed Palestinians within 300 metres (980 ft) of the fence and unarmed Palestinians within 100 metres (330 ft).[268] The IDF has stated that its soldiers are advised to first fire warning shots, then wounding shots, before taking fatal shots.[268] On 6 April, the IDF used industrial-sized fans to disperse the smoke and then water cannons in unsuccessful attempts to douse fires from burning tires.[46]

Worldwide protests

 
Protest in Tehran, Iran, 18 May 2018

Demonstrations expressing solidarity with the protesters and condemning the use of lethal force by Israeli forces, were held in Israel, the US, the UK, and Australia. Thousands of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, Washington D.C., Boston, London, Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol, and Melbourne.[282][283]

Along with 250 others at a Tel Aviv protest, Michael Sfard, a human rights lawyer and political activist, said: "As an Israeli, my duty is to protest against the evils that are done in my name."[282] On 31 March, 150 Israelis gathered in Yad Mordechai near the Gaza–Israel border to protest the IDF's use of deadly force, holding banners reading "Free Gaza," "Stop the Massacre", and "Gaza is Dying."[284] On 2 April, around 300 Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv outside Likud's party headquarters to protest. There was a minor counter-protest in Tel Aviv, where protesters waved Israeli flags and shouted “Israel belongs to Jews.” A small group of Arab Israelis also protested in Jaffa.[284]

In Boston, eight protesters, who chained themselves to the exterior door of the Israeli Consulate, were arrested by police for disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and trespassing.[283] In London, anti-Zionist Naturei Karta members joined with protesters to show solidarity with Palestinians.[citation needed]

Reactions

States

The escalation of violence in Gaza drew concern from the Arab world. Jordan and Egypt condemned Israel's use of force, considering recent developments as harmful to brokering peace.[285] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exchanged heated remarks over the border clashes; Erdoğan labeled the Israeli response an "inhumane attack" amid growing international criticism of the Israeli military.[286] Erdoğan accused Israel of committing a "genocide", calling Israel a "terrorist state".[287] In response to the anti-Israeli comments by Erdoğan, the Knesset discussed the possibility of recognizing the Armenian genocide.[288]

Australia[289] and United States[290] voiced support for Israel's right to defend itself. Costa Rica,[291] Egypt,[292] France,[293] Germany,[294] Indonesia,[295] Jordan,[296] Morocco,[297] South Africa,[298] Sweden,[299] Turkey,[300] and the Vatican[301] have criticized the actions of Israel or both sides of the conflict.

On 15 May, British Prime Minister Theresa May said, speaking alongside Turkish President Erdoğan, that "There is an urgent need to establish the facts of what happened yesterday through an independent and transparent investigation, including why such a volume of live fire was used and what role Hamas played in events."[302] U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said that "Anyone who truly cares about children in Gaza should insist that Hamas immediately stop using children as cannon fodder in its conflict with Israel."[290]

Supranational organisations

  •   Arab League: The Arab League condemned the continuous discrimination and violence against peaceful Palestinian protesters. Upon Saudi Arabia's request, the Organization held a summit on 17 May in its headquarters in Cairo on a Ministerial level to discuss a proper response to the continuing human rights violations done by Israel.[303]
  •   EU: On 4 April, the European Union expressed deep alarm over "the use of live ammunition by Israeli Security Forces as a means of crowd control," and called on Israel to investigate every death and prosecute the perpetrators where appropriate.[304]
  •   International Criminal Court: On 8 April, Fatou Bensouda, prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, issued a public warning to Israelis and Palestinians that, "violence against civilians – in a situation such as the one prevailing in Gaza – could constitute crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court [...], as could the use of civilian presence for the purpose of shielding military activities."[305][306]
  •   UN: United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, observed that the situation "underlines the urgency of revitalizing the peace process aiming at creating the conditions for a return to meaningful negotiations."[307] Speaking to the UN Security Council in a meeting on the situation in the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace, said that Gaza was about to "explode" and called for "actions to prevent another war."[308] UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid bin Ra'ad condemned use of "excessive force" by Israel and said that security forces had to be "held to account."[309]
    • Elizabeth Throssell, a spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the use of deadly force was largely unjustified, since such force may only be used as a last resort when there is an imminent threat of death or serious injury. "An attempt to approach or cross the green-line fence by itself certainly does not amount to a threat to life or serious injury that would justify the use of live ammunition," the office said.[46][310] The United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian territories echoed the argument and stated: "The killing of demonstrators in violation of these rules, and within the context of occupation, may amount to willful killing, a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as a war crime."[311]

NGOs

Amnesty International: On 27 April, the organization called for worldwide arms embargo on Israel for its "disproportionate response" to the protests.[309]

The Israeli law center Shurat HaDin filed a complaint in the International Criminal Court against Hamas leaders Khaled Mashal, Saleh al-Arouri, and Zahar Jabarin for the use of children as human shields in the conflict along the border based on a clause in the Rome Statute that prohibits recruitment of children under the age of 15 to a militant organization. Shurat HaDin Director Nitzana Darshan-Leitner stated: "The death of a 15-year-old boy near the Gaza border last week was a direct result of the war crimes committed by Hamas leaders against their own people".[312]

Individuals

On 8 April, Defense Minister of Israel Avigdor Lieberman said: "You have to understand, there are no innocent people in the Gaza Strip. Everyone has a connection to Hamas. Everyone receives a salary from Hamas. Those who are trying to challenge us at the border and breach it belong to Hamas' military wing."[313]

On 15 May, Israel's ambassador to the UK, Mark Regev, said Israel "did everything we could" to avoid the bloodshed at the border with Gaza. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We use live fire only in a very measured way, in a very surgical way and only when there is no alternative."[314]

Retired British Colonel Richard Kemp said the March was not a peaceful demonstration, but "a deliberate and specific intent by terrorist organizations to penetrate the State of Israel and kill civilians and the IDF has no option except to use lethal force to stop such a dangerous threat."[315]

Legal scholar and European Court of Human Rights judge Sir Stephen Sedley opined that the use of live fire against unarmed protesters was "without much question a major crime".[316]

The Israeli Prime Minister's Arabic-language spokesman Ofir Gendelman tweeted, in response to a video showing a flag with a swastika lying between two Palestinian flags, "Hamas terrorists have planted today right on the Gaza-Israel border this Nazi flag which was flying [between] Palestinian flags. Hamas proudly declares that its aim is to annihilate Israel & the Jewish people. The genocidal message has been received. We will defend our country."[317]

Israeli historian Zeev Sternhell wrote, "the weekly killing on the Gaza Strip border is a campaign of barbarism, exposing the mentality of the society in whose name the army acts: We can do anything we like."[318]

Five former IDF snipers, assisted by Breaking the Silence, published a letter expressing "shame and sorrow" for the killings and stating, "instructing snipers to shoot to kill unarmed demonstrators who pose no danger to human life is another product of the occupation and military rule over millions of Palestinian people, as well as of our country's callous leadership, and derailed moral path."[319]

American columnist Peter Beinart wrote that during the protests, Palestinians were "running towards the Israeli snipers" because their land was fast becoming "uninhabitable", with the UN predicting Gaza would be "unliveable" by 2020.[320]

On 15 May, a group of nine prominent Israelis wrote a letter to The Guardian in which they compared the killings on the previous day to the Sharpeville massacre, and called for international intervention.[321]

Criticism of media coverage

The area of the conflict was subject to intense monitoring. On the Israeli side of the border, observers watched and filmed events using telescopes, long lenses, and feeds from the cameras, drones, quadcopters and tethered surveillance balloons hovering over the sites.[322][323] Israeli journalists were not permitted by the IDF to approach the area of conflict, but kept two kilometres (1.2 mi) away.[324] Almost from the outset, journalist Isabel Kershner observed that the March had given rise to a "war of words" between the involved parties.[48]

Surveying the media reaction just after the events of 14 May, Haaretz noted that the events were covered extensively, with the violence in Gaza juxtaposed with the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem. Many headlines focused on the death toll in Gaza and pictures were split between Palestinian protesters wounded and killed alongside pictures of the opening ceremony in Jerusalem. The Star omitted the embassy opening and focused on the pictures from Gaza.[325]

In the aftermath of the conflict, the way a number of mainstream newspaper outlets, including The New York Times, covered the events has become the object of analysis, criticism, and challenge.[323][49] The political scientist Norman Finkelstein takes exception to what he perceives to be The New York Times portrayal of the March as one in which the protests were described as "armed confrontations in which Israeli snipers return the fire of protesters," notwithstanding the fact that human rights NGOs have stated the demonstrations were "overwhelmingly peaceful." In particular, he mentions articles by David Halbfinger, who was embedded among the Israeli snipers.[323][277]

An IDF spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, wrote for The Wall Street Journal that the world's media had fallen for what he said was "a well-funded terrorist propaganda operation" consisting of lies crafted to win "the international propaganda war." In the piece, Manelis claims that the protests were staged, the demonstrators were paid actors, and that Hamas orchestrated the violence to capture headlines. "If," he concluded, "I need to lie like Hamas, then I prefer to tell the truth and lose."[326] The IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, thought that graphics from the Palestinian side of the border had allowed Hamas to win a PR battle "by a knockout," and attributed the result to an Israeli failure to minimize Palestinian casualties.[327] Likewise, reacting to events just after the first March, retired brigadier-general Shlomo Brom declared: "I categorize what happened as a failure. The Palestinian aim was to raise international consciousness, and to put the Palestinian issue back on the international and Israeli agenda. It succeeded."[48]

Veteran Israeli war correspondent Ron Ben-Yishai complained that Hamas had won the media battle partially because the IDF kept local journalists away from the border, thereby hindering Israeli journalists from documenting "the crowds of Gazans sent by Hamas to commit suicide on the fence." While massive video reporting was available on the Palestinian side of the fence, the IDF only provided the press with a "thin drizzle" of visual evidence, consisting of several dozen unclear images and short clips taken from its security camera coverage of the zone.[324] Critics like Muhammad Shehada, Jamie Stern-Weiner, and Norman Finkelstein wonder why, given its visual and video intelligence, the IDF did not buttress its claims over armed Hamas activity by providing footage.[323][49]

On 8 April, BBC News anchor Andrew Marr stated that "lots of Palestinian kids" were killed by Israeli forces. Jonathan Sacerdoti claimed that the statement was "completely incorrect and is made up." BBC management ruled that Marr breached editorial guidelines and that the statement "risked misleading audiences on a material point".[328]

On 22 July, Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Emmanuel Nahshon, criticized CNN for "unbalanced coverage of recent events in Gaza" after four Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed.[329]

2023 Israel–Hamas war

Ahmed Abu Ratima (or Rteima), one of the organizers of the original Gaza border protests, was seriously injured in an Israeli airstrike during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war; the airstrike killed five of his family members, including his twelve-year-old son.[330]

See also

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to 2018–2019 Gaza border protests.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2018-19 Gaza border protests.

