San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
7 buried following latest border protests in Gaza
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Thousands of Gazans on Saturday thronged the funerals of seven people killed by Israeli troops during mass protests the previous day, denouncing Israel and the U.S. and calling for revenge.
The coastal strip’s ruling Hamas militant group, meanwhile, dispatched a delegation to Egypt in a desperate new attempt to ease a crippling blockade on the Palestinian territory.
Friday’s violence was the deadliest day of protests in nearly four months. Among the dead was an 11-year-old boy, believed to be the youngest of 144 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire during the protests. Another boy, 14-year-old Mohammed al-Houm, was also among the seven killed.
The Hamas-orchestrated protests were launched in March to press for an end to the blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group took control of Gaza in 2007. The blockade has ravaged Gaza’s economy, and with Egyptian-mediated cease-fire efforts deadlocked, Hamas has vowed to step up the protests.
Israel, which has fought three wars against Hamas, accuses the group of exploiting and endangering civilians by using the protests as cover for militant actions. Thousands of Gazans participated in Friday’s protests, burning tires and using the billowing thick smoke as a screen to hurl rocks and firebombs toward Israeli forces on the other side of the fence.
About 1,000 mourners attended the funeral of the 11-year-old victim, Nasser Musabeh.
The top U.N. humanitarian official in the region, Jamie McGoldrick, said Saturday that he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of life, urging both sides to ensure children are not the target of violence or put at risk. The blockade has made conditions increasingly dire in Gaza. Unemployment has risen to over 50 percent, and residents receive just several hours of electricity each day.
Fares Akram is an Associated Press writer.