By Gulsen Topcu
GAZA, Palestine (AA): Israeli forces killed a Palestinian in the Gaza Strip on Friday, according to Palestine’s Health Ministry.
Sahir Ivadullah Osman, 20, was shot dead by the army in the city of Rafah during protests against Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.
The ministry said 63 demonstrators were injured in the marches, 32 of them by live bullets, without explaining the nature of the other injuries.
22 children, 4 female paramedics, 5 male paramedics and 2 persons with disabilities were among those injured.
This week witnessed an escalation in the use of excessive force against the proesters as five of the injuries were deemed serious; one died after hours of his injury while 4, including a child and a female paramedic, are still in a very serious condition.
Further, 40 protestors were shot with live bullets while the Israeli forces escalated their attacks against the medical personnel, which enjoys protection under the international humanitarian law, wounding 9 paramedics, including a female paramedic deemed in a very critical condition.
Since the Gaza rallies began in March last year, nearly 270 protesters have been killed, 14,056 were wounded, including 3,020 children, 429 women, 244 paramedics and 215 journalists, by Israeli forces at the security fence with Gaza.
Demonstrators demand an end to Israel’s 12-year-old blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has shattered the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its 2 million inhabitants of free movement in and out of Gaza and many basic amenities.
*Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak
Additional report from imemc.org
[Photo: An injured Palestinian is being carried away with a stretcher by health care members after Israeli forces shootings during demonstration the “Great March of Return” at Israel-Gaza border near Al Bureij Refugee Camp in Gaza City, Gaza on September 27, 2019. Photographer: Hassan Jedi/AA]