References

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  2. ^ . Xinhua News Agency. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018.
  3. ^ al-Mughrabi, Nidal (27 April 2018). "Israeli forces kill three Gaza border protesters, wound 600: medics". Reuters. from the original on 28 April 2018.
  4. ^ a b c 'And now for the whitewashing,' B'tselem 24 May 2021
  5. ^ a b c d Report of the independent international commission of inquiry on the protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Human Rights Council 25 February 2019 p.6.
  6. ^ a b Cumming-Bruce, Nick (18 March 2019). "U.N. Panel Urges Investigation Into Israeli Shootings at Gaza Border a Year Ago". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Residents in southern Israel warned to stay near shelters". The Jerusalem Post. 20 July 2018.
  8. ^ a b IDF officer moderately wounded by grenade during Gaza riots, Times of Israel, 13 July 2018
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January 01, 1970
2018, 2019, gaza, border, protests, this, article, needs, updated, please, help, update, this, reflect, recent, events, newly, available, information, january, 2019, confused, with, march, return, israel, also, known, great, march, return, arabic, مسیرة, العود. This article needs to be updated Please help update this to reflect recent events or newly available information January 2019 Not to be confused with March of Return Israel The 2018 2019 Gaza border protests also known as the Great March of Return Arabic مسیرة العودة الكبرى romanized Masira al ʿawda al kubra were a series of demonstrations held each Friday in the Gaza Strip near the Gaza Israel border from 30 March 2018 until 27 December 2019 13 14 15 in which Israeli forces killed a total of 223 Palestinians 4 13 The demonstrators demanded that the Palestinian refugees must be allowed to return to lands they were displaced from in what is now Israel They protested against Israel s land air and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip and the United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel 16 17 18 2018 2019 Gaza border protestsPart of Gaza Israel conflictUN OCHA map of the protests 31 May 2018Date30 March 2018 27 December 2019 1 year 8 months 3 weeks and 6 days 1 LocationGaza Strip near the Israeli borderCaused byDonald Trump s decision to move the Embassy of the United States to JerusalemGoalsLifting of the Israeli blockade on Gaza 2 Achieving the Palestinian right of return 3 ConcessionsNoneParties Gaza Strip Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine DFLP Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad PIJ Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine PFLP Unaffiliated protesters Israel IDF IBPCasualties and losses223 killed including 46 children 4 9 204 injured 4 5 6 0 5 or 1 killed 7 4 5 or 11 wounded 6 soldiers 8 9 10 11 5 civilians 10 12 The first demonstrations were organized by independent activists but the initiative was soon endorsed by Hamas 19 the rulers of the Gaza Strip as well as other major factions in Gaza The activists who planned the Great March of Return intended it to last only from 30 March 2018 Land Day to 15 May Nakba Day but the demonstrations continued for almost 18 months until Hamas announced on 27 December 2019 that they would be postponed 1 Thirty thousand Palestinians participated in the first demonstration on 30 March 20 Larger protests took place on the following Fridays 6 April 13 April 20 April 27 April 4 May and 11 May each of which involved at least 10 000 demonstrators while smaller numbers attended activities during the week 21 22 Most of the demonstrators demonstrated peacefully far from the border fence Peter Cammack a fellow with the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace argued that the march indicated a new trend in Palestinian society and Hamas with a shift away from violence towards non violent forms of protest 23 Nevertheless smaller groups attempted to breach the fence rolling tires and throwing stones and molotov cocktails 24 25 26 Israeli officials said the demonstrations were used by Hamas as cover for launching attacks against Israel 27 At least 189 Palestinians were killed between 30 March and 31 December 2018 28 6 29 30 An independent United Nations commission set the number of known militants killed at 29 out of the 189 5 Other sources claim a higher figure of at least 40 31 20 32 Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and live ammunition 33 According to Robert Mardini head of Middle East for the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC more than 13 000 Palestinians were wounded as of 19 June 2018 The majority were wounded severely with some 1 400 struck by three to five bullets 34 No Israelis were physically harmed from 30 March to 12 May until one Israeli soldier was reported as slightly wounded on 14 May 9 the day the protests peaked The same day 59 or 60 Palestinians were shot dead at twelve clash points along the border fence 35 Hamas claimed 50 of them as its militants 36 37 and Islamic Jihad claimed 3 of the 62 killed as members of its military wing 38 Some 35 000 Palestinians protested that day with thousands approaching the fence 39 40 Israel s use of deadly force was condemned on 13 June 2018 in a United Nations General Assembly resolution 41 Condemnations also came from human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch 42 B Tselem 43 and Amnesty International 44 and by United Nations officials 45 46 Kuwait proposed two United Nations Security Council statements both blocked by the United States which called for investigations into Israel s killing of Palestinian protesters 47 The Israeli government praised Israeli troops for protecting the border fence 45 Media coverage of the demonstrations and what has been termed the PR battle has been the object of analysis and controversy 48 49 In late February 2019 a United Nations Human Rights Council s independent commission found that of the 489 cases of Palestinian deaths or injuries analyzed only two were possibly justified as responses to danger by Israeli security forces The commission deemed the rest of the cases illegal and concluded with a recommendation calling on Israel to examine whether war crimes or crimes against humanity had been committed and if so to bring those responsible to trial Contents 1 Background 1 1 Gaza s no go zone and border barrier 2 Idea organization and strategy 3 Timeline 3 1 Prior incidents 3 2 30 March 2018 3 3 6 April 3 4 8 12 April 3 5 13 April 3 6 14 16 April 3 7 20 April 3 8 27 April 3 9 29 April 3 10 2 7 May 3 11 11 13 May 3 12 14 May 3 13 15 16 May 3 14 22 May 3 15 25 May 3 16 1 June 3 17 22 June 3 18 29 June 3 19 6 15 July March of Return 3 20 16 July 3 21 20 July 3 21 1 Fire exchange 3 22 21 July 3 23 27 July 3 24 3 August 3 25 7 8 August 3 26 10 August 3 27 17 August 3 28 24 August 3 29 12 October 4 Casualties 4 1 Characterization of the injuries caused by Israeli fire 4 2 Killing of medical personnel 4 3 Other notable casualties 4 4 Prevalence of militants among the killed 5 Legal cases 6 Investigations 7 Tactics 7 1 Palestinian tactics 7 1 1 Tent encampment 7 1 2 Tire burning 7 1 3 Mask usage 7 1 4 Incendiary kites and balloons 7 1 5 Compensation for casualties 7 2 Israeli tactics 8 Worldwide protests 9 Reactions 9 1 States 9 2 Supranational organisations 9 3 NGOs 9 4 Individuals 10 Criticism of media coverage 11 2023 Israel Hamas war 12 See also 13 ReferencesBackgroundFurther information Gaza Strip Fatah Hamas conflict and blockade of the Gaza Strip nbsp Map of the Gaza Strip showing the border proximity restrictions with Israel as of December 2012 No go zone 100 metres 330 ft Access permitted by foot and by farmers only 100 300 metres 330 980 ft At risk zoneIn 2005 Israel withdrew its forces from the Gaza Strip and allowed the Palestinian authority to take control Despite the withdrawal Israel still maintains direct external control over everyday life in Gaza such as the territory s air and maritime space most of its land crossings electricity and water supply and other utilities 50 51 52 According to Human Rights Watch HRW Palestinians in Gaza still remain protected persons under the articles of the Geneva Conventions 35 Following the 2006 Palestinian election and the subsequent Battle of Gaza in 2007 Hamas took full control over the strip and expelled its rival and then ruler of the West Bank Fatah The takeover by Hamas led Israel and Egypt to impose a land air and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip Gaza s economy has shriveled as a result and many people in the territory do not have access to basic necessities 53 Hamas has also been accused of frequently diverting portions of the international aid Gaza receives to its wars against Israel rather than the civilian population 54 nbsp The Gaza Israel barrier seen from the Israeli side As a result of numerous wars between Hamas and Israel particularly the 2014 Gaza war the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsened Hamas struggled to Gaza and the new leadership under Yahya Sinwar hoped to get the Fatah led Palestinian Authority to take control of Gaza s civilian affairs through the 2017 Fatah Hamas Agreement which was ultimately unsuccessful According to Israeli journalist Amos Harel Hamas which failed to lift the blockade for years sought to use the demonstrations as a means to get out its strategic crisis as it found armed conflict with Israel to be ineffective 55 nbsp Near Gaza s border with Israel in 2018 The principal demand of the protests was the right of return for Palestinian refugees and their descendants to present day Israel A majority of Gaza s population consists of refugees from the 1948 Palestine War and their descendants 56 Israel rejects any right of return fearing that Jews would become a minority in Israel if too many Palestinians returned 57 Gaza s no go zone and border barrier In late 2005 after the Israeli disengagement from Gaza the Israeli military imposed a no go zone on the interior side of the Gaza Israel border in response to rocket fire from Gaza falling on Israeli towns 58 In 2023 this zone was around 300 meters wide 59 According to the Israel Defense Force IDF this is done to prevent the concealment of improvised explosives and to disrupt and prevent the use of the area for destructive purposes citation needed The border fence between Gaza and Israel the separation barrier is composed of a crude barbed wire barrier a brief gap and then a 10 feet 3 0 m high smart fence with sensors to detect infiltrators A crowd surging towards the fence could cross the fence in some 30 seconds according to one of the contractors who built it 60 Idea organization and strategyThe idea for a peaceful protest by Gazans demanding their right of return to Israel dates to the early 2010s Ahmed Abu Ratima a Palestinian journalist 61 proposed a protest of this sort in a Facebook post 62 Gazan journalist Muthana al Najjar initiated the protest in 2018 by pitching a tent near the border for over a month 63 It gained support from Gazan intellectuals like Atef Abu Saif and graduates of Gazan universities who were said to have drawn inspiration from the examples of Martin Luther King Jr and Mahatma Gandhi 64 The protests were eventually endorsed by most significant Palestinian political groups including Hamas and its primary political opponent Fatah 64 Other factions such as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and supporters of Muhammad Dahlan who was expelled from Fatah in 2011 also endorsed the protests 65 The organizers tried to keep the protest independent from Hamas and other political groups but by March 2018 Hamas had become heavily involved in organizing them 63 Local newspapers television and social media mobilized Gazans to join the March Hamas also ordered its own soldiers to take part To maximize the credibility of the protests it reportedly planned to keep the peace by having plain clothed security personnel move among the protestors 66 The protests were planned for six weeks starting on 30 March to call for the lifting of the blockade the fulfilling the right of return having been made public in advance 67 TimelinePrior incidents See also List of violent incidents in the Israeli Palestinian conflict 2018 There was some violence between Israel and Gaza militants in the months leading up to the protests In February 2018 four IDF soldiers were injured