Israeli regime kills 5 Palestinians in Gaza

Palestine refuses to work with UN envoy for seeking truce between Hamas and Israel

TGaza’s Health Ministry said five Palestinians have been killed by Israeli occupation forces at a protest near the fence dividing the besieged territory and Israel. The ministry said Friday that 50 other protesters were wounded by live bullets.

Thousands of Palestinians marched Friday after convening at five locations along the fence, burning tyres and throwing rocks toward Israeli troops, who responded from across the barrier with tear gas and gunfire.

Since the protests began, at least 150 Palestinians have been shot dead by the Israeli regime while participating or being present at the demonstrations. An Israeli occupation soldier was also killed by a Gaza sniper in the same period.

Meanwhile, a senior Palestinian official said Thursday the leadership will no longer work with the UN peace envoy, accusing him of overstepping his role by seeking a deal between Israel and Hamas.

Ahmad Majdalani, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s (PLO) executive committee, said it had informed the UN secretary general that envoy Nickolay Mladenov was “no longer acceptable” to the Palestinian government. Mladenov had “gone beyond his role” in seeking agreements between the Israeli regime and rival Palestinian faction Hamas, which controls Gaza, he said, adding that his actions impacted “Palestinian national security and the unity of our people”.

There was no immediate comment from Mladenov or UN. Mladenov, alongside Egypt, has been seeking a long-term truce agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime, without including Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas’s internationally recognised government in the indirect negotiations. –Agencies