Israel forces shoot dead 16-year-old Palestinian in Gaza

3 Palestinian killed, 40 injured in the 38rd week of protests along the Gaza-Israel fence today

December 21, 2018 at 7:45 pm | Published in: Israel, Middle East, News, Palestine

At least 3 Palestinians were killed — and another 40 people were injured — while taking part in ongoing demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone on Friday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Anadolu Agency reports.

Mohamed Mouin al-Jahjouh, a 16-year-old protester, was killed after being struck in the neck by Israeli army gunfire, the ministry said in a statement.

Another 40 Palestinian protesters — including four medics and two journalists — sustained injuries, the ministry added.

For the 39th week in a row, Palestinians converged along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone Friday to take part in ongoing demonstrations against Israel’s decades-long occupation.

This Friday’s Gaza rally was held under the slogan, “Honoring heroes of the resistance”.

In a statement, Gaza’s National Authority for Breaking the Siege urged members of the public to take part in Friday’s demonstration.

READ: Israel soldiers shot Palestinian teen, ‘dragged him around’ and chased away ambulance 

“These demonstrations draw their strength from the heroes of the resistance and from their sacrifices,” the statement read.

It went on to urge the Palestinian people to “escalate all forms of resistance against Israel’s occupation”.

Protesters demand the right to return to their homes and villages in historical Palestine, from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.

MEMO photographer Mohammed Assad has his camera targeted during the protests, leaving it irreparable. He said: “This camera has covered the protests for the last 38 weeks and is witness to the fact our enemy does not respect journalism as a career and doesn’t care about international law.”

MEMO photographer Mohammed Assad had his camera destroyed during Israel’s attack on Palestinians during the Great March of Return [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

They also demand an end to Israel’s 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many basic commodities.

Since the rallies first began on March 30, more than 240 Palestinians have been killed — and thousands more injured — by Israeli troops deployed near the buffer zone, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.