by an explosive device concealed in a Palestinian flag placed on the Gazan border fence during a Palestinian protest 68 Israel reacted with airstrikes on Hamas military positions 69 Over the following days Israel and Hamas exchanged further rocket fire tank fire and further airstrikes 68 The following month the IDF fired some ten Iron Dome missiles to intercept what the IDF sensors interpreted to be rockets but which later turned out to be high trajectory machine gun fire during Hamas military exercises 70 71 In the week prior to 30 March the IDF arrested a suspect who crossed into Israeli territory from northern Gaza two Palestinians were seen near the now defunct Karni crossing container port trying to set fire to army engineering equipment close to the border fence a group of four Palestinians infiltrated Israel near Kissufim and 3 Gazans armed with grenades and knives crossed the border and were captured some 20 kilometers 12 mi from the border near Tze elim 72 73 30 March 2018 The first protest took place on 30 March 2018 around 500 to 700 metres 1 600 to 2 300 ft from the Israel Gaza border fence 74 The date was chosen to coincide with Land Day 30 000 Palestinians participated 25 The majority of the demonstrators in the encampments were away from the border security and did not engage in violence 56 Hundreds of young Palestinians however ignored warnings by the organizers and the Israeli military to avoid the border zone 75 Some began throwing stones and Molotov cocktails to which Israel responded by declaring the Gaza border zone a closed military zone and opening fire at them 56 The events of the day were some of the most violent in recent years 76 In one incident two Palestinian gunmen approached the fence armed with AK 47 assault rifles and hand grenades and exchanged fire with IDF soldiers They were killed and their bodies were recovered by the IDF 77 78 79 That day 15 Palestinians were killed by the IDF in addition to one farmer who was allegedly killed by artillery fire in the morning prior to the protests The IDF said a tank fired at two men who acted suspiciously near the border fence and did not confirm if one of them was killed 25 The profile of the 15 men who were killed by the IDF was a subject of debate The IDF published an infographic with the pictures of ten of those killed saying they were members of militant terrorist organizations of the seven were Hamas militants and activists one was a global jihad activist and one was a member of the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militant group Some of them appear in military uniform in their pictures 77 Hamas however said that only five of its members were killed that day 80 and one of the men the IDF said was a Hamas operative was a member of the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades according to the organization itself 81 According to the IDF among those Hamas confirmed were its members were a company commander and an operative in Hamas tunnel warfare project 77 Three other Palestinians who were shot on 30 March succumbed to their wounds in the following days One of them was a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad The organization said he was unarmed when he was shot 82 83 One notable casualty and an example of this debate is a 19 year old Palestinian who was seen in footage citation needed from the protest being shot in his back while holding a tire and running away from the fence The IDF said he was a member of Hamas 77 a claim Hamas did not confirm 80 and his family denied stating he was a restaurant worker The IDF described the footage as edited and fabricated 77 His funeral did not involve the honors usually given to slain Palestinian fighters 84 Another 20 year old man was shot according to his brother in the head while smoking a cigarette while standing behind a group of stone throwers 85 Disagreement exists also about the number of those injured that day According to the Gaza Health Ministry over 1 400 Palestinians suffered injuries According to various Palestinian medical sources around 800 were wounded with live ammunition while the remaining were injured by rubber coated projectiles and tear gas The IDF on the other hand estimated only a few dozens were injured with live fire 86 87 88 Protests continued on a lower scale throughout the week following the 30 March events The IDF continued to fire at Palestinians along the border fence 89 A video was published in social media on Sunday 2 April showing a 19 year old man among a group of protesters placing a tire on another burning tire to make it catch on fire then waving his hands in celebration He is then seemingly shot in the head by Israeli soldiers Palestinian sources reported he was critically wounded 90 91 During the week of 30 March 2018 two Palestinians were killed in two different incidents In the first a Palestinian member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine DFLP was shot by Israeli forces after he breached the fence and entered Israel The IDF published a video from an observation camera showing the man hitting the fence with what seems to be a metal pipe when four other people stand behind him He then breaches the fence and enters along with another man which is when warning shots were probably fired The video cuts before the man was shot and it is unclear in what circumstances was he shot and killed 92 In another incident an Israeli aircraft attacked an allegedly armed Palestinian who approached the fence 93 The IDF published a video from an observance camera showing the man walking slowly towards the fence holding what appears to be an assault rifle The army also said he was equipped with grenades and a suicide vest The incident took place before dawn 94 In addition to these events on 1 April the IDF arrested four unarmed Palestinians who entered into Israel illegally 95 6 April Protest organizers and Hamas called for renewed demonstrations on the Gaza Istrael border the following Friday 6 April The IDF stated that it intended to use the same force as the preceding week to prevent infiltrations of Israeli territory 96 Between 31 March and 6 April demonstrators gathered tires in Gaza to be burnt on 6 April in preparation for what was dubbed the Day of the Tire Arabic Jumat al Kawshook 97 98 99 Israeli officials have cautioned that the mass burning of tires along the border can produce environmental harm calling on the World Health Organization to prevent what they termed an ecological catastrophe 99 Thousands of Palestinians joined in 6 April demonstrations the IDF estimated their number at 20 000 people 100 Palestinian medical sources reported that 9 Palestinians were killed 1 350 were injured and 25 were in critical condition and that approximately 400 of those injured were hit by live ammunition 101 102 Another Palestinian who was shot that day succumbed to his wounds on 9 April 103 104 Among those killed was Yaser Murtaja a 30 year old Palestinian photographer who according to Palestinian Health Ministry was shot in the stomach by an Israeli sniper despite wearing a jacket emblazoned with press to identify him as a journalist According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate seven other Palestinian journalists were injured by the Israelis during that day s protest 102 Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in response that anyone who flies drones over IDF soldiers puts himself at risk 105 According to Israeli security sources Murtaja was an officer in Hamas security apparatus and attempted to smuggle a drone to Gaza in 2015 106 Hamas as well as Murtaja s family denied the allegation 107 In addition to Murtaja five other journalists were injured on 6 April according to the Committee to Protect Journalists five from live fire and one from shrapnel 108 8 12 April On the evening of 8 April according to the IDF three Palestinians infiltrated the fence in the Northern Gaza strip planted two explosive devices and then quickly returned to Gaza The IDF fired at the Palestinians with tank fire 109 In the early morning of 9 April the IDF said it attacked a military compound belonging to Hamas in the northern Gaza strip in response to the attempted infiltration with explosives The IDF said Hamas is solely responsible for what is happening in the Gaza Strip from above and below the ground 110 On the morning of 11 April Palestinians set off a bomb near an Israeli construction vehicle adjacent to the Gaza fence The IDF fired tank shells at positions that it said belonged to Hamas 111 On 12 April Israeli aircraft attacked Hamas targets in the northern Gaza Strip in retaliation for the previous days bomb attack close to the border fence Hamas fighters east of Shuja iyya targeted the aircraft with machine gun fire and several of the bullets fell on a home in Israel An Israeli airstrike targeted them killing one Hamas fighter and wounding another The Hamas fighter who was killed was identified as Mohammed Hamada Hijila It was subsequently reported that he had taken part in an infamous raid on an Israeli border post in which five Israeli soldiers had been killed during the 2014 Israel Gaza conflict 112 113 114 13 April Protests on a third consecutive Friday were smaller than prior weeks The IDF estimated that 10 000 people protested on 13 April 115 Palestinians attempted to breach the border fence hurled molotov cocktails and explosive devices and attempted to fly firebomb kites into Israeli territory 116 During the protests the IDF killed three Palestinians Islam Hirzallah who was hit by live ammunition to the abdomen 115 117 Tahrir Mahmoud Wahba who is deaf was fatally wounded and died on 23 April 118 Ahmed Abu Hussein a photojournalist wearing a protective vest marked press 119 was also fatally wounded and died in Sheba Hospital in Tel HaShomer on 25 April after being transferred for treatment 120 The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that 969 people were injured by Israeli forces among them were 67 children and 223 people hit by live ammunition Fifteen of the people sustaining live fire injuries were in critical condition late on 13 April 121 14 16 April On 14 April four Palestinians were killed in a blast near one of the protest camps 122 the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine said that they were members of the organization and that they died during preparations 123 Several kites with firebombs attached were flown by Palestinians into Israeli territory sparking several fires with at least 3 fire bomb kites located on 14 April No injuries were caused 124 On 15 April the IDF said it destroyed a tunnel that crossed the Gaza Israel border 125 On 16 April additional fire bomb kites were flown from the Gaza strip One kite started a fire that burned a wheat field on the Israeli side of the border 126 20 April Protests on Friday 20 April have been labeled the Women s March of Gaza and were intended to highlight the active role women are playing in the protest 127 The IDF estimates that 10 000 people participated in protests 128 At least four Palestinians were killed on 20 April 129 among them a 15 year old boy and over four dozen were injured by Israeli soldiers 130 Another Palestinian later died of wounds sustained that day 131 Before the expected protests the IDF dropped leaflets over Gaza Strip warning anyone against approaching the fence or attempting to damage it 132 Five Palestinians were fatally shot on by Israeli live fire on 20 April Mohammad Ayoub of Al Falouja neighborhood in Jabalia refugee camp was fatally shot in the head 133 His brother and cousin who were eyewitnesses to his shooting stated that Ayoub was sitting on the ground then ran to escape the effects of tear gas at which time he was shot 134 Ayoub was the fourth Palestinian child to be killed during the protests 134 Ahmed Abu Aqel 25 of Jabalia Abu Aqel was shot a previous demonstration over US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017 He walks on crutches due to the injury and was on a sand dune 150 meters from the fence at the time of his shooting according to the non profit organisation Al Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza Israeli forces fatally shot him to the back of the head 135 Ahmed Al Athamna 24 of Beit Hanoun was fatally shot by bullet to the upper back according to Al Mezan 135 Sa ad Abu Taha was fatally shot in the neck in eastern Khan Younis He was approximately 100 meters from the border according