Report:

Israeli Forces Injure Tens of Palestinians at Gaza Border, West Bank

Rasa - Dozens of Palestinians were injured by live bullets or rubber-coated rounds on Friday as Israeli forces attacked hundreds of people at Gaza border and many points of friction across the occupied West Bank.

News ID: 442130

Date: 16 December 2018 - 18:52

RNA - The Israeli forces fired live bullets and rubber-coated steel rounds at the protesters who gathered at many encampments along the Gaza border, injuring Tens of demonstrators, as some of the wounded were moved to hospital and others were treated in the field hospitals, WAFA reported.

Gaza Ministry of Health announced that 75 Palestinians were injured, including a journalist and 7 paramedics, by Israeli gunfire and teargas canisters, according to Palinfo.

More than 240 Palestinians have been killed and over 24,000 others injured by Israeli forces since the outbreak of the Great March of Return rallies at Gaza border on March 30.

The protests at Gaza border on Friday coincided with similar other demonstrations across the occupied West Bank in the aftermath of Israel's killing of three Palestinians and the ensuing fatal shooting of three Israeli soldiers in the West Bank on Thursday.

In Ramallah district, Israeli soldiers attacked dozens of Palestinians taking part in rally in protest of the recent Israeli escalation in the West Bank, which set out following Friday prayer in the village of Mughayer, to the Northeast of the city.

The forces injured two Palestinians by rubber-coated rounds, while others suffocated from gas inhalation as the forces fired teargas canisters to disperse them.

Meanwhile, The Israeli occupation forces imposed a tightened closure on Ramallah for the second day in a row, Palinfo reported.

Local sources stated that the IOF closed several main roads in Ramallah, installed military checkpoints at the entrances to Ramallah villages, and blocked the Palestinian citizens' movement.

Wafa news agency reported that dozens of Palestinian houses have been searched and raided in al-Bireh city since the early morning hours.

Israeli army also fired rubber-coated rounds at a similar protest in the heart of Hebron city, in Southern West Bank, and injured three Palestinians, including a journalist. The forces also fired teargas canisters, causing many cases of suffocation among the protesters.

Israeli occupation forces also shot and injured a Palestinian youth by live gunshots during clashes in al-Fawwar refugee camp, North of Hebron in the West Bank, according to medical sources.

Three other Palestinians were also injured by Israeli forces as the latter quelled a similar protest near Huwwara checkpoint, on the Southern entrance to Nablus city in the Northern West Bank.

Clashes also erupted in the village of Lubban Esharqia, to the South of Nablus, and at least one Palestinian was reportedly hit and injured by a rubber-coated bullet.

On Friday afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces blocked several roads in Southern and Western Nablus in the West Bank and obstructed the movement of Palestinian citizens and vehicles.

According to eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers set up checkpoints on Deir Sharaf road and on roads leading to the towns of Burin, al-Lubban al-Gharbi and Madama.

The soldiers intercepted Palestinian vehicles, searched them and checked the IDs of passengers.

Also, Israeli forces on Friday opened fire towards a Palestinian ambulance near Beitin village, East of the West Bank city of Ramallah, according to Palestinian medics.

Palestinian Red Crescent Society medics told WAFA that Israeli soldiers at Beit El military checkpoint opened fire at one of the society’s ambulances that was on its way to Deir Dibwan town, East of the city, to evacuate a patient to a Ramallah-based hospital.

No injuries or damages were reported as a result of the shooting attack that forced medics to drive back and look for another road.

847/940