Gaza toll rises to 17 after Palestinian dies of wounds — ministry

By AFP - Apr 02,2018 - Last updated at Apr 02,2018

Palestinian mourners carry the body of Faris Al Raqib, a member of the Islamic Jihad movement, who died from his injuries after being shot in the stomach by Israeli forces a few days earlier, in Khan Younis, during his funeral in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday (AFP photo)

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories — A Palestinian succumbed to his wounds on Monday three days after being shot by Israeli occupation forces during a demonstration on the border with Israel, Gaza’s health ministry said, raising the death toll to 17.

Faris Al Raqib, 29, was shot in the stomach during Friday’s clashes east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, the health ministry said, as tens of thousands of people took part in some of the largest protests in recent years.

The “Islamic Jihad” resistance group said in a statement that Raqib was a member, adding that he was not carrying a weapon when he was shot.

In an AFP photo before his injury, Raqib is seen carrying one of the wounded away from the clashes.

Hundreds of others were wounded, many of them by live fire, resulting in calls for an independent investigation by the European Union and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

There were no casualties among Israelis.

Israel has defended its occupation soldiers’ violent show of force on Friday, when they opened fire on Palestinians who strayed from a main protest camp and approached the heavily fortified fence cutting off the blockaded Gaza Strip.

The military says soldiers opened fire “only when necessary” against those throwing stones and firebombs or rolling tyres.

It claimed there were attempts to damage the fence and infiltrate Israel.

Israel accuses Hamas, the resistance group that runs Gaza and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of using the protest as cover to “carry out violence”.

Palestinians say protesters were shot while posing no threat to heavily armed soldiers, and rights groups have condemned Israel’s use of live fire.

In addition to the 17 Palestinians killed, more than 1,400 were wounded Friday, 757 of them by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation, the health ministry in Gaza said.

The armed wing of Hamas said five of those killed were its members who were participating “in popular events side-by-side with their people”.

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