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| Palestinians march past a tent city erected along the border with Israel east of Gaza City on Friday. |
Israeli forces fire tear gas towards Palestinian protesters at the Gaza border fence Friday.
At least 15
Palestinians were killed and more than 1,400 injured in confrontations with
Israeli forces during protests at the Gaza border on Friday, according to the
Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The Health Ministry said 1,416 people were
wounded as protesters marched toward a fence that separates Gaza from Israel on
the first day of demonstrations scheduled to take place over six weeks. The
dead included one 16-year-old, the ministry said.
Israeli forces fire tear gas towards
Palestinian protesters at the Gaza border fence Friday.
At least 15
Palestinians were killed and more than 1,400 injured in confrontations with
Israeli forces during protests at the Gaza border on Friday, according to the
Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The Health Ministry said 1,416 people were
wounded as protesters marched toward a fence that separates Gaza from Israel on
the first day of demonstrations scheduled to take place over six weeks. The
dead included one 16-year-old, the ministry said.
In northern Gaza, CNN witnessed at least two
dozen people being taken away by ambulances in the span of half an hour.
Injuries varied from rubber bullets, tear gas and live rounds fired by the
Israeli military. The majority were young men -- one woman was among the
injured.
 |
| A relative mourns over Omar Wahid Samur, a Palestinian farmer killed by Israeli fire early Friday. |
A Palestinian Red Crescent spokesman in Gaza told
CNN that 355 injuries were from live bullets and included serious wounds to the
head, abdomen and back. The Red Crescent had set up a field hospital in eastern
Gaza and was setting up a second hospital in nearby east Jabalia.
Tens of thousands of Palestinian protesters
marched in Gaza along the fence, with smaller groups taking to the streets in
the West Bank and Israel Friday in what is being called the March of Return.
The protest coincides with Palestinian Land
Day, which commemorates the confiscation of Palestinian-owned land in Israel in
1976. Six Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed protesting the
seizures at the time.
 |
| Israeli forces fire tear gas towards Palestinian protesters at the Gaza border fence Friday. |
Prior to Friday's protest, organizers said the
march would be nonviolent, but warned of possible military fire from Israeli forces.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a
statement that thousands of Palestinians were "rioting throughout the Gaza
Strip, rolling burning tires and hurling stones at the security fence and at
IDF troops, who are responding with riot dispersal means and firing towards
main instigators."
The IDF is "prepared to respond to the
violent riots planned throughout the Gaza Strip if needed," the statement
added.
An Israeli official told CNN that two of those
killed on Friday were members of Hamas, the political and militant group that
controls Gaza. Israeli Air Force fighter jets also targeted three Hamas sites
after an alleged shooting attack in northern Gaza was thwarted, according to an
IDF statement
In a tweet earlier Friday, Israel Defense
Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned Gaza residents that Hamas is "risking
your lives." He added that anyone who approached the border was
"endangering his life."
A Palestinian farmer in Gaza named Omar Wahid
Samur was killed and another injured by the Israeli military early Friday
morning ahead of the protests, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza
reported.
Commenting on the incident, the IDF said that
an Israeli tank had fired on two suspects who had approached the security fence
on the southern Gaza Strip and were "operating suspiciously." The IDF
said it was aware of reports of casualties.
Tent cities
Tent cities have been set up to host the
marches, which are expected to continue through May 15 when Palestinians mark
the anniversary of the "Nakba" ("Catastrophe"), the day
after Israel declared independence in 1948. Roughly 700,000 Palestinians were
displaced from their homes during the Arab-Israeli war.
Today, approximately 1.3 million Palestinians
living in Gaza are registered refugees, according to the United Nations.
 |
| Palestinian protesters flee tear gas during clashes with Israeli forces at the Gaza border on Friday. |
The US will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem around May 14, the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of
independence. US President Donald Trump's controversial decision to relocate
the embassy and recognize the contested city as Israel's
capital was slammed by most of the international community and has galvanized
Palestinian protests against Israel.
The Trump administration said the decision was
a "recognition of simple reality" and claimed it was not meant to
prejudge final-status negotiations about the city's final borders, although
Trump later said he had taken Jerusalem "off the table" when it came
to any future peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Fatah chief and Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas said the embassy move disqualified the US as a
peace-broker in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has boycotted
American officials while seeking to improve ties with Hamas officials in Gaza.
In northern Gaza, CNN witnessed at least two
dozen people being taken away by ambulances in the span of half an hour.
Injuries varied from rubber bullets, tear gas and live rounds fired by the
Israeli military. The majority were young men -- one woman was among the
injured.
A Palestinian Red Crescent spokesman in Gaza told
CNN that 355 injuries were from live bullets and included serious wounds to the
head, abdomen and back. The Red Crescent had set up a field hospital in eastern
Gaza and was setting up a second hospital in nearby east Jabalia.
Tens of thousands of Palestinian protesters
marched in Gaza along the fence, with smaller groups taking to the streets in
the West Bank and Israel Friday in what is being called the March of Return.
The protest coincides with Palestinian Land
Day, which commemorates the confiscation of Palestinian-owned land in Israel in
1976. Six Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed protesting the
seizures at the time.
Prior to Friday's protest, organizers said the
march would be nonviolent, but warned of possible military fire from Israeli forces.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a
statement that thousands of Palestinians were "rioting throughout the Gaza
Strip, rolling burning tires and hurling stones at the security fence and at
IDF troops, who are responding with riot dispersal means and firing towards
main instigators."
The IDF is "prepared to respond to the
violent riots planned throughout the Gaza Strip if needed," the statement
added.
An Israeli official told CNN that two of those
killed on Friday were members of Hamas, the political and militant group that
controls Gaza. Israeli Air Force fighter jets also targeted three Hamas sites
after an alleged shooting attack in northern Gaza was thwarted, according to an
IDF statement
In a tweet earlier Friday, Israel Defense
Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned Gaza residents that Hamas is "risking
your lives." He added that anyone who approached the border was
"endangering his life."
A Palestinian farmer in Gaza named Omar Wahid
Samur was killed and another injured by the Israeli military early Friday
morning ahead of the protests, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza
reported.
Commenting on the incident, the IDF said that
an Israeli tank had fired on two suspects who had approached the security fence
on the southern Gaza Strip and were "operating suspiciously." The IDF
said it was aware of reports of casualties.
Tent cities
Tent cities have been set up to host the
marches, which are expected to continue through May 15 when Palestinians mark
the anniversary of the "Nakba" ("Catastrophe"), the day
after Israel declared independence in 1948. Roughly 700,000 Palestinians were
displaced from their homes during the Arab-Israeli war.
Today, approximately 1.3 million Palestinians
living in Gaza are registered refugees, according to the United Nations.
The US will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem around May 14, the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of
independence. US President Donald Trump's controversial decision to relocate
the embassy and recognize the contested city as Israel's
capital was slammed by most of the international community and has galvanized
Palestinian protests against Israel.
The Trump administration said the decision was
a "recognition of simple reality" and claimed it was not meant to
prejudge final-status negotiations about the city's final borders, although
Trump later said he had taken Jerusalem "off the table" when it came
to any future peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Fatah chief and Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas said the embassy move disqualified the US as a
peace-broker in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has boycotted
American officials while seeking to improve ties with Hamas officials in Gaza.
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