The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At least 52 killed in border protests
Violence marks bloodiest day in Gaza Strip since 2014.
ZEITOUN, GAZA STRIP— Israeli soldiers on Monday killed at least 52 Palestinians demonstrating along the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip and wounded more than 2,400 in the bloodiest day in the enclave since the 2014 war with Israel, according to the
Gaza Health Ministry. An estimated 35,000 Palestinians gathered on the edges of Gaza as the U.S. Embassy opened in Jerusalem, fanning out along the fence in the largest demonstrations yet.
At a gathering point east of Gaza City, organizers urged demonstrators to burst through the fence, telling them Israeli soldiers were fleeing their positions, even as they were reinforcing them.
At the barrier, young men threw stones and tried to launch kites carrying flames in hopes of burning crops on the other side. Most of the demonstrators, though, were peaceful, protesting the loss of their homes and villages and the embassy move.
Occasional sporadic gun- fire could be heard over the noise of the crowd, and a constant stream of ambulances roared back and forth from the fence, ferrying away the wounded. Hospital workers
said they were overwhelmed. “We are at a critical point now,” said Ayman al-Sahbani, the head of the emer- gency department at al-Shi- faa hospital in Gaza City. “I don’t know how we will manage this number of people. How long can this go on? How long?”
Earlier in the day, he said that his hospital could cope with about 200 or 300 gunshot injuries. By 6 p.m., around 400 had been brought in. “A lot of people need oper- ations, but the operation rooms are full.”
Nirma Attalah, 29, said the deaths were just galvaniz- ing Gaza residents to keep on demonstrating despite weeks of losses.
“My brother was shot in the head in this place,” she said, adding it was two weeks ear
lier. She had come on Monday with her whole extended family to the protest.
“We are here for Jerusalem, for Palestinian land,” she said.
“Save your lives and work on building your futures,” the leaflets said.
Farther from the fence, food stalls sold snacks, sand- wiches and juice, while loud music played in an oddly carnival-like atmosphere.
“People have come out of the rubble to say we will not forget our rights,” said Yousef Abu Saleh, 25. “The American administration is adopt- ing the Israeli story and stealing our right of return.”
While some said they would abide by official calls to keep the demonstrations peaceful, others talked about their enthusiasm to break into Israel and wreak havoc.
“We are excited to storm and get inside,” said 23-yearold Mohammed Mansoura. When asked what he would do inside Israel, he said, “Whatever is possible, to kill, throw stones.”
The Israel Defense Forces said at least 35,000 people were protesting in 12 differ- ent places along the fence — more than twice as many locations as in past weeks of protest. “Especially violent riots” took place near the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where three people were killed after trying to plant an explosive, the army added.
The military also said it would “act forcefully against any terrorist activity,” and it carried out an airstrike on Hamas military posts in northern Gaza after its troops came under fire.
Demonstrations are planned across the Palestinian territories to protest the U.S. decision to shift its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognize the city as Israel’s capital, seen as a major blow to the Palestinian cause.
They were expected to be largest in Gaza, where six weeks of demonstrations
dubbed the “March of Return” will reach a climax this week. Before Monday, Israeli snipers had already killed nearly 50 Palestinians in the unrest at the fence, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and wounded 2,240 more.
The embassy move has added extra friction to what was already a highly charged week. Scuffles broke out in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday as Israelis celebrated the “reunification” of the city, an annexation not recognized internationally. The opening of the embassy on Monday is followed by Nakba Day on Tuesday - when Palestinians mark the anniversary of mass expulsions and flight that displaced an estimated 700,000 people when Israel was founded 70 years ago.
This year, organizers of demonstrations in Gaza and the West Bank are spreading them over two days to coincide with the embassy opening.