Israel/Palestinian Terr.: IDF kills two protesters in Gaza September 18 /update 18

Event

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops reportedly killed at least two Palestinian protesters and wounded some 46 others in a protest in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, September 18. The demonstrators burned tires and threw rocks at Israeli forces, some of whom responded by firing live ammunition. Additional Palestinian protests are expected in the Gaza Strip near the Israeli border in the coming weeks; clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and IDF troops are to be anticipated.

Context

On September 17, the IDF targeted and killed two Palestinians in a missile strike near the Israel-Gaza border. The Israeli military accused the individuals of meddling with the border fence. Israeli gunfire wounded over two dozen protesters during a protest on the same day along the northern Israel-Gaza border.

Palestinian protesters have rallied at the Gaza border fence weekly since March 30 in a Hamas-supported movement dubbed "The Great March of Return." More than 170 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed in border clashes since the protests began.

Advice

Individuals present in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are advised to monitor developments to the situation and to avoid all protests and demonstrations due to the risk of violence. Some Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and areas near the Israeli-Lebanese, Israeli-Syrian, and Israeli-Egyptian borders.