to Al Mezan 135 Abdullah Shamali was injured by a bullet to his abdomen east of Rafah and died on the night of 22 23 April 136 The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 445 people were injured in protests including 96 who were shot with live ammunition 137 174 people were hospitalized while the remainder were treated at clinic tents at the protest sites 137 27 April According to Israeli military estimates over 10 000 people gathered to join the day s protest themed the Day of Rebellious Youth 138 21 For the first time in the five week campaign protesters reached the electrified border fence having passed a smaller barbed wire barrier Israeli soldiers fired shots and threw a hand grenade at a group of twelve men climbing the fence hitting several in the head 139 A large crowd the IDF reported several hundred The New York Times thousands of people rushed toward the Karni border crossing after a speech by Hamas leader Ismail Radwan The IDF launched tear gas and opened fire with live ammunition at the crowd injuring several people 21 139 Israeli military sources state that at least two armed Palestinians among the large crowd approached the border and fired at least seven rounds at Israeli soldiers According to The New York Times retaliatory Israeli fire which included a hand grenade wounded two unarmed protesters 139 The Gaza Ministry of Health initially reported that three Palestinians were killed all of them by bullets to the head 140 Two more Palestinians later died of wounds suffered on 27 April Overall Palestinian reports stated that 884 protesters had been wounded some 174 by live Israeli fire 141 Four medical staff and six journalists were among those wounded 138 Azzam Oweida was shot in the head and died on 28 April 142 Anas Abu Asr was fatally wounded near Gaza City and died on 3 May 143 On the night of 27 April the Israeli Air Force attacked six targets in the Port of Gaza belonging to Hamas naval commando forces injuring four people The Israeli army said it was responding to terror acts and the major attempt to infiltrate the border into Israeli territory earlier in the day 144 29 April Three separate incidents along the fence occurred during the evening of 29 April between the IDF and Palestinians 145 In the first incident the IDF said that two men attempted to infiltrate Israel from the southern strip one was killed and the other captured after being wounded In the second incident the IDF said that two men who had crossed the fence hurled explosive devices at IDF soldiers before they shot and killed them 146 In a third incident two Palestinians with breaching tools and knives were arrested while attempting to breach the fence 145 nbsp Protesters throwing rocks at IDF soldiers at Gaza border 2 7 May A firebomb kite launched from Gaza caused a large fire in the Be eri Forest burning hundreds of dunams of woodland Ten firefighter teams toiled to extinguish and contain the forest fire 147 Protesters organized for 4 May as the Friday of the Palestinian Worker in honor of International Workers Day earlier in the week 148 Israeli officials estimated that 10 000 people participated in the protests 22 Shortly after noon confrontations began between protesters who threw stones burned tires and launched flammable kites and Israeli soldiers who fired tear gas and live ammunition 148 By evening medical officials estimated that 1 100 protesters were injured including 82 shot with live ammunition and 800 suffering from the effects of tear gas 148 22 Two off the shelf drones used by IDF were shot down by Palestinian slingshots 22 Protesters entered and damaged property used by Israeli forces at Kerem Shalom border crossing Israeli officials said the property was on the Palestinian side of the border The damage included burning a pipeline that Israel uses to supply fuel to Gaza 22 149 Palestinians had prepared hundreds of firebomb kites intending to fly them as swarms into Israel exploiting the heavy heat wave to ignite fires however since the wind was blowing in the wrong direction to the west The wind also blew tear gas and smoke from burning tires westwards into the Palestinian crowd chasing many away 150 On 5 May six Hamas operatives were killed in an explosion in Deir al Balah A statement by Hamas military wing blamed Israel stating that it was a heinous crime that has been committed against its fighters The IDF spokesperson stated that the IDF is not involved in this incident in any way A Palestinian a source for Haaretz said that it was an explosion resulting from the handling of explosives inside a building 151 The IDF struck a Hamas outpost in northern Gaza which was used to launch burning objects at Israeli territory Maj Avichai Adraee tweeted Attack kites are not a kids game and we don t see it that way Hamas is using you Gazans and is pushing you toward the circle of terrorism while Shai Hajaj head of Merhavim Regional Council in southern Israel said When the courts in Jerusalem are discussing petitions from left wing organizations to tie the hands of the soldiers standing in front of the Gaza protesters who want to break through the fence the arson continues in the field of farmers We demand that the IDF stop this Palestinian violence immediately 152 On 6 May three Palestinians were killed at the southern end of the Gaza border fence According to the IDF they were carrying petrol bombs an ax wire cutters an oxygen mask and gloves 153 On 7 May Incendiary balloons launched from the Gaza strip set fire to a wheat field near Mefalsim and to the Be eri Forest Similar to the firebomb kites the incendiary balloon lofted an already lit Molotov cocktail The normally prevailing westerly winds propel the balloons to Israel and the burning Molotov cocktail causes the balloons to explode in midair with burning material falling to the ground below 154 It was reported by Haaretz that Hamas found itself in an unprecedented crisis and dire situation and attempting to enter negotiations with Israel about establishing a long term truce in order to ease the siege of the enclave and lower tensions without as far as it is known obtaining any clear response from Israel The Israeli reluctance might according to defense correspondent Amos Harel lead to an explosion of rage on the forthcoming occasion of Nakba Day 155 11 13 May 15 000 demonstrators took part in Friday protests on 11 May Some of them burned tires in the hope the smoke would provide cover for saboteurs to destroy and cross the border fence and threw grenades pipe bombs and stones at Israeli troops A 40 year old Palestinian was killed and 973 were injured seven of them critically The IDF used new small remote controlled aircraft with knives on their wings to counter incendiary kites launched from Gaza downing more than 40 kites 156 Palestinians broke into the Kerem Shalom border crossing the main conduit of goods in and of the strip setting a gas pipeline alight damaging a fuel pipe and torching a conveyor belt 157 The Israeli air force destroyed an underground attack tunnel that reached just a few meters away from the border 157 On 12 May Israel announced that the Kerem Shalom border crossing will remain closed until the damage caused by the riots are repaired and will reopen in accordance with a situation assessment opening only for humanitarian cases until such a decision is made 157 On 13 May Israeli soldiers fired at Palestinians approaching within 75 feet 23 m of the fence Alaa Asawafiri a 26 year old woman who was part of a group of women shouting towards the fence was shot in the stomach and hospitalised in critical condition 158 14 May Protests and violence on 14 May coincided with the ceremony marking the relocation of the U S embassy to Jerusalem which international media regarded as the reason for increased tensions 159 Both events were timed to mark 70 years since the foundation of Israel 160 During the protests the IDF used live fire leading to 52 Gazan fatalities and injuring more than 1200 according to Gaza health officials making it the bloodiest day in Gaza since the end of the 2014 war 161 By the end of the day at least 60 Palestinians were reported to have been killed 162 when Hamas claim 50 of them as its militants 36 37 and Islamic Jihad claimed 3 members of its military wing 38 Palestinian sources said that about 2700 were injured 160 163 Some of those who were killed or injured included health care workers providing medical care to the protesters 164 165 One of the wounded subsequently died on 13 August 166 One Israeli sniper later stated that on this day he and his locator broke the standing record for knee shots that day managing to make 42 hits 167 The Israel Defense Forces IDF reported that during the day a Hamas squad attempted to breach the border fence with Israel and opened fire on Israeli forces All eight attackers were killed by Israeli troops in the exchange of gunfire The IDF released video of the incident 168 The IDF said three of those killed had attempted to plant explosives at the border fence and that in two incidents Israeli troops opened fire after they were shot at 169 The Israeli Air Force attacked five Hamas targets in a Jabalia training camp in response to the attempt at planting explosives and shooting at IDF troops 170 Israel said that Most of the people killed belonged to the Hamas terror group and some to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and that at least 24 of the people killed were later identified as known members of terrorist organizations 171 One Israeli soldier was lightly wounded by what was believed to be a stone thrown by a Palestinian 170 Likud s Avi Dichter reassured the Knesset that he was not concerned about any possible breach of the border fence since the IDF has enough bullets for everyone 172 Hamas political bureau member Salah al Bardawi said that 50 of the 62 killed in the protests from 14 to 15 May were Hamas members adding that these were official numbers though he did not specify whether they were members of Hamas armed or political wing 173 174 175 Speaking to CNN a Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif Quanau said he could not confirm or deny these numbers and that The protests are peaceful and include all political and military factions 176 Amira Hass an Israeli journalist for Haaretz received al Bardawi s statement with skepticism saying that one her friends in Gaza told her that this figure of 50 is another typical exaggeration of ours 177 Islamic Jihad said three members of its Saraya al Quds military wing were among those killed An Islamic Jihad official said those killed were unarmed and participating in a legitimate protest 178 nbsp Protest in San Sebastian Spain 15 May 2018 showing an Israel flag crossed out nbsp Solidarity with Gaza Palestinians in Pamplona 15 May 2018 A spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Commission Rupert Colville called the killings an outrageous human rights violation by Israel 179 Zeid Ra ad al Hussein the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account 179 Numerous countries expressed concern with the killings including Russia France Germany and the UK 160 Germany the UK Ireland and Belgium called for an independent inquiry 180 The United States said the deaths were tragic and placed responsibility on Hamas stating that Israel has the right to defend its borders 181 South Africa withdrew its ambassador to Israel citing the indiscriminate and grave manner of the latest Israeli attack 182 Turkey s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressing Turkish students in London in a speech broadcast by Turkey s state television said that Turkey would recall its ambassadors from Israel and the U S and said that Israel s action against Palestinian protesters was genocide 183 184 This statement started a diplomatic row between Turkish and Israeli leaders causing the Knesset to propose that Israel officially recognize the killing of over a million Armenians by Ottoman Turkey in the early 20th century as an act of genocide which modern day Turkey has never acknowledged 185 15 16 May Protest organizers declared a day of mourning for those killed on the prior day 186 Fewer people attended protests at the border One protester was killed according to the Gaza Health Ministry 186 On 16 May Several houses in the Israeli city of Sderot were hit by machine gun fire from Gaza causing damage but no injuries 187 Israel said Hamas curbed Gaza protests after