According to the Gazan Health Ministry, at least 83 people were hospitalized in Gaza on Friday during weekly demonstrations.
More than 80 Palestinians were injured Friday along the barrier between the Gaza Strip and Israel, during clashes during weekly protests, the Gazan health ministry said. According to him, at least 83 people were hospitalized in Gaza as thousands of Palestinians gathered again near the border, heavily guarded by the Israeli army. Three wounded are in critical condition, said the ministry in its statement, without specifying the number of people wounded by bullet.
At least 236 Palestinians have died since the beginning of the movement. According to an AFP correspondent, these figures are lower than those of last Saturday, the anniversary of a movement that has mobilized Gazans for a year including the blockade imposed by Israel for more than ten years. Five Palestinians were killed during protests on Saturday. At least 236 Palestinians have died since the beginning of the movement. Two Israeli soldiers were killed.
Israel accuses Hamas of orchestrating these demonstrations. An Israeli army spokeswoman said some 10,500 Palestinians took part in rallies on Friday, adding that some of them threw stones at Israeli soldiers. Israel accuses Hamas, the ruling Islamist movement in the enclave, of orchestrating the protests and claims that the soldiers are only protecting the border to prevent infiltration of Palestinians.
On February 28, 2019, a UN commission of inquiry claimed that the Israeli response to the protests is akin to "war crimes or crimes against humanity", noting that soldiers targeted Palestinian civilians, including children.