Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Man at Border

An Israeli soldier gestures as Palestinians stand close to the fence between Israel and the southern Gaza Strip on Friday. (Photo: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)

Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Man at Border

Shooting marks first death since ceasefire

Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian man and wounded 15 more at the Gaza border on Friday, only two days after a truce brought an end to 8 days of fighting.

The death is the first reported killing since the ceasefire took effect

Reutersreports:

Health officials said Anwar Qdeih, 23, was hit in the head by Israeli gunfire after he approached the security fence that runs between Israel and Gaza -- an area that Israel has long declared a no-go zone for Palestinians.

A relative of Qdeih told Reuters that the man was trying to place a Hamas flag on the fence when Israeli troops fired three times into the air and then shot him.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said soldiers fired the shots to push back about 300 Palestinians who were gathered along the fence and attempting to cross the border.

The Israel Defense Force said it fired warning shots at a group of Palestinians walking toward the border fence, then fired at their legs when they did not respond, according to the BBC.

Details of how the ceasefire will be implemented in the border region have not yet been worked out.

Both sides claimed the other had broken the ceasefire, and Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Hamas "will raise this violation with Egyptian mediators to make sure that it does not happen again."

Join Us: News for people demanding a better world


Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference.

Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.