2LT International News

GAZA, Palestinian Territories – Around Sixteen thousand Palestinians marched towards the Gaza border with Israel on Friday for weekly Great March to Return protests which are also aimed at demonstrating against the eleven-year blockade.

An Israeli army spokesman said some protesters burned tires and threw explosive devices, hand grenades and Molotov cocktails at soldiers. The army, the spokesman said, responded with protest dispersal methods.

Two attempts to breach the security fence were noticed by the army, the spokesman said. 

Three Israel Air Force strikes were carried out targeting Hamas positions north of the Gaza Strip. Israel holds Hamas responsible for everything that happens within Gaza, regardless of whether they are responsible or not.

Five Palestinians were killed by Israeli snipers and eighty five were injured, the Palestinian Ministry of Health was quoted as saying by The Jerusalem Post.

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said that the protests are entirely coordinated by Hamas.

“I said more than once that they are in control,” he said during a press conference at Kibbutz Kerem Shalom. ”Nobody walks to the security fence. They are all brought there by Hamas-organized buses.”

Liberman said that Israel needs to see a period of relative calm at least until November before “reaching conclusions.”

Last month, on 18 October 2018, Israel announced it would no longer tolerate any unacceptable activity at the border protests, implementing a ‘zero tolerance,’ policy.

Israel’s Housing Minister and former Commander of the Israeli army’s Southern Command, Yoav Gallant, said at the time “the rules of the game are about to change.”

The hard-line approach was instigated after a rocket from Gaza hit and damaged a home in Beersheba in southern Israel.

“Given Israeli forces’ horrific track record of using deadly force against Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza, as well as journalists, medics and others, the announcement of a ‘zero tolerance’ policy is deeply alarming,” Saleh Higazi, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International said when the policy was implemented last month.

“There are serious fears that this policy will further sanction the use of deadly force against unarmed protesters during (the weekly) demonstrations, and that Israeli forces will be given carte blanche authorization to carry out large-scale, unlawful killings escalating the bloodshed. Israel has repeatedly used lethal force unnecessarily and excessively against unarmed protesters in shameless violation of international law,” Higazi added.