pressure from Egypt 188 22 May A group of Palestinians crossed the border fence on 22 May and set fire to an abandoned IDF post near Bureij Following the incident IDF tanks fired at a Hamas post in the area of the incident 189 190 25 May Some 1 600 Gazans attended the weekly Friday protests in two locations on 25 May In one of the locations dozens of youth reached less than 300 meters from the fence and burnt tires East of the Gaza city reached the fence and tried to open it The IDF Spokesperson s unit reported Palestinians threw an improvised explosive device towards soldiers The IDF responded to the events with crowd control means and live ammunition hurting at least 109 Palestinians ten of whom from live ammunition according to medical sources in Gaza Firebomb kites were also flown by the Palestinians towards Israel and were shot down by Israeli soldiers Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar visited one of the protest camps 191 1 June The Gaza Ministry of Health stated that 100 protesters were injured 40 with live ammunition and that among the casualties Razan Ashraf al Najjar a young female paramedic 192 dressed in medical staff uniform was shot dead by snipers who had opened fire on a group of five paramedics as they moved to assist wounded demonstrators near the fence Numerous protests continued Israeli firefighters were called in to douse fires on their side of the border tires were burned some attempts were made to damage the border fence military vehicles were fired on and one infiltrator entered Israel set off a grenade and returned to the Strip 193 194 22 June On the afternoon on 22 June an estimated 7 000 participants protested at the border By evening 200 people had suffered injuries including 8 minors 195 29 June On 29 June Yasser Abu al Najja died of wounds to the head near eastern Khan Younis while Muhammad Fawzi Muhammad al Hamaydeh died of wounds to his stomach and legs east of Rafah 196 According to the Gaza Ministry of Health further 415 suffered injuries from gunfire or tear gas inhalation with three in a critical condition 197 6 15 July March of Return 3 000 Gazans took part in the regular Friday protest 396 were injured 57 by live fire 198 Zahadia Haniyeh a niece of Hamas leader Ismael Haniyeh was reportedly shot in the stomach while Mohammed Abu Halima was shot dead with a bullet wound to the chest 198 199 On 13 July two Palestinian children Othman Rami Halas and Muhammad Nasser Sharab were killed by Israeli live fire the former near eastern Gaza City the latter near in eastern Khan Younis During the day s demonstrations a further 68 to 200 Gazans were reportedly injured 200 201 An IDF officer was wounded by a hand grenade thrown by Palestinian assailants during clashes at the border fence 202 8 On 14 July two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike and four Israelis were wounded by mortar fire from Gaza in what the New York Times described as the most severe exchange of fire between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since the 2014 war 203 According to an IDF spokesman Saturday s operation aimed to stop arson attacks attempted border breaches and assaults on soldiers from Gaza that have grown increasingly violent 204 Hamas and allied Islamic militant groups fired 100 to 174 projectiles from Gaza into Israel one mortar struck a synagogue in Sderot 203 205 16 July Israeli news media outlets announced that in response to firebomb kites flown by Gaza militants the Israeli government would temporarily suspend deliveries of gas and petrol through the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza and will also limit offshore fishing to half the previous maritime limit 206 207 208 Palestinians outfitted a falcon with a harness with a flammable material strung at the end of a steel wire and sent the bird across the border attempting to start a fire in Israel 209 20 July Four Palestinians were killed and an estimated 120 Gazans were injured including a 14 year old with a bullet shot to the head 210 211 Fire exchange This section may contain information not important or relevant to the article s subject Please help improve this section Learn how and when to remove this message On 20 July an Israeli soldier was killed near the Gaza border allegedly by a Palestinian sniper 212 7 213 In response the Israeli army retaliated with air attacks and tank fire aimed at eight military Hamas posts east of Khan Yunis and near the southern Rafah Four Hamas military wing members were killed in the exchange of fire 212 214 215 216 217 Following the strikes three rockets were fired into Israeli communities around Gaza Two projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome and another fell in an open field 218 United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov tweeted everyone in Gaza needs to step back from the brink Not next week Not tomorrow Right NOW Those who want to provoke Palestinians and Israelis into another war must not succeed 219 According to Hamas there was a ceasefire agreed upon afterwards but Israel did not comment 220 221 21 July Several Palestinians crossed the border fence into Israel then returned to Gaza s territory 222 An IDF tank fired at a Hamas post in northern Gaza in response 223 224 27 July Two Palestinians Majdi Ramzi Kamal al Satri and Ghazi Muhammad Abu Mustafa were shot dead with bullets to the head east of Rafah and east of Khan Younis respectively A further 246 were reportedly injured Three paramedics among the injured sustained moderate wounds at eastern Jabaliya 225 3 August Eight Palestinians were reportedly shot east of Khan Younis in 19 March which was conducted under the slogan of Martyr of Jerusalem Muhammad Youssef a 17 year old killed earlier 226 7 8 August Israel killed two Hamas members in Gaza on 7 August Hamas said that the two men were snipers taking part in an live fire exercise in Gazan territory Israel stated that the gunmen fired on its soldiers and an Israeli tank shelled them in response 227 Gaza militants fired rockets into Israel and the Israeli military responded with air strikes on 8 August 228 The Washington Post reported than 180 rockets and other rounds of munition were fired into Israel with the Israeli air force firing at about 150 targets in the Gaza Strip A pregnant Palestinian woman and her daughter a toddler were killed 229 10 August Abdullah Al Qatati a Palestinian medic died after being shot in the head by a sniper Ahmad Jamal Abu Luli died after being shot in the pelvis Ali Said al Aloul was the third fatality in the shootings 307 Palestinians were reportedly injured 70 including 28 children five paramedics and two journalists were wounded by live fire five critically One attempt was made to cross the border and a grenade was reportedly thrown 230 231 17 August 241 Palestinians were reportedly wounded some 40 by live fire 18 minors were among those injured Two Palestinians were shot dead one identified as Karim Abu Fatayir east of al Bureij refugee camp and the other identified as Saadi Akram Muammar east of Rafah 232 24 August 189 Palestinians were reportedly injured 50 by live ammunition and the others by rubber coated steel bullets or tear gas inhalation 73 were hospitalized 233 12 October nbsp View from the Israeli side of the border on 5 October Seven Palestinians were killed in violent protests along the border fence 234 Four Palestinians were shot dead after they crossed into Israeli territory and approached a sniper s post 235 CasualtiesFatalities and injuries between 30 March and 31 December 2018 28 6 Gaza Israel Live ammunition fatalities 183 0 Live ammunition injuries 6106 0 Shrapnel injuries 1576 1 Rubber coated bullet injuries 438 0 Tear gas canister injuries 1084 0 Stone explosive injuries 0 4 One Israeli soldier was injured due to shrapnel from a grenade thrown by a Palestinian from inside Gaza and one Israeli soldier was killed by Palestinian sniper fire near the fence but outside of the context of the protests 236 The head of the World Health Organization WHO s office in Gaza Gerald Rockenschaub described the casualties as overwhelming an already weak health care system the deteriorating humanitarian situation is extremely worrying Hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed with the influx of injured patients With further escalations expected during the coming weeks the increasing numbers of injured patients requiring urgent medical care is likely to devastate Gaza s already weakened health system placing even more lives at risk 237 According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza 69 ambulances were damaged 238 Doctors Without Borders released a statement on 14 May 2018 calling the Israeli response inhuman and unacceptable saying that the hospitals in Gaza were overwhelmed and in a chaotic situation comparable to the 2014 Israel Gaza conflict It stated that most of the wounded will be condemned to suffer lifelong injuries 239 Human Rights Watch HRW observers stated with regard to 30 March while some protesters near the border fence burned tires and threw rocks HRW could find no evidence of any protester using firearms or any IDF claim of threatened firearm use at the demonstrations The organization said there is evidence of Palestinians who did not pose any threat to Israeli guards being shot 42 B Tselem said that shooting unarmed demonstrators is illegal and the command that allows it is manifestly illegal 43 On 29 April 2018 with the death toll at 44 an Israeli officer claimed that most of the deaths were unintentional and that the snipers aimed for protesters legs but sometimes missed the bullets ricocheted or the protesters suddenly bent over 240 Characterization of the injuries caused by Israeli fire The Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East UNRWA stated that the ammunition used by Israel caused severe internal damage to internal organs muscle tissue and bones A Palestinian doctor interviewed by CNN stated that about a half of the wounded people would never walk normally again 241 The head of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza wrote a letter to The British Medical Journal stating that from the appearance of the wounds there appears to have been systematic use by IDF snipers of ammunition with an expanding butterfly effect and stated that since the surgical procedures and rehabilitation facilities are not available in Gaza due to 2014 conflict and the blockade of Gaza mass lifelong disability is now the prospect facing Gazan citizens largely young 242 The Israeli military stated that they only used normal sniper ammunition and fired at the feet and legs to minimize civilian casualties 241 According to Amnesty International who interviewed military experts and a forensic pathologist many of the wounds observed by doctors in Gaza are consistent with those caused by high velocity Israeli manufactured Tavor rifles using 5 56mm military ammunition Other wounds bear the hallmarks of US manufactured M24 Remington sniper rifles shooting 7 62mm hunting ammunition which expand and mushroom inside the body The nature of these injuries shows that Israeli soldiers are using high velocity military weapons designed to cause maximum harm to Palestinian protesters who do not pose an imminent threat to them 236 Killing of medical personnel There have been several accusations of Israel attacking medical personnel On 18 April the Palestinian human rights organization Al Haq accused Israel of shooting at civilians who were providing medical assistance to the wounded 243 The Gaza based human rights organization Al Mezan stated on 25 April that Israel had shot two paramedics working with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society It also stated that the situation has been compounded by Israel s refusal to allow personal safety equipment into Gaza including respirators 244 A Canadian doctor Tarek Loubani was one of 19 medical personnel shot on 14 May He stated that he was clearly marked and believed that he was targeted by the Israeli military One of the paramedics who treated Loubani was killed later on the same day Canada s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was appalled at the shooting of Loubani and called for an immediate independent investigation to thoroughly examine the facts on the ground including any incitement violence and the excessive use of force 245 246 In June 2018 Palestinian nurse Rouzan al Najjar was fatally shot