Seven Palestinians killed in border protests - Gaza health officials

By Saleh Salem

 

 

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians on Friday in protests along Gaza's border, Gaza health officials said. Israel said its troops had shot a group who broke through the fence with a bomb and attacked an army post.

 

The Palestinian deaths bring to around 200 the number of Gazans killed since the border protests began on March 30, according to Palestinian Health Ministry figures.

 

Gaza medics said that, in addition to the seven dead, around 140 others were wounded.

 

The Israeli military said that the demonstrators, numbering around 15,000, had been "hurling rocks, explosive devices, firebombs and grenades" at Israeli troops and at the fence.

 

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col Jonathan Conricus tweeted that one group had "detonated a bomb on the Israel-Gaza border fence", allowing around 20 people to climb through the hole.

 

He said around five of the group had then launched an organised attack against a military post inside Israel and all had been killed by the troops.

 

The Palestinian protesters are demanding an end to an Israeli and Egyptian blockade on the narrow coastal strip, which is home to around 2 million Gazans. They also seek the right to return to lands that Palestinians fled or were driven from upon Israel's founding in 1948.

 

Israel accuses the Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza, of orchestrating the protests along the border fence to provide cover for attacks and to distract from Gaza’s economic plight. Hamas denies the allegations.

 

The Israeli military has been criticised by Palestinians and international human rights groups for its lethal response to the protests. It says its troops have used "riot dispersal means" and have fired "in accordance with standard operating procedures".

 

One Israeli soldier has been killed by a Palestinian sniper during the weekly protests, and tracts of Israeli land have been scorched by incendiary kites and balloons.

 

Hamas seized control of Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007 and has since fought three wars with Israel, most recently in 2014.

 

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, addressing a conference in Istanbul from Gaza, said on Friday that Hamas was seeking to reach understandings with several parties, including Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations. He expressed hope that the efforts "could lead to calm in return for breaking the siege".

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-13

Protest or invasion?

In my opinion - there will never be peace between a people I consider racist for thinking they are the children of God and another people that consider a jihad against everyone not of their religion a good thing. 

10 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

In my opinion - there will never be peace between a people I consider racist for thinking they are the children of God and another people that consider a jihad against everyone not of their religion a good thing. 

 

In my opinion, misinformed generalizations contribute little.

 

@dexterm

 

And your usual one-sided misleading presentation is false as well.

 

That you choose to refer to all relevant areas as "Palestine" gives away the game. If you wish to assert rights, then like it or not, Israel exists by such a right as well. Further, your take on the so-called Palestinian right of return is the usual slogan - which ignores the fact that such a right is conditional, rather than automatic.

Just now, Morch said:

 

@dexterm

 

And your usual one-sided misleading presentation is false as well.

 

That you choose to refer to all relevant areas as "Palestine" gives away the game. If you wish to assert rights, then like it or not, Israel exists by such a right as well. Further, your take on the so-called Palestinian right of return is the usual slogan - which ignores the fact that such a right is conditional, rather than automatic.

Palestinians are the majority in Mandate Palestine...the area Israel currently controls 100%. 

 

With adequate security vetting and in a gradual process there is no reason on earth other than pure racism that Palestinians could not return to their homeland, .

 

 

@dexterm

 

Thanks for making my point - other than yourself, who's referencing "Mandate Palestine"? And no, Israel doesn't control the Gaza Strip "100%" or there wouldn't be no rockets occasionally launched, nor such mass protests. There are no illegal Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, nor a direct military presence.

 

As for the second part of your post - that you repeat the same slogans while ignoring frequent factual points raised in response doesn't actually make your posts credible. There is little in your "positions" which resonates much with relevant Palestinian views.

12 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

@dexterm

 

Thanks for making my point - other than yourself, who's referencing "Mandate Palestine"? And no, Israel doesn't control the Gaza Strip "100%" or there wouldn't be no rockets occasionally launched, nor such mass protests. There are no illegal Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, nor a direct military presence.

 

As for the second part of your post - that you repeat the same slogans while ignoring frequent factual points raised in response doesn't actually make your posts credible. There is little in your "positions" which resonates much with relevant Palestinian views.

Israel maintains a blockade on Gaza's land, sea and air space, and is trying also to control the protests for the Palestinian right of return to the land where they and their families were born. That's why the IDF in the OP just killed 7 Palestinians trying to get back to their homeland.

 

@dexterm

 

Your previous nonsense post asserted Israel's control is "100%". Your current nonsense post ignores factual reply pointing out this is incorrect. Spin away.

 

The blockade on the Gaza Strip is directly related to Hamas actions, agenda and policies. That you persist ignoring the fact won't change reality. It is not the case that the blockade always existed. Similarly, your repeated insistence on painting the blockade as a solely Israeli thing won't change the fact that it is maintained by Egypt as well.

 

If the protests were non-violent, and no attempts to breach fences were made, there would have been less casualties, and certainly less of a justification for use of force. Obviously, less PR milking material for Hamas leadership and yourself as well.

 

There is no obligation on Israel's part to accept violent Palestinians breaching the fence, other than in your propaganda-like rants.

49 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

@dexterm

 

And your usual one-sided misleading presentation is false as well.

 

That you choose to refer to all relevant areas as "Palestine" gives away the game. If you wish to assert rights, then like it or not, Israel exists by such a right as well. Further, your take on the so-called Palestinian right of return is the usual slogan - which ignores the fact that such a right is conditional, rather than automatic.

Should Israel wish to "exist" by such a right, they should then withdraw to the original borders set for them and return Palestine to the rightful owners - the Palestinians! That you chose to use Palestine in inverted commas gives your game away!

13 minutes ago, farq said:

Should Israel wish to "exist" by such a right, they should then withdraw to the original borders set for them and return Palestine to the rightful owners - the Palestinians! That you chose to use Palestine in inverted commas gives your game away!

 

No, I posted Palestine in this manner because I was quoting the other poster. Referring to all the related territory as "Palestine" is indicative of a political stance, which essentially rejects Israel's existence.

 

With regard to them "original borders" - unlike others on this forum, I'm not a purist. That would mean that realistically, reverting to the original 1947 lines is no longer t feasible. Most reasonable approaches reference the 1967 lines as a more realistic (if still problematic) basis.

 

While a nice try, you won't find a post of mine denying the Palestinians' right to self-determination.

Troll posts and the replies have been removed.

 

Posts containing hyperbolic misinformation have been removed as well as the replies. 

 

A troll post has been reported and now removed. 

Troll posts and replies have been removed.