The Israeli army has killed at least 28 Palestinians and injured at least 1,600 others alongside the eastern borders of the Gaza Strip on Monday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
After months of global outcry, the United States will officially move its embassy to Jerusalem on Monday with an inauguration ceremony.
Monday also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel, followed on Tuesday by what Palestinians call the “Nakba”- or the catastrophe.
The Gaza Ministry of Health identified some of the slain Palestinians as : Anas Hamdan Qudeih, 21; Qudeih was killed in Khan Younis, Musaab Youssef Ibrahim Abu Laila, 29, in eastern Jabaliya, Ubaida Salem Farhan, 30, Muhammad Ashraf Abu Sitta, 26, Izz al-Din Moussa al-Sammak, 14, Izz al-Din Nahed al-Uweiti, 23, Bilal Ahmad Abu Duqqa, 26, Jihad Mufid Abed al-Munem al-Farra, 30, Fadi Hassan Abu Salah, 30, Ahmad Awadallah, 24, Mutasem Fawzi Abu Luli, 20, Muhammad Mahmoud Abed al-Aal, Ahmad Fawzi al-Tatar, Ahmad Adel Moussa al-Shaer, Muhammad Abed al-Rahman Ali Miqdad.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said that until 13:15 p.m., their teams treated 390 injuries, 253 of which are with live ammunition, 68 tear-gas inhalation cases, 28 shrapnel injuries and 41 hit with tear-gas bombs; 76 of the injuries were in the northern Gaza Strip, 134 in Gaza City, 41in the central Gaza Strip, 86 in Khan Younis and 68 in Rafah City.
Two were injured in eastern al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip while others were injured in eastern Gaza City.
Several protesters cut the Israeli border fence and reportedly attempted to enter the other side, as Israeli military forces were heavily deployed alongside the borders, constantly opening fire.
Palestinians headed to the “return camps” early Monday stationed along the border, setting fire to tires near the border fence.
In Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli forces had thrown flammable material at the return camps in an attempt to prevent youths from approaching borders.
In Ramallah, north of Jerusalem, protesters marched to the Qalandia military checkpoint aiming to cross it but were met with force.
A young man was shot in the village of Deir Nizam northwest of Ramallah. Early on Monday, Israel’s army closed several roads leading to Ramallah to prevent protesters from gathering before the march
Many Palestinians were arrested on Monday morning, according to local media.
It also reported that the Israeli fired tear gas and stun grenades near a schoolyard in Tuqu’, a village near Bethlehem. Several students, who were doing the end of the year exams, were suffocated.
In Bissan Square in Bethlehem, protesters chanted slogans that condemns US decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem. The Israeli army blocked the entrances of the al-Khadr village, south of Bethlehem, with two metal gates.
In the city of Hebron, violent confrontations broke out with the Israeli army forces in the area of Bab al-Zawya. The Israeli army fired tear gas at the students at Khadija Bint Khuwailid School in the southern region of Hebron.
Palestinians in the village of Beit Furik, in Nablus city, threw stones at settlers’ vehicles, causing light damage.
Israeli police clamp down on Palestinian protestors in Jerusalem
In Jerusalem, MEE Correspondent Lubna Masarwa reports that Israeli authorities stopped a large Palestinian demonstration outside the newly built US embassy in Jerusalem.
“There was supposed to be a big demonstration near the US embassy building, but the Israeli army has stopped Palestinians from leaving the old city to get onto buses for the protest,” says Masarwa.
“The area outside the US embassy building also has a large police presence.”
Trump, Netanyahu focus on US embassy opening
While the Palestinian protests continue and the number of fatalities rise, US President Donald Trump has urged his followers to watch the opening of the US embassy on Fox News
U.S. Embassy opening in Jerusalem will be covered live on @FoxNews & @FoxBusiness. Lead up to 9:00 A.M. (eastern) event has already begun. A great day for Israel!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2018
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has retweeted Trump’s post and offered his thanks for the inauguration: yesterday he welcome the US delegation, which includes Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, to “Jerusalem – our capital!…”
We are happy to host the distinguished US delegation in Israel representing President Trump: Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Jason Greenblatt, Amb. David Friedman, Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner. Welcome to Jerusalem – our capital! pic.twitter.com/uUwD6O80Vo
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) May 13, 2018
and thanked the US president for his “bold decision”
President Trump is making history. We are deeply grateful for his bold decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to move the embassy there tomorrow! ???? @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/AkXk010v1L
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) May 13, 2018
‘Jerusalem is more than just a city to us,’ say protesters in Bethlehem
In Bethlehem, Occupied West Bank, MEE correspondent Yumna Patel reports that hundreds of Palestinians marched towards the Israeli separation wall.
Sajida Allan, a 24-year-old Palestinian refugee living in Bethlehem’s Aida refugee camp, spoke to Middle East Eye as Israeli forces suppressed demonstrations.
“We were marching peacefully – men, women, children, young people. No one was even throwing stones. But just two minutes after we arrived outside the Israeli military base, the soldiers threw sound bombs and tear gas, forcing people to run away.”
“We tried to avoid the gas because it was burning our eyes and hurting our chests,” she said. “They fired at us, but we were just trying to express ourselves and our frustrations with the 70 years of exile we have been living and the opening of the American embassy in Jerusalem.”
