Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that Israel will not allow the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip until its soldiers and citizens captured by Hamas are restored, and before absolute calm prevails in the southern region and a long-term settlement is reached, at a time when two Palestinians were wounded by an Israeli sniper’s bullets east of Khan Yunis near the border. Israeli.
Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that the Israeli army used drones loaded with tear gas to confront Palestinian protesters in Khan Yunis, before they approached the security fence.
The Israeli army announced the reinforcement of its forces east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip and keeping the Iron Dome system on standby, in anticipation of any possible security deterioration with the expected renewed Palestinian demonstrations in the Strip.
The Israeli army pushed two elite units and reinforced its positions overlooking the security fence with more snipers and mobilizing tanks at several points.
Palestinian demonstrators demanded the lifting of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip (Reuters)
Instructions to open fire
The Israeli military command had issued an update to the shooting instructions, following a security assessment to open fire on every Palestinian approaching the border, according to the Israeli radio.
For its part, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said that the options of the Palestinian people will remain open to pressure the Israeli occupation until the Palestinians achieve their demands and the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip is completely broken.
The movement's spokesman, Abd al-Latif al-Qanou, stressed in a statement that the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have the right to live in dignity on their land.
This evening, the Palestinian factions organized a popular demonstration east of Khan Yunis as part of the popular activities condemning the continuation of the siege imposed on the Strip.
A Palestinian died of wounds sustained last Saturday east of Gaza City during clashes with the Israeli army, according to what the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced on Wednesday.
The ministry confirmed in a statement, "The death of citizen Osama Khaled Duaij (32 years), from Jabalia camp, from his wounds."
Benny Gantz said that Israel will not allow the reconstruction of Gaza until its soldiers captured by Hamas are returned (Reuters)
Israeli bombing
Israel bombed sites in Gaza on Saturday, after clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian demonstrators at the Gaza border resulted in dozens of injuries, one of them seriously, for a 13-year-old boy.
On the Israeli side, an Israeli border guard soldier was seriously wounded by live fire from Gaza and is currently receiving medical treatment in a hospital, the army confirmed earlier.
The Israeli army said at the time that "hundreds of rioters" tried to climb the border fence in the northern Gaza Strip and threw "improvised explosive devices", while some tried to snatch a rifle from a soldier.
He explained that the Israeli forces "responded with riot dispersal means, including live ammunition when necessary."
And on Saturday, the Palestinian factions organized a festival and demonstration on the 52nd anniversary of the burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque near the eastern border of Gaza City, which was suppressed by the Israeli army stationed on the other side of the fence;
As a result, 41 Palestinians were wounded, including 22 children.
During the demonstration, a Palestinian fired a pistol at an Israeli sniper at very close range;
As a result, he was seriously injured, according to a statement issued by the Israeli army.