Gaza border protests leaves dozens of Palestinians injured by Israeli forces

Over 200 people were injured and suffered gas asphyxiation during last Friday's demonstration

Hundreds of Palestinians were injured at the Gaza border on Friday
Hundreds of Palestinians were injured at the Gaza border on Friday

Protests along the Gaza border with Israel have left hundreds of Palestinian protestors injured after Israeli troops fired tear gas and live bullets across the border.

The protestors were participating in the Great Return March, where they proceeded to burn tyres in order to obstruct the view of Israeli snipers. 

Israeli forces went on to fire tear gas and live rounds of ammunition towards the east of Gaza City. 

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that 44 protestors suffered bulet wounds in the exchange.

Since the start of the Great Return March on 30 March, 120 people were killed and more than 13,000 were injured. 

The Human Rights Watch said that the deaths and injuries of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers may amount to war crimes, claiming that officials responsible must face trials and sanctions.

The Great Return March is a six-week long protest organised by various Palestinian entities that aims to bring to the limelight the Palestinian Right of Return as enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Resolution 194. 

The Great Return March also commemorates the day in 1976 when Israeli troops killed six Arabs who had been protesting against the confiscation of land. On May 15, Palestinians also commemorate the Nakba, a day when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced after Israel announced its independence in 1948. 

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