70th Great Return March Protest, Friday, 16 August 2019
On Friday, 16 August 2019, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continued to target peaceful protesters participating in the 70th Great Return March demonstrations across the Gaza Strip, called for by the National Authority for the Return March to mark World Youth Day. The organisers aimed at drawing attention to the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially the plight of young people in Gaza. The Great Return March has gathered weekly since 30 March 2018, at five camps across the Gaza Strip to protest Israel’s 12-year closure of the Gaza Strip, denial of the Palestinian right of self-determination and Israel’s denial of the right of return to Palestinian refugees. Large crowds of all ages assembled at the Great Return March camps. 
Between 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, thousands of Palestinians, including youth, children, elderly and entire families, gathered, in the vicinity of the five Great Return March camps, east of the Gaza Strip. During the peaceful demonstrations, participants organized, the usual popular folkloric activities, inside and around the camp. They chanted national slogans and raised Palestinian flags. Dozens of demonstrators, including children gathered at distances, between 50 and 300 meters from the fence, which Israel has constructed alongside a surveillance system of watchtowers, cameras and balloons to around-the-clock monitor the occupied Palestinian population and prevent their movement.
Meanwhile, Israeli snipers, positioned behind the hills and the separation fence, across from the Great Return March protest sites, shot into the gathering protestors, employing live fire ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters. Some Palestinian youths threw stones at IOF snipers located behind the fence. As a result, 65 protestors were injured, 29 of whom were shot by live bullets and bullet shrapnel, while 20 protestors were shot by rubber bullets. Amongst the injured, were 21 children, two women and one volunteer first responder paramedic.

Injuries
In the Rafah Governorate, east of Al-Shouka, east of Rafah, 17 protesters, including six children and a volunteer first responder paramedic, were wounded. Of the 17, six were injured by live bullets and shrapnel, four by rubber bullets, and seven others with tear gas canisters. The volunteer first responder paramedic, Nour 'Atta Salim, 16, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet. 
In the Central Governorate, east of Al-Breij refugee camp, 10 protestors, including two children were injured. Of the injured, five were wounded from IOF live bullets and bullet shrapnel, and five from rubber bullets. 
In the Gaza Governorate, Al-Malaka area, east of Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood, east of Gaza City five protesters, including a child, were injured during Great Return March protests. Of the injured, four were injured from rubber-coated metal bullets and one protestor was wounded by a tear gas canister. 
In the North Gaza Governorate, at Abu Safiya hill, east of Jabaliya, 24 demonstrators, including 10 children and a woman, were injured by the IOF. Of the 15 wounded, six children sustained injuries from live bullets, and five (including three children and one woman) were injured by rubber bullets, while four protestors including a child, were injured by directly tear gas canisters.
In the Khan Younis Governorate, east of Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis, nine demonstrators, including two children and a woman, were injured by bullet shrapnel, two from rubber bullets, and four sustained injuries from tear gas canisters.
Tens of protesters suffered injuries as a result of tear gas inhalation and were treated in the field by health workers. 

71st Great Return March Protest, Friday, 23 August 2019
On Friday, 23 August 2019, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators gathered in the five official Great Return March camps located across the Gaza Strip, whereupon strategically placed snipers from the IOF opened fire, injuring 159 Palestinian civilians with unnecessary, disproportionate and excessive use of force. Of these, 86 were wounded with live bullets and shrapnel, 47 by rubber bullets, and 26 directly by tear gas canisters. The injured included 56 children and six first responder paramedics.

Injuries
In the North Gaza Governorate, at Abu Safiya hill, east of Jabaliya, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, including women and children, participated at the peaceful protests. IOF snipers positioned behind the border fence, opened fire on the crowds, injuring 37 demonstrators, including 17 children and a paramedic. Amongst the injured, 27 were wounded with live ammunition, six by rubber bullets, and four by tear gas canisters. Injured paramedic, Na'im Bashir Khader, 32, a member of the Palestinian Civil Defense was shot in his right arm with a rubber-coated metal bullet.
In the Gaza Governorate, during the Great Return March protests in Al-Malaka area, east of Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood, east of Gaza City, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, including women and children, were targeted and attacked by IOF snipers. This resulted in the injury of 18 demonstrators, including three children and a medic. Amongst those injured, eight sustained injuries from live bullets, another eight were injured from rubber bullets, and two injured directly from tear gas canisters. Of those injured, Muhammad Ismail Abu Qadous, 32, a paramedic, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in his right foot.
In the Central Governorate, east of Al-Breij refugee camp, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, including women and children, participated in the Great Return March, whereupon they were targeted and attacked by Israeli soldiers positioned behind the fence. Amongst the 28 demonstrators who were injured, were 11 children, and a medic. Fourteen protestors were wounded with live bullets and shrapnel, and six sustained injuries from rubber bullets, while eight protestors were injured directly by tear gas canisters. Medic Muhammad Abdelqader Abu Ayda, 23, was injured with a direct tear gas canister in the right hand. 
In the Khan Younis Governorate, east of Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, including women and children, gathered at the Great Return March. Snipers from the IOF fired at the protestors, resulting in the injury of 45 demonstrators, including 20 children and two paramedics. Amongst the wounded, medic Sami Mousa Abu Mustafa, 27, sustained injuries from a rubber-coated metal bullet in the lower limbs. In addition, Emad Yousef Al-Sinwar, 22, a volunteer first responder paramedic was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the neck.
In the Rafah Governorate, east of Al-Shouka, east of Rafah, hundreds more peaceful demonstrators, including women and children, participated in the Great Return March. IOF snipers injured 31 protestors, including five children and a paramedic. Among the injured, 27 were wounded with live bullets and shrapnel, two with rubber bullets, and two directly from tear gas canisters. Paramedic, Islam Subhi Abu Shawish, 29, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head.