GAZA/TEL AVIV: A Palestinian man has been shot dead on the Gaza border in clashes with Israeli soldiers, according to Palestinian statements.
More than 40 Palestinians were injured, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported on Friday. On Saturday, Israeli forces said they had launched several strikes against Hamas sites in Gaza in response to a projectile launched from the besieged coastal territory the night before. “IDF fighter jets and aircraft struck several military targets in a Hamas compound in the southern Gaza Strip and underground structures in the northern Gaza Strip,” it said in a statement.
Security officials in Gaza said the strikes had not caused any casualties. According to the Israeli army, around 8,400 Palestinians had gathered at various points along the border fence on Friday afternoon, throwing explosives at the border fence and stones at soldiers. Palestinians also set tyres on fire, the army said. Since the end of March 2018, more than 260 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured during protests on the Gaza border, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Among other things, the demonstrators are calling for an end to Israel and Egypt’s decade-long blockade of the Gaza Strip, which the two countries have justified citing security concerns. Around 2 million people live in difficult conditions in Gaza. There is a lack of drinking water and electricity, among other things. At least 253 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the rallies began, the majority shot during weekly border protests and others hit by tank fire or air strikes in response to violence from Gaza. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period. — DPA/AFP
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