With 'Unlawful' Use of Force in Gaza, Israeli Forces Injure Hundreds of Palestinians as March of Great Return Continues

As the March of Great Return continued along the Israeli border on Friday, Gaza health officials reported that Israeli forces ignored international calls for restraint and injured more than 500 Palestinians with tear gas and live ammunition, shooting at least 122 protesters.

“Israel is treating the protest in Gaza as it has handled similar events in the past: Broad, unlawful use of lethal force at a heavy price to lives, baseless legal interpretations issued to justify this policy, and whitewashing the crimes within days.”
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While thousands of Palestinians gathered at the border for the third consecutive Friday as part of a six-week protest of Israel’s occupation, human rights and peace advocates fiercely condemned “the unlawful shooting of unarmed demonstrators in Gaza” as ordered by top Israeli officials.

Since the protests began last month, at least 34 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces.

“For the past two weeks, the world has watched in horror as Israeli forces unleashed excessive, deadly force against protesters, including children, who merely demand an end to Israel’s brutal policies towards Gaza and a life of dignity,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Denouncing Israel’s “horrifying use of live ammunition against unarmed protesters,” Mughrabi also noted that “under international law, lethal force can only be used when unavoidable to protect against imminent threats to life.”

“Israel is treating the protest in Gaza as it has handled similar events in the past: Broad, unlawful use of lethal force at a heavy price to lives, baseless legal interpretations issued to justify this policy, and whitewashing the crimes within days,” declared the Israel-based group B’Tselem. 

If the international community does not pressure Israel to stop firing at protesters, B’Tselem warned, “it will pull the rug out from under the global effort to protect human rights in the post-WWII era.”

The groups also repeated calls for an independent investigation into Israeli forces’ use of firearms against protesters.

Ahead of the protests on Friday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and five Democrats in the House broke with the party establishment and spoke out against the violence by Israeli forces.