Conflicts & War

Israeli forces wound 14 Palestinians in Gaza protests

Gaza, Aug 25 (EFE).- Fourteen Palestinians were wounded Wednesday when Israeli Defense Force (IDF) troops used tear gas and live ammunition against protesters along the barrier separating Israel from Gaza.

The demonstrations came hours after the funeral of Osama Id’eih, a 32-year-old Palestinian man who died early Wednesday of injuries received during a previous mobilization at the border wall.

More than 40 Palestinians came away from last Saturday’s protest with bullet wounds, while an Israeli police officer remains hospitalized in critical condition after being shot from inside Gaza.

Video that circulated on social media showed the officer firing through a hole in the barrier until a man walked up from the Gaza side, pulled out a handgun and shot the Israeli.

Public opinion in Israel reacted to the shooting of the sniper by condemning the government for its “soft” response to the protest.

Saturday night, the IDF bombarded what it identified as Hamas military positions in Gaza. Additional bombing raids were carried out 48 hours later in retaliation for the launch of incendiary balloons into Israeli airspace.

The recent disturbances at the Gaza barrier have been the largest since the 2018-2019 March of Return, which was spurred by the decision of the-then United States president, Donald Trump, to order the American embassy moved from Tel Aviv and recognize the Holy City as the indivisible capital of Israel.

The IDF’s response to the March of Return protests left 214 Palestinians dead and more than 36,000 others injured, according to figures from the United Nations.

One Israeli soldier was killed.

An eruption of violence between Israel and Palestinian armed factions in May resulted in nearly 250 deaths in Gaza and a dozen more in Israel. EFE

sar-jma/dr

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