Tensions escalate in Gaza Strip, more than 170 casualties
Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian and injured at least 170 others in the Gaza Strip during anti-Israel protests there, Palestinian medical staff said on May 11.
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| Smoke rises during a clash between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers in the Gaza-Israel border area. (Photo: THX/TTXVN) |
Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian and wounded at least 170 others in the Gaza Strip on May 11 as anti-Israel protests there entered their seventh week, Palestinian medics said.
Thus, the number of people killed in conflicts between protesters and the Israeli army has now reached 44.
Witnesses said Israeli soldiers used a drone to shoot down burning kites thrown by protesters toward the border to set bushes on fire and distract snipers.
According to figures from a charity, the total number of injured children has reached nearly 700.
Organizers of the "Great March of Return" protest said they expect tens of thousands of people in Gaza to join protests on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel in the coming days.
The protests are expected to culminate on May 15, the day Palestinians call "Nakba" or "Catastrophe", marking the moment when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to leave when the State of Israel was founded in 1948.
Since March 30, tens of thousands of Palestinians have participated in anti-Israel marches and protests along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The protesters demand the right to return to towns and villages from which their families were forced to leave or expelled when the State of Israel was established in 1948.
In 2005, Israel withdrew all its troops from the Gaza Strip, but it still maintains tight control over the land and sea borders in the area. The international community has repeatedly criticized the Israeli military for using live ammunition, causing casualties among protesters.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the European Union (EU) have called for an independent investigation into the situation there. However, Israel has rejected this proposal.
The marches and protests took place in the context of the Middle East peace process remaining deadlocked for many years.
