JERUSALEM, October 12, 2018 (WAFA) – Ten Palestinians, including three children, were killed and 882 others have been injured by Israeli forces at Gaza border during the past two weeks, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA).
Friday, 28 September, recorded the highest fatality toll in a single day (seven) since 14 May 2018, prompting a call by the Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), Jamie McGoldrick, "on Israel, Hamas and all other actors with the ability to influence the situation, to take action now to prevent further deterioration and loss of life." Two of the child fatalities, boys aged 11 and 15, were shot in the head and chest with live ammunition, bringing to 39 the number of children killed in Gaza since the start of the protests on 30 March.
Of the people injured on 28 September and 5 October, 402 were hospitalized, including 216 people (53 per cent) hit by live ammunition; the rest were treated in the field, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. According to Israeli sources, a number of explosive devices were thrown at Israeli forces during the protests, none of which resulted in Israeli injuries.
In addition, one Palestinian child was killed and 189 injured in clashes with Israeli forces during the reporting period, in other activities taking place on an almost daily basis in the context of the ‘Great March of Return‘.
On 2 October, a 74-year-old Palestinian man was shot and injured by Israeli forces in Al Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza, and shortly after died of his wounds. The circumstances of the incident remain unclear: according to Palestinian human rights organizations, the man was shot while standing next to his house, approximately 2,000 meters from the perimeter fence, at a time when no demonstrations or clashes were ongoing.
On 7 October, the Israeli authorities reduced the permissible fishing zone along the southern coast of Gaza from 9 to 6 nautical miles (NM). According to Israeli sources, the restrictions came in response to ongoing incidents along the perimeter fence. The measure is having a direct impact on some 50,000 Palestinians who rely on fishing for their livelihoods.
On at least eight additional occasions outside the context of the ‘Great March of Return‘, Israeli forces opened fire in the Access Restricted Areas (ARA) on land and at sea areas, off the coast of Gaza, injuring one fisherman and arresting two others. On seven occasions, Israeli forces entered Gaza, and carried out land-leveling and excavation operations in the vicinity of the perimeter fence.
Also in the West Bank, 122 Palestinians, including 36 children, were injured by Israeli forces in multiple clashes. Thirty-six of the injuries occurred during multiple demonstrations held on 1 October across the West Bank in the context of a one-day strike in protest of the approval of the "Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People" the Israeli Parliament last July, as well as in solidarity with the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan al Ahmar, which is at imminent risk of mass demolition.
Another eleven people were injured during the following weekly demonstrations: in Ras Karkar (Ramallah), against the construction of a new settler road on privately-owned Palestinian land; in Kafr Qaddum (Qalqiliya) against settlement expansion and access restrictions; and in Bil‘in and Ni‘lin (both in Ramallah) against the Barrier and settlement expansion.
M.N
