Israeli forces kill 3 Palestinians during protests near Gaza border fence

At least three Palestinians, including a 15-year-old, were killed by Israeli fire on the Gaza border on Friday, the territory’s health ministry said.

Israeli troops fired live rounds and tear gas as thousands of Palestinians protested near the Gaza border fence on Friday, with some demonstrators burning tires, throwing stones and flying blazing kites. At least 413 Palestinians were wounded, including 80 by live fire, Gaza health officials said.

Besides, seven of the wounded were in serious condition, the Health Ministry said, in the latest in a series of mass protests to call attention to a decade-old blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt.

A protester uses a racket to hit back a tear gas canister across a barbed-wire fence during clashes with Israeli forces. —AFP

Youths carry tires on their shoulders as they head to join other protesters gathered along the border fence with Israel. —AFP

The march also marked the annual “Jerusalem Day,” instituted by Iran to protest Israeli rule of the holy city. Israel and Iran have been archenemies since Tehran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In the capitals of Iran and Iraq, thousands of Muslims marked Jerusalem Day with protests, with some chanting “Death to Israel” or burning Israeli flags and effigies of President Donald Trump.

A protester uses a slingshot to hurl stones toward Israeli forces as a woman waves a Palestinian flag during clashes near the border with Israel. —AFP

In Gaza, at least 115 Palestinians had been killed and nearly 3,800 wounded by Israeli army fire in previous protests near the border fence. The overwhelming majority of the dead and wounded had been unarmed, according to Gaza health officials.

After Friday prayers, thousands of Gaza residents streamed toward five protest tent camps that had been erected more than two months ago, each several hundred meters (yards) from the fence. From there, smaller groups walked closer to it.

Palestinian protesters run for cover as smoke billows from burning tyres. —AFP

Tear gas canisters are fired by Israeli forces towards a group of Palestinian protesters. —AFP

Protesters carry an injured demonstrator away from the scene of clashes with Israeli forces. —AFP

Palestinian protesters and paramedics carry an injured demonstrator away from the scene of clashes with Israeli forces. —AFP

Palestinians gather to perform the last Friday prayers of Ramazan at the Aqsa mosque compound in the old city of Jerusalem. —AFP

Israeli soldiers take position during clashes with Palestinian protesters following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum, near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. —AFP

Al-Quds day observed across Pakistan

Al-Quds day was observed throughout the country on Friday. Rallies, seminars, protest demonstrations and various other activities were arranged to condemn Israeli state terrorism against the people of Palestine.

Workers of political parties, religious groups and human rights organisations participated in the demonstrations. They pledged to continue raising voice for rights of oppressed Palestinians and rejecting nefarious designs of Israel and US against people in various parts of the world including Palestine.

Speakers on the occasion highlighted Palestine issue in detail and demanded the world, especially western nations, to take a bold stand against cruelties of Israelis.

Carrying banners and placards, the participants demanded strong action to save Palestinian children, women and men.