Clashes With Israeli Forces Killed 135 Palestinians Since March 30 – Reports

18:46 GMT, 9 June 2018

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A total of 135 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and Gaza by the Israeli forces since March 30, when the Great March of Return rally began, the WAFA news agency reported Saturday, citing the Palestinian Health Ministry statistics.

Sputnik

According to the outlet, the majority of the victims (127 people) were killed in protests along the Israeli-Gaza border. It added that, since March 30, 14,700 Palestinians had been injured in the Gaza Strip protests.

The agency also noted that four of the 135 victims had been killed on Friday, when a new protest erupted in Gaza, while 618 people had been injured the same day.

Palestinians Protest at Israeli-Gaza Border for Fourth Week in Row, Four Killed

20 April 2018, 13:53 GMT

The situation on the Israeli-Gaza border has significantly worsened over the past several months. The Israeli side has been using lethal arms to suppress the rallies citing security concerns and putting the blame for the escalation on the Hamas radical movement, governing the Gaza Strip.

The Great March of Return lasted until Nakba Day on May 15 — the day that commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian exodus that occurred as a result of Israel's declaration of independence in 1948. The tensions were fueled on May 14, when the United States relocated its Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is claimed capital by both Israel and the State of Palestine.