Palestinian man reportedly killed in Gaza border riots
Published December 22, 2017
(JTA) — A 24-year-old Palestinian man was shot dead during riots near the Gaza-Israel border.
Locals told the Palestinian Maan news agency that Israeli forces shot Zakariya al-Kafarneh during clashes in eastern Jabaliya, in northern Gaza.
Protesters marched following Friday prayers near the border fence in response to calls from Hamas for a third “Friday of Rage” in protest of President Donald Trump’s announcement earlier this month recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Israel’s Army Radio reported that Israeli soldiers shot at rioting Palestinians who breached the sterile zone near the security fence, using crowd dispersal means such as tear gas and stun grenades.
“Israeli troops fired on main inciters to violence, where rioters were throwing projectiles and setting tires on fire,” a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces told Ynet.
Meanwhile, 10 Palestinians were injured during clashes in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Maan.
Another six were injured in clashes in the West Bank, Army Radio reported. Israeli army sources estimated that in total, some 1,700 demonstrators participated in disturbances in the West Bank, a drop of approximately 50 percent from last week.