Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian during clashes near the besieged Gaza Strip’s border with Israel on Sunday.
Witnesses said that clashes broke out in the southern border area, east of the village of Khuzaa, during which time a Palestinian man was shot with live ammunition in the foot, according to Ma’an News.
An Israeli army spokesperson said that “violent riots” had taken place in several parts of the Gaza Strip, as Palestinians had attempted to “cause damage” to Israel’s separation barrier, adding that “dozens of Palestinians lit tires on fire and hurled rocks” at Israeli forces.
Israeli forces then fired warning shots into the air, the spokesperson added; however, when the protesters failed to disperse, Israeli forces fired at the “main perpetrators.”
Clashes frequently erupt in the besieged Gaza Strip on the border with Israel, as protesters continue to demonstrate against the decade-long siege imposed by Israel on the small Palestinian territory.
Israeli forces are often condemned for their use of excessive force against unarmed Palestinian protesters, who are routinely met with live ammunition and “crowd control weapons” during protests and clashes. According to UN documentation, 3,393 Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces in 2016, while 781 injuries have been reported thus far in 2017.
