Thousands of Palestinian activists assembled near the Gazan-Israeli border, with some trying to breach the fence amid a heavy Israeli security presence, burning tires and throwing incendiary devices at the IDF soldiers. The crowd was, once again, met with a crackdown by the Israeli forces who used live bullets, rubber ammunition and tear gas to drive the crowd back.
The military claimed that at least 10 "armed terrorists" managed to break through the security perimeter amid heavy clashes, before Israeli security forces stopped them. In response, the Israelis carried out two strikes in Gaza, the IDF said. Palestinians claimed that an Israeli drone attacked just east of Gaza City, while a helicopter struck a site east of the town of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip.
Comment: Actually the IDF claimed that "IDF forces identified ten suspects who crossed the perimeter fence from the northern Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, threw grenades near the fence and immediately returned to the Gaza Strip."
Sounds like yet another example of Israeli impunity: there has been no evidence any protesters have been armed and, with all the grenades reportedly hurled at them, one would think IDF soldiers would report more casualties. They don't.
At least three activists were killed by sniper fire, including a 12-year-old boy, Wafa news reported. In addition, another 376 activists were wounded during the confrontation, including 126 injured by live gunfire. At least seven of them remain in critical condition. Among those injured were 10 females, 30 children, a paramedic and a journalist.
Tensions have been running high on the border for seven months now, since the first Great March of Return protest started in March. So far, 198 Palestinians have been killed and over 21,000 injured in the weekly clashes.
Comment: To add insult to injury Israel has reduced the fishing zone, arresting those who dare fish too far offshore. The Jerusalem Post reports: Also see: