Two killed in fresh Gaza protests but Israel-Hamas truce holds

AFP / Said KHATIB Palestinian protesters wave their national flag during protests along Gaza’s border with Israel on August 10, 2018 after a deadly flare-up between militants and the Israeli military

Two Palestinians including a medic were killed by Israeli fire on the Gaza border Friday, but away from protests the calm reached after a deadly flare-up between the enclave’s rulers Hamas and the Israeli army mainly held.

At least 40 Palestinians were shot by Israeli fire in the protests, Gaza’s health ministry said, with volunteer medic Abdullah al-Qatati killed after being hit in the chest east of Rafah in southern Gaza.

A 55-year-old Palestinian, Ali al-Alul, was killed by Israeli fire on the same stretch of the border.

A few thousand protesters had gathered in different locations along the border with Israel, setting tyres ablaze and throwing stones, but there were fewer people demonstrating that in previous weeks, AFP correspondents said.

The Israeli army said a grenade had been thrown at troops in northern Gaza which did not injury any soldiers.

“In response to the violent riots, IDF (army) tanks struck two Hamas posts in the northern Gaza Strip,” the military said on Twitter.

The protests came after a deal to end all rocket fire into Israel and air strikes on the Gaza Strip appeared to go into effect around midnight (2100 GMT) on Thursday.

There was no official confirmation from Israel or Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas but there were no fresh strikes Friday.

Thursday had seen extensive Israeli raids in retaliation for the launching of more than 180 rockets and mortar rounds by Hamas and its allies on Wednesday night.

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