Israeli forces kill one Palestinian, injure two near Gaza fence

The casualties took place near the city of Rafah in the southern part of the Palestinian enclave on Monday when Israeli forces opened fire on the Palestinians approaching the border fence in the occupied territories to torch an abandoned Israeli sniper site.

As a result of the shooting, a Palestinian was killed, another critically injured and one arrested and handed over to security officials for interrogation, according to Palestinian media.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that a fourth Palestinian, a 16-year-old, was taken to the hospital in moderate condition after being shot in the shoulder.

In a similar incident last week, an Israeli tank fired at two Palestinian teenagers trying to cross into the occupied territories from Rafah, killing one of them and injuring the other.

Protests along the Gaza fence since March 30 have led to clashes with Israeli forces, where at least 135 Palestinians, including 14 children, have been killed. Palestinian protesters demand their right to return to their homeland. Over 15,000 Palestinians have also sustained injuries.

On May 14, Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians who had gathered near the Gaza fence in protest against the inauguration of the US embassy in Jerusalem al-Quds. Over 60 Palestinians were shot dead and more than 2,700 wounded by Israeli snipers who had been positioned along the fence.

The death toll has drawn international criticism, but the US, which has angered Muslims with its embassy move, has supported Israel. 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said children in the besieged Gaza Strip, where some 1.8 million people are living under a crippling blockade, are the main victims of Israeli atrocities.    

Gaza has been under the Israeli siege since June 2007, which has caused a decline in living standards as well as unprecedented unemployment and poverty.

Israel has also launched several wars on the Palestinian sliver, the last of which began in early July 2014 and ended in late August the same year. The Israeli military aggression killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians and injured over 11,100 others.