Gaza mourns boy killed by Israelis
A Palestinian teenager yesterday became the third person to die from Israeli fire at a protest on the Gaza border on Friday.
The teen died as the funerals of an 11-year-old boy and a 43-year-old man took place, attended by thousands.
More than 150 Palestinians, most unarmed, have been killed and several thousand wounded by Israeli fire during the border protests since March 30.
Human rights groups have accused Israel of unlawful use of lethal force.
Israel says it is defending its border and accuses Hamas, the group ruling Gaza, of using the protests as cover for attempts to breach the border fence and attack civilians and soldiers.
The Gaza Health Ministry said Moumin Al Hams, 17, was shot in the chest during the protest on Friday.
Images shared on social media by his friends and relatives showed him venturing towards the fence and setting tyres ablaze.
Funerals were held yesterday for Majdi Al Satari, 11, and Ghazi Abu Mustafa, 43.
Alaa Abdel Fattah said he saw Majdi’s death. Protesters were trying to cut razor wire about 50 metres away from the border fence and the boy was watching from another 50 metres back, he said.
“There were two gunshots from a sniper,” Mr Abdel Fattah said. “One hit one of those cutting the wire in the leg and
the other gunshot hit the boy in his head.”
Women gathered under the corrugated zinc roof of the Satari home for the funeral.
“I don’t know what he did to them,” said Majdi’s mother, Kholoud, as she burst in tears.
She said the family tried to stop him going to the protests and one time tried to lock him indoors. “It’s his fate,” she sighed.
Majdi’s grandmother, Umm Ramzi, said: “He is a child. He had no bullets or weapons. He was standing like all children watching. They shot him from afar. Isn’t he a child? Why are they targeting children?”
In a nearby town, mourners held the funeral of Mr Abu Mustafa.
Witness Hassan Najjar said soldiers shot at a group of Palestinians who rushed to the border and a bullet hit Mr Abu Mustafa, who was sat about 250 metres away.
Mr Najjar said the victim was using crutches after being shot in the leg at an earlier protest.
Hamas has led border protests aimed at drawing attention to the Israeli blockade imposed after it took control of Gaza in 2007.
The demonstrations have been fuelled by pervasive despair caused by the blockade, which has caused widespread economic hardship.
Last week a Palestinian sniper killed an Israeli soldier. Another soldier was wounded by Palestinian fire on Wednesday.