Palestinian Teenager Killed, Hundreds Injured in Gaza by Israeli Forces
The Gaza Ministry of Health said in a statement that 17-year-old Bilal Mustafa Khafaja was fatally shot by a sniper during “The Great March of Return” protests east of the city of Rafah, located 30 kilometers south of Gaza City, on Friday evening. His body was taken to the Martyr Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital morgue.
The statement added that another 210 protesters were also injured. Forty-five people were struck with live bullets, Press TV reported.
A total of 70 demonstrators were admitted to hospitals and medical centers across Gaza Strip to receive medical treatment.
Earlier in the day, two Palestinians were moderately injured after Israeli warplanes launched a missile attack on a group of young men in the northeastern part of the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Ministry of Health stated that the pair were injured in the town of Beit Hanoun, and were immediately transferred to hospital.
Israeli media outlets claimed that the Palestinians were seeking to launch incendiary kites and balloons into the southern edge of occupied lands.
Additionally, a Palestinian teenager, who was critically wounded by Israeli army gunfire during an anti-occupation protest along the border between the Gaza Strip and occupied territories, has succumbed to his injuries.
Palestinian medical sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 19-year-old Amjad Fayez Hamduna died of his injuries early on Friday morning.
He had been shot and wounded during a rally east of Jabalia city, located 4 kilometers north of Gaza City, on July 14.
Medical reports confirmed that Hamduna had been initially admitted to the Rumah Sakit Indonesia Hospital in Jabalia, before being shifted to the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City following deterioration of his condition.
Nearly 175 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces ever since anti-occupation protest rallies began in the Gaza Strip on March 30. A total of 19,139 Palestinians have also sustained injuries.
The Gaza clashes reached their peak on May 14, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe), which coincided this year with the US embassy relocation from Tel Aviv to occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds.
On June 13, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution, sponsored by Turkey and Algeria, condemning Israel for Palestinian civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip.
The resolution, which had been put forward on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries, garnered a strong majority of 120 votes in the 193-member assembly, with 8 votes against and 45 abstentions.
The resolution called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to make proposals within 60 days “on ways and means for ensuring the safety, protection, and well-being of the Palestinian civilian population under Israeli occupation,” including “recommendations regarding an international protection mechanism.”
It also called for “immediate steps towards ending the closure and the restrictions imposed by Israel on movement and access into and out of the Gaza Strip.”
