Israel Fires On Palestinians Protesting ‘Flag March’ In Gaza

Gaza City, Palestine – Israeli forces have used live fire and tear gas against Palestinians who joined a demonstration on the besieged Gaza Strip’s eastern border with Israel, injuring several Palestinians, as far-right Israelis held a so-called ‘flag march’ in occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City.

Hundreds of Palestinians joined the protest on Thursday, which was called for by Palestinian factions in response to the Israeli march. The Gaza demonstration condemned the ‘flag march’ in Jerusalem and called for an end to Israeli attacks in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Israeli authorities said “their forces had fired after Palestinians threw explosive devices at the barrier between Israel and Gaza.”

Osama Abu Qamar, a 50-year-old resident of Gaza’s Jabaliya camp, told Al Jazeera that he had come to participate in the march to protest against the “provocative” march in Jerusalem, where far-right Israelis forced the closure of several Palestinian throughfares in the city as they chanted abusive slogans and waved Israeli flags.

The event, which is held annually to mark the occupation and annexation of East Jerusalem, has led to violence in recent years, and with a truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad only coming into effect this week after four days of fighting that killed 33 Palestinians and one Israeli, there was fear of it sparking further violence.

“We will not surrender, and we will continue to demand our rights and defend our occupied lands and our sanctities in Jerusalem,” Abu Qamar said

Aljazeera/Shakirat Sadiq