One Gazan said killed as 10,000 take part in violent protests on Israel border
Israel on Friday braced for violent protests, possible escalation on its border with Hamas-run Gaza
Following violent demonstrations on the Gaza Strip’s eastern border with Israel on Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced one Palestinian was killed and 22 others sustained injuries.
An estimated 10,000 Gazans participated in the protests, which occurred as part of the ongoing "Great March of Return" demonstrations.
On Gaza's side of the border, Hamas' politburo chief, Ismail Haniyeh, joined the protests near Khan Younis.
On the Israeli side, IDF Chief-of-Staff Gadi Eizenkot met with commanders stationed on the border and toured its perimeter.
Qatar’s Ambassador to Gaza earlier said his government had reached an agreement with the United Nations to distribute grant money for humanitarian projects after Hamas rejected an installment of $15 million that reached the Strip on Thursday.
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The deceased, identified by the ministry as Ihab Atallah Hussain Abed, 25, is said to have died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
Palestinian media noted that Hamas, the militant group ruling Gaza, evacuated its major posts near the border in anticipation of Israeli strikes.
The "tire units" have also reportedly begun burning tires along the border, a tactic meant to conceal activity on the Gaza side from Israeli troops stationed across the border.
Ahead of Friday's protests, Lebanese Al-Akhbar daily reported that Hamas warned Israel it would respond forcefully to any attack on Gaza.
On Friday morning, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement saying that two unarmed suspects were identified crossing into Israeli territory from Gaza overnight. The suspects were caught and detained for questioning.
-- 'Honor above everything' --
Hamas’ rejection of the $15 million (13.2 million euros) in Qatari funds on Thursday raised fears of fresh tensions along the Gaza-Israel border, ahead of weekly protests on Friday.
Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Emadi arrived in the coastal enclave on Thursday with the cash in hand, but Hamas refused after the funds were withheld by Israel for several weeks in response to violent protests on the Strip’s border in recent weeks.
The new grant sum of 20 million will be used for temporary employment programs for a period of four to six months, the Qatari envoy said Friday at a press conference in Gaza City.
"It was agreed to allocated the grant money to humanitarian projects in coordination and full cooperation with the United Nations," he said, adding that the money could be used to help "poor families or improve and develop electricity projects."
Hamas issued a statement Friday claiming victory following its refusal, despite the fact that the Qatari funds will no longer pay salaries of workers employed by Hamas.
"The decision of the organization and support from the popular rally toward rejecting the Qatari grant reflects the fact that our people's honor is above everything else."
-- 254 Gazans killed since March --
According to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) released this week, 254 Palestinian residents of Gaza have died in “hostilities” with Israeli forces in the period of March 30 to December 31, 2018.
The deaths occurred either during the organized border demonstrations or “access related” events occurring at border crossings. Another 23,603 Gazans suffered injuries, 6,744 of which resulted from live ammunition fired by Israeli troops, according to the report.
Palestinians in Gaza have been protesting at the border nearly every week since the end of March. While Israel says the protests have been taken over by Hamas, the Islamist group governing the enclave, some Palestinians claim the demonstrations are non-violent acts against the ongoing blockade of the territory.
During the same period, two Israelis were killed in the context of Gaza hostilities while another 52 suffered injuries, the report says. One Israeli soldier was killed by a Palestinian sniper during border demonstrations while another died in a botched special forces operation inside the blockaded enclave.
In May, 80 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, signifying the most deadly month of hostilities in the March-December period.
50 of those killed were claimed by Hamas as members of the terror organization.
The military has said a large number of protesters killed or injured are armed with weapons with the intention of harming Israeli soldiers and civilians. The Israeli government argues the protests are not peaceful civilian demonstrations but “part of the armed conflict between the state of Israel and the Hamas terror organization.
The army has accused Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza and has fought three wars with Israel since 2008, of seeking to use the protests as cover to carry out attacks.