Israeli forces kill four Palestinians, injure hundreds in Gaza

Israeli forces have killed four Palestinians and injured more than 600 others who took part in protests marking the International Quds Day along the border between the besieged Gaza Strip and occupied territories.

Masses of Palestinians gathered at the eastern border of Gaza on Friday to take part in the protest dubbed “One-Million March for al-Quds” to mark the annual event, which falls on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

It is the 11th Friday in a row where thousands of Palestinians protest at the border fence since the “Great March of Return” began in Gaza Strip on March 30.

Palestinians sources reported that Israeli troops fired tear gas and live bullets at the Palestinian protesters, who in turn lit tires on fire in an attempt to block the view of Israeli snipers.

Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesman of Gaza Health Ministry, reported that four people, including a child, were killed during the protests on Friday.

The victims were identified as Nabil Abu Derabi, 26, Ziad al-Barim, the 15-year-old Haitham al-Jamal and Yusuf al-Fasih, 29.

The spokesman said that more than 600 people were injured by Israeli fire and suffocated due to inhaling tear gas fired by Israel's troops alongside the eastern borders of Gaza.

The ministry earlier reported that journalists and medics were among the wounded.

Palestinian sources also reported that the Israeli forces fired a barrage of tear gas grenades at medical staff east of Gaza city.

Meanwhile, Medical staff and nurses staged a march along the eastern borders of Gaza with the family of the slain Palestinian nurse, Razan al-Najjar, taking part.

The young Palestinian nurse was killed when Israeli military forces opened fire on a group of protesters taking part in an anti-occupation rally near the border between Gaza and the occupied territories. She was attending to wounded Palestinian demonstrators east of Khan Yunis, located about 25 kilometers (15 miles) south of Gaza City, when Israeli troopers fired indiscriminate shots.

The International Quds Day is a legacy of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini, who designated the day in solidarity with the Palestinians.

This year, Quds Day has become a larger rallying cry as it comes after months of mass protests in Gaza which proved Israel's inability to stop the Palestinians despite widespread use of deadly force against unarmed protesters.

Since late March, over 120 Palestinian protesters have been killed and thousands more wounded by Israeli forces, mainly sharpshooters. The Israeli military has come under intense international criticism for permitting its forces to open fire on unarmed protesters in Gaza.

Tensions have been running high near the Gaza fence since March 30, which marked the start of a series of protests, dubbed “The Great March of Return,” demanding the right to return for those driven out of their homeland.

The Gaza clashes reached their peak on May 14, the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Nakba Day (the Day of Catastrophe), which coincided this year with the US embassy relocation from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem al-Quds.

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