in the chest as she reportedly with her arms raised to show she was unarmed 247 tried to help evacuate the wounded near Israel s border fence with Gaza 248 Other notable casualties An eight month old child Leila al Ghandour was widely reported following an initial statement by the Gaza Health ministry to have been a victim of tear gas at the border 249 The following day the Gaza Health Ministry announced that it was not certain of the cause of death and two weeks later struck her name off the official list of people killed during the protests 250 251 In a court case against a Fatah al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militant who had been captured on the border the indictment stated that man in question was a relative of the deceased s parents and had stated the latter had been paid by Yahya Sinwar the head of Izz ad Din al Qassam Brigades in Gaza about US 2 200 to report to the media that she had died of tear gas inhalation rather than from a pre existing medical condition 250 252 Prevalence of militants among the killed Israeli defense sources claimed that a large fraction of those killed were members or otherwise affiliated with Palestinian militant organizations According to Israel the demonstrations provided cover for attacks by militants 253 254 On 11 April the military affiliated Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center ITIC published a report in which it stated that 26 of the 32 persons killed belonged to or were affiliated with Palestinian militant groups 255 256 The report identified thirteen of these as belonging to the military wings of these organizations and six as members of the Gaza security forces 257 On 14 May when 59 to 62 Palestinians were killed Hamas claimed 50 of them 36 37 and Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed three as members of its military wing 38 On 8 June ITIC stated that it had identified 124 of the 127 Gazans reportedly killed in demonstrations since March It reported that 102 of the killed were affiliated with either the militant or civilian wings of Fatah Hamas PIJ the DFLP or the PFLP 258 Legal casesTwo Palestinians Yousef Karnaz and Mohammad Al Ajouri each had to have one of their legs amputated after Israeli authorities denied their requests to receive medical treatment at a better equipped hospital in the West Bank Israeli authorities issued a statement claiming that The main consideration for the refusal stems from the fact that their medical condition is a function of their participation in the disturbances 259 The Israeli Arab minority rights organization Adalah and Al Mezan petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to grant an emergency hearing to consider the request on 12 April but as the Court decided to give the Israeli government three days to respond and due to this delay doctors were forced to amputate their legs 259 260 On 15 April four Israeli human rights organizations Yesh Din Gisha HaMoked and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel jointly petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to revoke the rules of engagement used by the IDF in response to the protests They argued that there is no prohibition on demonstrating in Gaza and that if incidents of violence or attempts to cross the fence occur during demonstrations they alone constitute civil disturbances of the peace In such disturbances the law permits live fire only in cases of immediate mortal danger 261 In response the Israeli government refused to disclose its rules of engagement publicly but said they comply with Israeli law and with international law 262 The government indicated that it views the protests as part of the armed conflict between the Hamas terror organization and Israel with all that this implies On 24 May 2018 the Supreme Court rejected the petition ruling that the protests were not unarmed protests but a part of an armed conflict which were used as a cover to carry out terror attacks against Israel and risk Israeli lives 263 On 16 April the Supreme Court ruled that Karnaz must be allowed to exit Gaza to receive medical treatment in the West Bank to save his remaining leg 264 InvestigationsOn 5 April 2018 the IDF announced that its Southern Command would conduct an internal investigation into the deaths of civilians during the prior week 265 Brigadier General Moti Baruch was appointed to lead a second government investigation 266 Press reports indicate that Baruch s investigation will focus on incidents which appear to have a cause for inquiry 266 On 18 March 2019 a three person United Nations commission urged Israeli authorities to step up their investigations into Israeli troops shootings of Palestinian demonstrators during the protests The U N investigators believe that the shootings may have constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity 6 The commission of inquiry presented the United Nations Human Rights Council a full 250 page report 267 TacticsPalestinian tactics Observers from the International Rescue Committee and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the majority of protesters acted nonviolently on 30 March 79 and 6 April 101 On both of the larger protest days hundreds of primarily young men approached or entered the 300 metre exclusion zone declared by Israeli military forces thrown stones hurled Molotov cocktails and attempted to plant Palestinian flags 101 79 A New York Times account described the purpose of approaching the fence as a powerful statement of defiance bravery and national pride among Palestinians 268 The Israeli military accused Hamas of using the protests as a guise to launch attacks against Israel and warned about further reprisals 27 IDF spokesperson Ronen Manelis said that Hamas was forcing bus companies to transport people to the border for 6 April protests 96 Israeli politicians repeated their accusations that Hamas utilizes protesters as human shields 96 The United States Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt stated with regards to the planned 6 April protest that they condemn leaders and protestors who call for violence or who send protestors including children to the fence knowing that they may be injured or killed 269 Tent encampment Organizers set up five tents 500 to 700 metres 1 600 to 2 300 ft from the border and during the campaign their number grew to several dozen Each tent was labeled with the town or village from which its occupants were expelled 127 In the encampment protesters slept ate lived on the site which also hosted religious gatherings and weddings 270 268 Protests near the camps were large diverse in participation and peaceful 271 Many engaged in sit in protests organized around their tents Earthen embankments were erected near the 300 m 980 ft mark to try to shield those further away from Israeli sniper fire 45 Tire burning Palestinians frequently burned tires and t shirts which produced thick smoke and obstructed the sightlines of Israeli snipers 100 To this end thousands of old tires were collected from around the Gaza Strip and transported to the border Often young men would roll burning tires towards the fence to set it on fire and to create smokescreens 272 273 Mask usage Palestinian protesters wore masks to protect themselves both from tear gas inhalation and to obscure their faces as it was speculated that the Israeli military was identifying and targeting known militants 100 268 Incendiary kites and balloons Main article Palestinian airborne arson attacks nbsp Crop fields near Kibbutz Be eri burnt by incendiary kite sent from the Gaza Strip In April 2018 Palestinians begun launching incendiary kites and balloons over the border some of which set fire to Israeli crop fields and forests 124 147 As of early June roughly 5 000 dunams of Israeli crop fields had been burned by kites launched from Gaza with an estimated economic loss of US 1 4 million 274 275 in addition to 2 100 dunams of Jewish National Fund forests in the area and 4 000 to 5 000 dunams in the Besor Forest Nature Reserve 276 The New York Times reported one of its journalists sighting vast stretches of scorched earth with losses to Israeli agriculture from flaming kites being immense 277 Compensation for casualties Hamas said on 5 April 2018 that it would offer compensation for people injured or killed by Israeli soldiers while participating in the demonstrations Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qasem stated that families to those killed would receive 3 000 and families to severely injured 500 Lightly injured persons would receive 200 278 279 280 Israeli tactics The Israeli military deployed soldiers including snipers and tanks to the border Soldiers opened fire on Palestinians approaching the fence with tear gas rubber bullets and live ammunition 100 Soldiers fired from artificial sand berms that overlooked the protests 268 Israeli tear gas canisters penetrated more than 300 metres 980 ft into the Gaza Strip 45 96 An investigation by B Tselem found that Israeli soldiers launched tear gas at family tents located 400 to 600 metres 1 300 to 2 000 ft from the fence causing hundreds of people to suffer injuries 281 Protest participants interviewed by B Tselem reported cases of suffering from tear gas inhalation and injury from tear gas canister impacts 281 While the IDF has not publicly disclosed its rules of engagement press reports indicate that soldiers are permitted to shoot armed Palestinians within 300 metres 980 ft of the fence and unarmed Palestinians within 100 metres 330 ft 268 The IDF has stated that its soldiers are advised to first fire warning shots then wounding shots before taking fatal shots 268 On 6 April the IDF used industrial sized fans to disperse the smoke and then water cannons in unsuccessful attempts to douse fires from burning tires 46 Worldwide protests nbsp Protest in Tehran Iran 18 May 2018 Demonstrations expressing solidarity with the protesters and condemning the use of lethal force by Israeli forces were held in Israel the US the UK and Australia Thousands of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv Washington D C Boston London Manchester Sheffield Bristol and Melbourne 282 283 Along with 250 others at a Tel Aviv protest Michael Sfard a human rights lawyer and political activist said As an Israeli my duty is to protest against the evils that are done in my name 282 On 31 March 150 Israelis gathered in Yad Mordechai near the Gaza Israel border to protest the IDF s use of deadly force holding banners reading Free Gaza Stop the Massacre and Gaza is Dying 284 On 2 April around 300 Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv outside Likud s party headquarters to protest There was a minor counter protest in Tel Aviv where protesters waved Israeli flags and shouted Israel belongs to Jews A small group of Arab Israelis also protested in Jaffa 284 In Boston eight protesters who chained themselves to the exterior door of the Israeli Consulate were arrested by police for disorderly conduct disturbing the peace and trespassing 283 In London anti Zionist Naturei Karta members joined with protesters to show solidarity with Palestinians citation needed ReactionsStates The escalation of violence in Gaza drew concern from the Arab world Jordan and Egypt condemned Israel s use of force considering recent developments as harmful to brokering peace 285 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exchanged heated remarks over the border clashes Erdogan labeled the Israeli response an inhumane attack amid growing international criticism of the Israeli military 286 Erdogan accused Israel of committing a genocide calling Israel a terrorist state 287 In response to the anti Israeli comments by Erdogan the Knesset discussed the possibility of recognizing the Armenian genocide 288 Australia 289 and United States 290 voiced support for Israel s right to defend itself Costa Rica 291 Egypt 292 France 293 Germany 294 Indonesia 295 Jordan 296 Morocco 297 South Africa 298 Sweden 299 Turkey 300 and the Vatican 301 have criticized the actions of Israel or both sides of the conflict On 15 May British Prime Minister Theresa May said speaking alongside Turkish President Erdogan that There is an urgent need to establish the facts of what happened yesterday through an independent and transparent investigation including why such a volume of live fire was used and what role Hamas played in events 302 U S Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said