A 21-year-old woman, Razan Najjar, died of a gunshot wound to the chest during a protest in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had to respond with live fire to the protesters' attempts to damage security infrastructure on the border.
The AP news agency reported, citing witnesses, that Razan Najjar was a volunteer medic that was treating injured protesters.
READ MORE: Israeli Army Braces for New Protests on Gaza Border in Wake of Fire Exchange
According to Palestinian medics, 40 people were wounded during the protests in the Gaza border region, whereas at least 60 protesters suffered from Israeli tear gas.
The Israeli Army said it had to deploy riot dispersal means after the protesters tried to damage a security fence on the border between Gaza and Israel. The IDF added that its car was fired upon and the military identified a suspect who planted an explosive device near the security fence.
This is the planting of a grenade near the Karni Crossing and the violent riots that’ve taken place so far along the Gaza Strip security fence throughout the day pic.twitter.com/sWrgPGN1NG
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) June 1, 2018
The protests have been aggravated by US President Donald Trump's decision to relocate the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israel considers Jerusalem its capital, including the eastern part of the city, seized from Jordan during the Six-Day War in 1967; however, the international community does not recognize the occupation of East Jerusalem, arguing that the status of the city should be determined on the basis of an agreement with the Palestinians, who claim the eastern part of Jerusalem as their capital.
