Palestinian said killed, 90 hurt at Gaza rally; balloons spark 9 fires in Israel
Upsurge in arson attacks; officials say they have managed to bring blazes under control
A Palestinian man was killed and at least 90 wounded in protests near the Gaza Strip border, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said Monday evening.
It said at least 10 were wounded by live fire, and that one was in critical condition.
The Israeli military said thousands of Palestinians rioted on beaches near the border in the north of the coastal enclave, while Palestinian vessels had also staged a “riot at sea” close to the maritime border.
The military said soldiers “attempted to stop the vessels from approaching by firing into the air and near the vessels in accordance with standard operating procedures.”
Meanwhile nine fires erupted Monday near Israeli communities in the Gaza periphery. All were caused by incendiary balloons flown over the border by Palestinians.
Firefighters managed to bring the blazes under control, including near Be’eri, Kissufim, Nir Yitzhak and Nahal Oz.
On Sunday firefighters handled seven fires sparked by balloons in the region. Over the weekend, more than a dozen were reported.
Also Sunday Hamas said indirect negotiations to reach a long-term ceasefire agreement with Israel had stalled, and vowed to step up the violent protests along the border. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri blamed the impasse on the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, which has voiced its strong opposition to the Egypt-brokered talks.
Abu Zuhri said that in response, the Gaza-based terrorist group was escalating its protests in new locations along Gaza’s borders with Israel.
In the wake of the announcement, more than a thousand Gazans gathered at the border for a rare night-time protest, burning tires and clashing with IDF troops. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said one person was killed and 11 injured by IDF fire.
The IDF said it had spotted a cell about to launch fire balloons into Israel and targeted them with fire from an aircraft. The air force usually fires warning shots at the balloon cells.
AFP contributed to this report.