that Anyone who truly cares about children in Gaza should insist that Hamas immediately stop using children as cannon fodder in its conflict with Israel 290 Supranational organisations nbsp Arab League The Arab League condemned the continuous discrimination and violence against peaceful Palestinian protesters Upon Saudi Arabia s request the Organization held a summit on 17 May in its headquarters in Cairo on a Ministerial level to discuss a proper response to the continuing human rights violations done by Israel 303 nbsp EU On 4 April the European Union expressed deep alarm over the use of live ammunition by Israeli Security Forces as a means of crowd control and called on Israel to investigate every death and prosecute the perpetrators where appropriate 304 nbsp International Criminal Court On 8 April Fatou Bensouda prosecutor for the International Criminal Court issued a public warning to Israelis and Palestinians that violence against civilians in a situation such as the one prevailing in Gaza could constitute crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as could the use of civilian presence for the purpose of shielding military activities 305 306 nbsp UN United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres observed that the situation underlines the urgency of revitalizing the peace process aiming at creating the conditions for a return to meaningful negotiations 307 Speaking to the UN Security Council in a meeting on the situation in the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace said that Gaza was about to explode and called for actions to prevent another war 308 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid bin Ra ad condemned use of excessive force by Israel and said that security forces had to be held to account 309 Elizabeth Throssell a spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the use of deadly force was largely unjustified since such force may only be used as a last resort when there is an imminent threat of death or serious injury An attempt to approach or cross the green line fence by itself certainly does not amount to a threat to life or serious injury that would justify the use of live ammunition the office said 46 310 The United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian territories echoed the argument and stated The killing of demonstrators in violation of these rules and within the context of occupation may amount to willful killing a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention as well as a war crime 311 NGOs Amnesty International On 27 April the organization called for worldwide arms embargo on Israel for its disproportionate response to the protests 309 The Israeli law center Shurat HaDin filed a complaint in the International Criminal Court against Hamas leaders Khaled Mashal Saleh al Arouri and Zahar Jabarin for the use of children as human shields in the conflict along the border based on a clause in the Rome Statute that prohibits recruitment of children under the age of 15 to a militant organization Shurat HaDin Director Nitzana Darshan Leitner stated The death of a 15 year old boy near the Gaza border last week was a direct result of the war crimes committed by Hamas leaders against their own people 312 Individuals On 8 April Defense Minister of Israel Avigdor Lieberman said You have to understand there are no innocent people in the Gaza Strip Everyone has a connection to Hamas Everyone receives a salary from Hamas Those who are trying to challenge us at the border and breach it belong to Hamas military wing 313 On 15 May Israel s ambassador to the UK Mark Regev said Israel did everything we could to avoid the bloodshed at the border with Gaza He told BBC Radio 4 s Today programme We use live fire only in a very measured way in a very surgical way and only when there is no alternative 314 Retired British Colonel Richard Kemp said the March was not a peaceful demonstration but a deliberate and specific intent by terrorist organizations to penetrate the State of Israel and kill civilians and the IDF has no option except to use lethal force to stop such a dangerous threat 315 Legal scholar and European Court of Human Rights judge Sir Stephen Sedley opined that the use of live fire against unarmed protesters was without much question a major crime 316 The Israeli Prime Minister s Arabic language spokesman Ofir Gendelman tweeted in response to a video showing a flag with a swastika lying between two Palestinian flags Hamas terrorists have planted today right on the Gaza Israel border this Nazi flag which was flying between Palestinian flags Hamas proudly declares that its aim is to annihilate Israel amp the Jewish people The genocidal message has been received We will defend our country 317 Israeli historian Zeev Sternhell wrote the weekly killing on the Gaza Strip border is a campaign of barbarism exposing the mentality of the society in whose name the army acts We can do anything we like 318 Five former IDF snipers assisted by Breaking the Silence published a letter expressing shame and sorrow for the killings and stating instructing snipers to shoot to kill unarmed demonstrators who pose no danger to human life is another product of the occupation and military rule over millions of Palestinian people as well as of our country s callous leadership and derailed moral path 319 American columnist Peter Beinart wrote that during the protests Palestinians were running towards the Israeli snipers because their land was fast becoming uninhabitable with the UN predicting Gaza would be unliveable by 2020 320 On 15 May a group of nine prominent Israelis wrote a letter to The Guardian in which they compared the killings on the previous day to the Sharpeville massacre and called for international intervention 321 Criticism of media coverageThe area of the conflict was subject to intense monitoring On the Israeli side of the border observers watched and filmed events using telescopes long lenses and feeds from the cameras drones quadcopters and tethered surveillance balloons hovering over the sites 322 323 Israeli journalists were not permitted by the IDF to approach the area of conflict but kept two kilometres 1 2 mi away 324 Almost from the outset journalist Isabel Kershner observed that the March had given rise to a war of words between the involved parties 48 Surveying the media reaction just after the events of 14 May Haaretz noted that the events were covered extensively with the violence in Gaza juxtaposed with the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem Many headlines focused on the death toll in Gaza and pictures were split between Palestinian protesters wounded and killed alongside pictures of the opening ceremony in Jerusalem The Star omitted the embassy opening and focused on the pictures from Gaza 325 In the aftermath of the conflict the way a number of mainstream newspaper outlets including The New York Times covered the events has become the object of analysis criticism and challenge 323 49 The political scientist Norman Finkelstein takes exception to what he perceives to be The New York Times portrayal of the March as one in which the protests were described as armed confrontations in which Israeli snipers return the fire of protesters notwithstanding the fact that human rights NGOs have stated the demonstrations were overwhelmingly peaceful In particular he mentions articles by David Halbfinger who was embedded among the Israeli snipers 323 277 An IDF spokesman Brig Gen Ronen Manelis wrote for The Wall Street Journal that the world s media had fallen for what he said was a well funded terrorist propaganda operation consisting of lies crafted to win the international propaganda war In the piece Manelis claims that the protests were staged the demonstrators were paid actors and that Hamas orchestrated the violence to capture headlines If he concluded I need to lie like Hamas then I prefer to tell the truth and lose 326 The IDF spokesperson Lt Col Jonathan Conricus thought that graphics from the Palestinian side of the border had allowed Hamas to win a PR battle by a knockout and attributed the result to an Israeli failure to minimize Palestinian casualties 327 Likewise reacting to events just after the first March retired brigadier general Shlomo Brom declared I categorize what happened as a failure The Palestinian aim was to raise international consciousness and to put the Palestinian issue back on the international and Israeli agenda It succeeded 48 Veteran Israeli war correspondent Ron Ben Yishai complained that Hamas had won the media battle partially because the IDF kept local journalists away from the border thereby hindering Israeli journalists from documenting the crowds of Gazans sent by Hamas to commit suicide on the fence While massive video reporting was available on the Palestinian side of the fence the IDF only provided the press with a thin drizzle of visual evidence consisting of several dozen unclear images and short clips taken from its security camera coverage of the zone 324 Critics like Muhammad Shehada Jamie Stern Weiner and Norman Finkelstein wonder why given its visual and video intelligence the IDF did not buttress its claims over armed Hamas activity by providing footage 323 49 On 8 April BBC News anchor Andrew Marr stated that lots of Palestinian kids were killed by Israeli forces Jonathan Sacerdoti claimed that the statement was completely incorrect and is made up BBC management ruled that Marr breached editorial guidelines and that the statement risked misleading audiences on a material point 328 On 22 July Israel s Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon criticized CNN for unbalanced coverage of recent events in Gaza after four Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed 329 2023 Israel Hamas warAhmed Abu Ratima or Rteima one of the organizers of the original Gaza border protests was seriously injured in an Israeli airstrike during the 2023 Israel Hamas war the airstrike killed five of his family members including his twelve year old son 330 See also nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to 2018 2019 Gaza border protests nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2018 19 Gaza border protests Border barrier for a list of border barriers List of violent incidents in the Israeli Palestinian conflict 2018 Aed Abu Amro 2019 Gaza economic protestsReferences a b Organisers say Gaza protests to be scaled back Palestinians carry on rallies in Gaza on third consecutive Friday Xinhua English news cn Xinhua News Agency Archived from the original on 28 April 2018 al Mughrabi Nidal 27 April 2018 Israeli forces kill three Gaza border protesters wound 600 medics Reuters Archived from the original on 28 April 2018 a b c And now for the whitewashing B tselem 24 May 2021 a b c d Report of the independent international commission of inquiry on the protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Human Rights Council 25 February 2019 p 6 a b Cumming Bruce Nick 18 March 2019 U N Panel Urges Investigation Into Israeli Shootings at Gaza Border a Year Ago The New York Times Retrieved 13 April 2019 a b Residents in southern Israel warned to stay near shelters The Jerusalem Post 20 July 2018 a b IDF officer moderately wounded by grenade during Gaza riots Times of Israel 13 July 2018 a b Israel faces outcry over Gaza killings during Jerusalem embassy protests Archived 18 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine Guardian 15 May 2018 Until this week no Israeli had been harmed since protests began on 30 March An IDF spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said one soldier had been slightly wounded by shrapnel on Monday but he did not have details on the source of the injury a b 3 soldiers wounded in wake of incessant barrage of Gaza mortars Ynetnews 29 May 2018 Kubovich Yaniv Khoury Jack 25 July 2018 Israeli Soldier Moderately Injured in Fire Exchange With Hamas Three Gaza Militants Said Killed Haaretz 4 Israelis hurt from Gaza rocket hit in Sderot Ynetnews 14 July 2018 a b Alouf Abu 30 March 2018 15 Palestinians reported killed by Israeli fire as Gaza border protest builds Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on 19 May 2018 Khoury Jack Kubovich Yaniv Zikri Almog Ben 15 May 2018 Mass Gaza Border Clashes 58 Palestinians Killed by Israeli Gunfire 1 113 Wounded Haaretz Archived from the original on 14 May 2018 Retrieved 14 May 2018 David