During the 65th, 66th and 67th Great Return March protests, on 5, 12 and 19 July 2019, thousands of Palestinians, including women, children, young men, and families, gathered between 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm in the five return camps established by the National Authority for the Return March. Protesters organized popular and folkloric activities in the return camps and surrounding areas, chanted national slogans, and raised Palestinian flags, while dozens of protestors, including women, children and youths, gathered at distances of about 50-300 meters from the fence, while Israeli snipers were positioned behind the hills and sand berms, inside military watchtowers and military enclaves behind the fence on the other side. Some of the protesters threw stones at Israeli forces, while the latter fired live and rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at the protestors.
65th Great Return March Protests, Friday, 5 July 2019
On the 65th Friday of the Great March of Return, 93 Palestinians, including 31 children, were injured due to the Israeli military's continued use of excessive force against peaceful protestors. Of those injured, 37 were hit with live ammunition and bullet shrapnel, 33 by rubber-coated metal bullets and 23 with direct tear gas hits. One journalist and one paramedic were also injured, while tens of others suffocated from tear gas inhalation.
Injuries
In the Northern Gaza Strip governorate, hundreds of protesters gathered at Abu Safiya, east of Jabaliya, to participate in the Great March of Return. The IOF injured 18 protestors, including nine children, one of whom has a hearing disability. Of the 18, seven were shot with live bullets, three with direct teargas canisters and eight with rubber-coated metal bullets. In Gaza governorate, Israeli forces fired live ammunition and teargas canisters at the protesters, wounding seven, including a child. Four were shot with live bullets; and three were directly hit with teargas canisters. In the Central Gaza Strip, hundreds protested in east of al-Breij refugee camp. The IOF injured 26 protesters, including six children. Of those injured, 19 injuries resulted from live bullets and shrapnel, two from rubber bullets and five from teargas canisters directly shot at them. In Khan Younis governorate, hundreds participated in the protests organized in Khuza'a, east of Khan Younis. Israeli forces fired live, rubber bullets and teargas canisters at the protesters, injuring 16, including two children and a volunteer paramedic. Five were shot with live bullets and shrapnel, while another five were injured with rubber bullets and six with teargas canisters which directly hit them.
The volunteer paramedic, Nahlah Ziyad Jarghoun, 22, sustained an injury due to bullet shrapnel in the foot. In Rafah governorate, the IOF injured 26 Palestinians, including 13 children and a journalist. Among those injured, two were shot with live fire and bullet shrapnel, whereas 18 others were shot with rubber-coated metal bullets and two were directly hit with tear gas canisters. The journalist, Atta Basel Fojo, 22, was shot with a tear gas canister in the lower parts of the body.
66th Great Return March Protests, Friday, 5 July 2019
On Friday, 12 July 2019, the IOF continued to target Palestinian protestors during the 66th Great Return March protests. Thousands of Palestinians, including women, children and young people, elderly and entire families, gathered between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm, in the five return camps, set up by the Supreme National Authority. During the peaceful demonstrations, participants organized, their usual popular and folkloric events in and around the camps, chanted national slogans and raised Palestinian flags. The demonstrators, including women, children and youths, gathered at a distance of 50-300 meters from the fence, in completely exposed locations for the Israeli snipers stationed behind the hills and sand barriers and inside the towers and military posts behind the fence. Some of the protestors threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who fired live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters. As a result, 71 demonstrators were injured, two of them seriously. Of the injured, 39 were shot with live bullets and bullet shrapnel, 23 were wounded with rubber bullets, and nine were hit by direct gas canisters. Of the 71 injured, 23 children, a medic and two journalists were included.
Injuries
In Rafah Governorate, in east of al-Shouka area, east of Rafah, 16 demonstrators, including four children and a journalist were wounded. Six were wounded with live bullets and shrapnel, and 10 were wounded with rubber-coated metal bullets. The wounded journalist is Taqi Suleiman al-Zamili, 27, who was hit by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the lower limbs. In the Central Governorate, east of al-Breij refugee camp, 25 demonstrators were injured, including eight children and a journalist. Among the injured, 18 were shot with live bullets and shrapnel bullets, one was hit directly by a tear gas canister, and six were wounded with rubber bullets. The injured journalist, Mahmoud Zakaria Abu Musallam, 22, was shot by a rubber bullet in the left leg. In the Gaza Governorate, in Malka east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, two demonstrators were injured by direct tear gas canisters.
