Three Palestinians killed, hundreds injured in clashes with Israeli forces at Gaza border

Three Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire and hundreds more have sustained injuries at anti-occupation rallies along the border between the besieged Gaza Strip and Israeli-occupied territories.

On Friday evening, the Palestinian protesters threw rocks from behind clouds of black smoke of burning tires at Israeli troops, who responded with tear gas and live fire.

The spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health, Ashraf al-Qidra, said in a statement that 12-year-old Faris Hafez al-Sarasawi and Mahmoud Akram Abu Sama'an, 24, were fatally shot during “The Great March of Return” protests east of Gaza City.

Hussein Fathi al-Raqab, 28, succumbed also to his Israeli-inflicted gunshot wounds at the Nasser Medical Complex. He had been shot and injured during a demonstrators east of the city of Khan Yunis, located about 25 kilometers south of Gaza City.

The statement added that another 376 protesters were also injured. A total of 192 demonstrators were admitted to hospitals and medical centers across Gaza Strip to receive medical treatment.

It further noted that 126 people were struck with live bullets. Seven wounded protesters are said to be in a critical condition in hospital.

Qidra went on to say that Israeli military forces directly targeted a Palestinian ambulance with a gas grenade east of Gaza, without causing any casualties.

Journalist Mohammed Hazem al-Masri suffered injuries when a tear gas canister hit him in the head east of Jabalia refugee camp.

Nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces ever since anti-occupation protest rallies began in the Gaza Strip on March 30. Over 21,600 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.”

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