One Palestinian killed, 30 injured in Friday clashes with IDF forces

Local reports put the number of demonstrators as 6,000 Palestinians in five main spots along the fence with Israel, throwing explosives and rocks at Israeli troops.

By HAGAY HACOHEN, ANNA AHRONHEIM
A demonstrator holding a Palestinian flag uses a sling to hurl stones at Israeli troops during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border fence, in the central Gaza Strip January 25, 2019 (photo credit: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA / REUTERS)
A demonstrator holding a Palestinian flag uses a sling to hurl stones at Israeli troops during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border fence, in the central Gaza Strip January 25, 2019
(photo credit: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA / REUTERS)
One Palestinian was killed and dozens injured as thousands of Gazans demonstrated along the border fence with Israel on Friday, which was seen as a major test for the tense calm holding after last weekend’s fighting.
Local reports put the number of demonstrators as 6,000 Palestinians in five main spots along the fence with Israel, throwing explosives and rocks at Israeli troops, who responded to the violent protests with riot dispersal means.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 30 people were injured, including four children and a paramedic who was moderately wounded by a gunshot to the head.
One man, 24-year-old Abdalla Abed El-Aal, was reported killed by troops near Rafah in the southern Strip after he allegedly attempted to infiltrate into Israel by cutting through the security fence.
Earlier on Friday, incendiary balloons caused a fire in Nahal Oz in southern Israel. Hamas released a social media video of the balloons being launched. The fire was contained and put out by Israeli firefighters.
The border protests began on March 30, 2018, and have seen more than half a million people violently demonstrating along the security fence with Israel, demanding an end to the 12-year-long blockade, congregating at points along the border range between several thousand to 45,000 each day.
Hamas spokesperson Ismail Radwan warned Israel against “hurting peaceful protesters,” and warned Israel against trying to avoid implementing the understandings reached after the recent clash with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad last weekend.
On Saturday, senior Islamic Jihad figure in the Gaza Strip, Khaled al-Batash, threatened Israel with another round of violence if Israel fails to commit itself to the ceasefire understandings.
“If Israel does not fulfill its side of the agreement, the resistance has the means to force it to,” he said. “We will continue to defend our people until the implementation of the understandings.”
Four Israelis and 25 Palestinians were killed last weekend in the deadliest round of violence between Israel and Gaza since the last military conflict in 2014.
The two groups have given Israel one week to implement the ceasefire agreements, which reportedly include the reopening of the fishing zone and border crossings and the transfer of Qatari money. If not, both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have threatened to resume the launching of rockets toward Israeli territory.
An Egyptian security delegation also arrived in the blockaded coastal enclave late on Thursday to monitor the implementation of the truce.