In the Northern Gaza Governorate, in Abu Safiya, east of Jabaliya, 12 demonstrators were injured, including one serious injury leaving the victim in a serious condition and seven children. Of the injured, nine were wounded with live bullets and shrapnel, including five children, one was injured directly from a tear gas canister hit and two children were wounded by rubber bullets. In Khan Younis Governorate, east of Khuza'a area east of Khan Younis, 16 demonstrators were wounded, including one who remains in a critical condition, four children and a volunteer paramedic. Of the injured, six were wounded with live bullets and shrapnel, five with direct tear gas canisters, and five with rubber-coated metal bullets. The injured paramedic, Mahmoud Suleiman Qdeih, 27, was hit by a tear gas canister in his stomach.
It should be mentioned that dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation and were treated on the ground.
67th Great Return March Protests, Friday, 19 July 2019
On Friday, 19 July 2019, the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) continued to target peaceful demonstrators during the 67th Great Return March in the Gaza Strip. Thousands of Palestinians, including women, children, young men, elderly and families, gathered between 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm, in the five return camps, and participated in the Great Return March events between, including chanting national slogans and raising Palestinian flags, while dozens of demonstrators, including women, children and youth gathered at distances of about 50-300 meters from the fence, in places completely exposed to snipers.
The IOF who were stationed behind the hills and sand berms and inside military watchtowers and military enclaves beyond the fence. Some of the demonstrators threw stones at the IOF. The IOF continued to use live fire, rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas against the protesters, also targeting medical personnel on duty, as well as journalists covering the protests, which resulted in the injury of four paramedics and three journalists. The excessive use of force by the IOF resulted in the injury of 118 Palestinians, 57 of whom were injured with live bullets and shrapnel, 47 with rubber bullets, and 14 with direct tear gas canister hits. Of the 118, 45 children, four women, four paramedics and three journalists were injured. In addition, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation and were treated on the ground.
Injuries
In the Northern Gaza Governorate, the IOF injured 20 demonstrators, including nine children and one paramedic; five were shot with live bullets, 14 with rubber bullets, and one with a direct tear gas canister hit. The injured paramedic, Khaled Suhail Abed, 27, a volunteer at the Ministry of Health, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the foot. In the Gaza Governorate, the IOF injured 16 demonstrators, including six children. Of the 16, five were shot by direct tear gas canisters, 10 by live bullets and bullet shrapnel, and one was wounded by a rubber bullet. In the Central Governorate, the IOF injured 32 demonstrators, including 16 children, two journalists and a paramedic. Four of the 32 were seriously injured, whereas 25 were shot with live bullets and shrapnel, and seven were wounded by rubber bullets. The volunteer medic, Ahmad Ibrahim Washah, 26, a volunteer in the Crescent for the Palestinian Red Crescent, was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot, while journalist Sami Jamal Masran, 34, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the face. Meanwhile, journalist Safinaz Bakr al-Louh, 28, who works as a photographer at Amad News, was hit by a rubber bullet in her back.
In the Khan Yunis Governorate, the IOF injured 17 demonstrators, including four children and a volunteer paramedic. Of the 17, seven were wounded by live bullets and bullet shrapnel, five by rubber bullets, and five others with direct gas canisters. Volunteer paramedic Fatima Walid Najjar, 29, was directly hit by a gas canister in the left hand. In the Rafah Governorate, the IOF injured 33 demonstrators, including 10 children, one journalist and one medic. Of the 33, 10 were wounded with live bullets and shrapnel, 20 with rubber bullets and three by direct gas canisters. Freelance journalist Mu'ath Fathi Al-Homs, 23, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the hand, whereas medic Saqr Jihad Al-Jamal, 25, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right shoulder and ear.