M Halbfinger amp Iyad Abuheweila One Dead Amid Violence in 3rd Week of Protests at Gaza Israel Fence Archived 17 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine The New York Times 13 April 2018 They are objecting to Israel s 11 year old blockade of Gaza and seeking to revive international interest in Palestinian claims of a right of return to the lands they were displaced from in 1948 Khaled Abu Toameh Hamas vows Gaza protests last until Palestinians return to all of Palestine The Times of Israel 9 April 2018 The protests are an uprising for Jerusalem Palestine and the right of return he said referring to the demand that Palestinian refugees and their descendants be allowed to return to their former homes in Israel David M Halbfinger Iyad Abuheweila Jugal K Patel 300 Meters in Gaza Snipers Burning Tires and a Contested Fence The New York Times 15 May 2018 Most Gazans are Palestinian refugees or their descendants and marching on the fence highlights their desire to reclaim the lands and homes from which they were displaced 70 years ago in the war surrounding Israel s creation Adam Rasgon Masses of Gazans head to border area for right of return says organizer Archived 5 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine The Jerusalem Post 28 March 2018 Masses of Palestinians are expected to come to the Gaza border on Friday and move into tents there for a planned six week long protest to demand the right of return to the homes and villages that they were expelled from in 1948 Ahmad Abu Ratima an organizer of the protest told The Jerusalem Post Halbfinger David M 15 April 2018 Hamas Sees Gaza Protests as Peaceful and as a Deadly Weapon The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on 20 April 2018 Retrieved 20 April 2018 after a grass roots idea for a peaceful long lasting protest along the Gaza fence started gaining widespread support Hamas brought a halt to what had been a fairly steady tempo of rocket launches into Israel and threw its considerable organizational might behind the demonstrations a b Israeli army kills 17 Palestinians in Gaza protests Al Jazeera Archived from the original on 2 April 2018 Retrieved 3 April 2018 a b c Khoury Jack Kubovich Yaniv 27 April 2018 Gaza Protests Three Killed 349 Wounded as Palestinians March on Border for Fifth Week Haaretz Archived from the original on 27 April 2018 Retrieved 27 April 2018 a b c d e al Mughrabi Nidal 4 May 2018 Israeli troops fire shots tear gas at Gaza protesters 1 100 Reuters Archived from the original on 4 May 2018 Retrieved 11 July 2018 Daoud Kuttab The truth about Gaza Archived 18 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine Al Monitor 23 May 2018 This is clearly a new trend in Palestinian society that attempts to expand the notions of resistance and nonviolent protests At least 14 Palestinians killed in Land Day protests Al Jazeera Archived from the original on 30 March 2018 Retrieved 30 March 2018 a b c Khoury Jack Kubovich Yaniv Zikri Almog Ben 30 March 2018 15 Killed Dozens Wounded as Thousands Gather on Gaza Israel Border for March of Return Haaretz Archived from the original on 6 April 2018 Retrieved 6 April 2018 Williams Jennifer 2 April 2018 The recent violence at the Gaza Israel border explained Vox Archived from the original on 8 April 2018 Retrieved 9 April 2018 a b IDF warns of larger military response to Gaza protest The Jerusalem Post 31 March 2018 Archived from the original on 10 April 2018 a b Report of the independent international commission of inquiry on the protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory A HRC 40 74 PDF Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Archived from the original PDF on 13 October 2023 Sanchez Raf Oliphant Roland 14 May 2018 Gaza braces for protests and funerals a day after at least 58 Palestinians killed by Israeli troops The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 16 May 2018 Morris Loveday Balousha Hazem 14 May 2018 Israelis kill more than 50 Palestinians in Gaza protests health officials say The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Archived from the original on 14 May 2018 Retrieved 14 May 2018 Fares Akram and Karin Laub AP 2 April 2018 Gaza toll rises to 18 Israel rejects excessive force claims The Washington Post Archived from the original on 5 April 2018 Retrieved 11 July 2018 Al Mughrabi Nidal 6 April 2018 Israeli troops kill seven Palestinians on day of heightened Gaza border protests medics Reuters Archived from the original on 8 April 2018 Retrieved 9 April 2018 Israeli troops shot dead seven Palestinian protesters Gaza medical officials said raising the death toll to 27 in the week long disturbances IDF uses tear gas live fire as thousands protest at Gaza border The Times of Israel 6 April 2018 Archived from the original on 6 April 2018 Retrieved 6 April 2018 Israeli use of live fire in Gaza causing unprecedented crisis Red Cross says Archived 19 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine The Times of Israel 19 June 2018 a b Israel Apparent War Crimes in Gaza Accountability Needed for Officials Who Authorized Lethal Force Archived 13 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine Human Rights Watch 13 June 2018 Human Rights Watch interviewed nine people who witnessed Israeli forces shooting protesters in Gaza on May 14 the day with the highest toll of deaths and injuries so far when more than 60 people were killed and another who saw a journalist shot and killed on April 6 Seven of these interviewees not only witnessed people being shot but were also themselves shot The shootings happened at places where protests were held near the perimeter fences that separate the Gaza Strip from Israel including east of Jabalya Gaza City Khan Yunis and Rafah Their accounts along with photographs and videos show a pattern of Israeli forces shooting people who posed no imminent threat to life with live ammunition a b c Abdelaziz Salma Lee Ian 16 May 2018 Hamas claims 50 of its members died in Monday s clashes in Gaza CNN a b c Jamieson Alastair 17 May 2018 Hamas says most of protesters killed by Israel in Gaza were members NBC News a b c 50 of Dead in Gaza Protests Were Hamas Activists Says Senior Hamas Official Haaretz 16 May 2018 18 said killed including terror operatives as 35 000 rally at Gaza border The Times of Israel 14 May 2018 Archived from the original on 14 May 2018 Retrieved 14 May 2018 Khoury Jack Landau Noa Haaretz 14 May 2018 Jerusalem Embassy and Gaza Protests 18 Palestinians Reported Killed by Israeli Gunfire at Border Haaretz Archived from the original on 13 May 2018 Retrieved 14 May 2018 UN General Assembly condemns Israel for excessive force at Gaza border The Times of Israel Archived from the original on 14 June 2018 Retrieved 11 February 2024 a b Israel Gaza Killings Unlawful Calculated Human Rights Watch 3 April 2018 Archived from the original on 8 April 2018 Retrieved 9 April 2018 a b Israel response to Gaza protests illegal Israeli NGO Anadolu Agency 31 March 2018 Archived from the original on 4 April 2018 Retrieved 3 April 2018 Amnesty Israel must put an end to excessive and lethal force in Gaza PNN Archived from the original on 18 April 2018 Retrieved 18 April 2018 a b c d Morris Loveday Balousha Hazem Eglash Ruth 6 April 2018 Burning tires tear gas and live fire Gaza clashes turn deadly The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Archived from the original on 8 April 2018 Retrieved 9 April 2018 a b c Halbfinger David M Abuheweila Iyad Kershner Isabel 6 April 2018 10 Killed in Gaza as Palestinian Protesters Face Off With Israeli Soldiers The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on 8 April 2018 Retrieved 9 April 2018 US blocks UNSC statement on Israel s use of force on Land Day Al Jazeera Archived from the original on 8 April 2018 Retrieved 9 April 2018 a b c Isabel Kershner Israel Palestinians launch war of words after Gaza violence Archived 3 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine The Globe and Mail 1 April 2018 a b c Muhammad Shehada and Jamie Stern Weiner Debunking Myths About the Palestinian Protests The justifications given for the deaths of Palestinian protesters just don t add up Archived 5 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine Vice 12 June 2018 Inasmuch as Israeli forces were equipped with sophisticated surveillance equipment including footage from drones hovering overhead and insofar as Israel claimed to use lethal force only against those who are with weapons the lack of evidence of these alleged explosives and live ammunition is surely cause for wonder What evidence Israel has provided only underlined the absence of a military presence at the demonstrations Witness for instance the images and footage of what Israel termed grenades and improvised explosive devices but which were in fact homemade firecrackers familiar to Gazan teenagers who sometimes set them off at weddings and parties which make a loud noise and little else Sanger Andrew 2011 The Contemporary Law of Blockade and the Gaza Freedom Flotilla In M N Schmitt Louise Arimatsu Tim McCormack eds Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law 2010 Vol 13 Springer Science amp Business Media p 429 doi 10 1007 978 90 6704 811 8 14 ISBN 978 90 6704 811 8 Scobbie Iain 2012 Elizabeth Wilmshurst ed International Law and the Classification of Conflicts Oxford University Press p 295 ISBN 978 0 19 965775 9 Even after the accession to power of Hamas Israel s claim that it no longer occupies Gaza has not been accepted by UN bodies most States nor the majority of academic commentators because of its exclusive control of its border with Gaza and crossing points including the effective control it exerted over the Rafah crossing until at least May 2011 its control of Gaza s maritime zones and airspace which constitute what Aronson terms the security envelope around Gaza as well as its ability to intervene forcibly at will in Gaza Gawerc Michelle 2012 Prefiguring Peace Israeli Palestinian Peacebuilding Partnerships Lexington Books p 44 ISBN 9780739166109 While Israel withdrew from the immediate territory it remained in control of all access to and from Gaza through the border crossings as well as through the coastline and the airspace In addition Gaza was dependent upon Israel for water electricity sewage communication networks and for its trade Gisha 2007 Dowty 2008 In other words while Israel maintained that its occupation of Gaza ended with its unilateral disengagement Palestinians as well as many human right organizations and international bodies argued that Gaza was by all intents and purposes still occupied Peters Joel 2012 Gaza In Caplan Richard ed Exit Strategies and State Building New York Oxford University Press p 234 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Adraee of the IDF Spokesman s Office He attached to the tweet a short fragment from the hour long plus interview with Bardawil on the Facebook transmitted news channel Baladna Let s return to Bardawil So he said that 50 of the 60 killed were Hamas members I checked and was told that the official figure Hamas has is that from the beginning of the March of Return on 30 March 42 people linked to Hamas were among the 120 people killed members of the movement well known activists members of Hamas families It seems that about 20 members of Hamas military wing were killed and they were killed not near the protests but under circumstances that still must be clarified But the rest were unarmed rank and file protesters And they demonstrated because they were Gazans But once Bardawil said what he said it s hard to deny his words in public This figure of 50 is another typical exaggeration of ours said my friend who didn t come to wave his flag to me to say hello 50 of Dead in Gaza Protests Were 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2018 Mark Regev defends Israel s measured and surgical response to Gaza protests The Times of Israel 15 May 2018 Archived from the original on 15 May 2018 Retrieved 1 June 2018 Reporter s notes Palestinians burn tires as second Great March protest heats up The Jerusalem Post 6 April 2018 Archived from the original on 8 April 2018 Retrieved 8 April 2018 Sir Stephen Sedley Short Cuts Archived 29 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine London Review of Books vol 40 No 9 10 May 2018 a href, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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