Israeli Troops Kill Palestinian at Gaza Border Protest
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian and wounded at least 220 others at protests along the Gaza border on Friday, Gaza health officials said.
Over four months of weekly Friday border protests that began on March 30 have reduced in intensity lately but organizers have vowed they would continue until Israel lifts economic sanctions on the coastal enclave.
The Israeli military claimed troops had responded with “riot dispersal means”.
It said some 8,000 Gazans had participated in the protests at five locations along the border.
A Gaza hospital official said of the 220 hurt, 90 suffered wounds as a result of the live fire. The dead was a 25-year-old man, according to Reuters.
At least 156 Palestinians have been killed in the protests and one Israeli soldier was shot dead by a sniper in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a trip to Colombia next week, his office said, and is due to reportedly consult with top ministers on Sunday on proposals to end the tensions.
Some top ranking Hamas officials arrived in Gaza from Egypt late on Thursday to discuss the possible deal but no details have been given. The delegation included the group’s deputy chief, Saleh al-Arouri, exiled by Israel in 2010.
“The delegation will (consult) ... over issues of concern for the Palestinian people, foremost in achieving the national reconciliation and ending the Gaza blockade,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said before the delegation arrived.
More than two million Palestinians are packed into the narrow strip which suffers deep economic hardship.
