At Least 40 Palestinians Wounded in Clashes with Israeli

Gaza Strip, MINA – At least 40 Palestinians were injured, including 22 people who were shot, in clashes with Israeli forces in the East Gaza Strip and Israeli border, on Friday July 12.

Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman in Gaza, Ashraf al-Qedra said at least 40 Palestinian demonstrators were injured. That number included 22 who were injured by gunfire of Israeli soldiers, one of which was a severely injured child in the stomach as reported by Xinhua on Saturday July 13.

Clashes broke out when hundreds of Gaza demonstrators joined the protests and weekly demonstrations, better known as the Great March of Return, in the eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel.

Earlier, the Great March of Return demonstration commission called on the population in Gaza Strip to join in the weekly action that entered the 66th week. The action began in March last year to reject all plans aimed at liquidating Palestinian issues.

March of Return called on Israel to end the tight blockade that has been imposed on Gaza Strip since Hamas movement seized control of coastal enclave in 2007.

Meanwhile, a senior Egyptian security intelligence delegation arrived in Gaza Strip on Friday from West Bank to hold a meeting with Hamas leaders. The plan is to discuss empowerment of ceasefire agreement reached between Hamas and Israel and brokered by Egypt.

This is the first visit of Egyptian delegation in two months.

Palestinian sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that Egyptian security delegation came to defuse tensions between Israel and Hamas after a Hamas guerrilla was killed in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday. (T/Sj/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)