Five more Gazans killed by Israeli fire near buffer zone

Five more Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire during protests along the border with Gaza on Friday, local medical officials said. Palestinians have been protesting along the border since March 30, demanding an end to Israel's blockade of the territory and the right to return to lands from which they fled or from which they were driven when Israel was founded in 1948.

World
Agencies and A News
Published Date: 12:00 | 26 October 2018
Modified Date: 06:57 | 26 October 2018

The number of Palestinians killed on Friday along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone has risen to five, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

In a statement, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra identified the martyrs as Mohamed Khaled Abdel-Nabi, 27; Nassar Abu-Tayem, 22; Ahmed Abu Lebda, 22; Ayesh Shaeth, 23; and Jabr Abu Hemeisa, 25.

Al-Qidra added that 85 other Palestinians had been injured by Israeli army gunfire.

Earlier Friday, hundreds of Palestinians converged along the buffer zone as part of ongoing demonstrations against Israel's decades-long occupation.

Palestinians have gathered for protests along the Gaza border at least weekly since late March.

At least 213 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the protests began on March 30, according to figures collated by AFP.

The majority have died during protests, though smaller numbers have been killed by airstrikes and tank fire.

Palestinian protesters are calling to be allowed to return to lands their families fled or were expelled from in a 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel and which are now inside the Jewish state.

They are also opposing Israel's crippling blockade of Gaza.
Egyptian security officials have been in the last two weeks been talking to Israeli leaders and officials of Hamas, which runs Gaza, and other factions in an attempt to restore calm along the border.

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