GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli troops fired live rounds and tear gas as thousands of Palestinians protested near the Gaza border fence Friday, and at least four demonstrators were killed, including a teenage boy, with over 600 wounded, Gaza health officials said.

More than 100 of the wounded, including a photographer for the French news agency Agence Press France, were hit by live fire, the officials added, as the demonstrators burned tires, threw stones and flew flaming kites in the latest in a series of mass protests to call attention to a decade-old blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt.

Israel says Gaza's Hamas leaders are using the protests as cover to carry out attacks.

Late Friday, Israel said Gaza militants opened fire and struck an Israeli military post. No injuries were reported.

The march coincided with the annual "Jerusalem Day," instituted by Iran to protest Israeli rule of the holy city. Israel and Iran have been archenemies since Tehran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Gaza hospitals treat young survivors of recent violence

In the capitals of Iran and Iraq, thousands of Shiite Muslims marked Jerusalem Day with protests, with some chanting "Death to Israel" or burning Israeli flags and effigies of President Donald Trump.

Since the near-weekly protests began on March 30, more than 120 Palestinians have been killed and over 3,800 wounded by Israeli army fire. The overwhelming majority of the dead and wounded have been unarmed, according to Gaza health officials.

Among the dead Friday was 15-year-old Haitham al-Jamal. His family said he was taking part in a protest in Rafah, in southern Gaza, when he was shot. A total of 12 children under age 16 have been killed in the protests.

French news agency Agence France-Presse said one of its photographers, Mohammed Abed al-Baba, was wounded at a mass rally after Israeli forces opened fire. AFP said al-Baba was wearing a press vest and helmet about 200 meters (yards) from the border when hurt.

It said he was wounded below the knee while trying to take a photo of a wounded protester after Israeli troops opened fire. The photographer's injury was not life-threatening, but he was to undergo surgery.

Israel's military had no comment on the incident.

After Muslim prayers at noon Friday, thousands of Gaza residents streamed toward five protest tent camps that were erected more than two months ago, each several hundred meters (yards) from the fence. From there, smaller groups walked closer to it.

In a camp east of Gaza City, activists burned tires, releasing black smoke. Others threw stones or flew kites with burning rags attached, aiming to send them over the border and set Israeli fields on fire.

Israeli troops fired volleys of tear gas, including from drones, that sent protesters running for cover.

One man with a bullhorn shouted, "America is the biggest evil."

At one point, seven activists in black-and-white striped shirts meant to resemble concentration camp uniforms from World War II approached the fence.

"We want to remind the world that the Israeli occupation is committing the same massacres that the Nazis committed," said activist Ahmed Abu Artima.

The attempt to draw a parallel between Gaza's suffering and the Holocaust was bound to draw angry reactions. Israel was established in the wake of the Holocaust, marks an annual remembrance day for the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis and is home to the world's largest population of Holocaust survivors.

In a statement, the Israeli military said protesters had launched dozens of kites and balloons with explosives toward Israel. It also said a number of "explosive devices and a grenade" were hurled during the protests and later said the military post had been struck by gunfire.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu defends deadly response in Gaza



"At the expense of the people of Gaza, the Hamas terrorist organization continues using terror in order to damage security infrastructure and harm security forces," it said, adding that troops had been reinforced along the border.

The military escorted journalists to a sniper position along the fence along Gaza's northeast border.

Crowds of several dozen Palestinians could be seen approaching the fence constantly, as soldiers fired tear gas to scatter them. Some Palestinians launched kites rigged with incendiary devices, which were intercepted by small military drones. Snipers, perched about 50 meters (yards) from the fence and protected by sandbags and concrete barriers, frequently fired warning shots into the air.

The mass protests have been aimed at a border blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt in 2007, after the Islamic militant group Hamas overran the territory. The marchers have also pressed demands for a "right of return" for descendants of Palestinian refugees to ancestral homes in what is now Israel.

More than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel's creation. Two-thirds of Gaza's 2 million residents are descendants of refugees.

Protester Fadi Saleh said the frequent marches have helped revive sympathies in the Arab world for the Palestinians, but that more could be done.

"We need real Arab support and solidarity with our cause," said Saleh, a student of Arabic literature who wore a medical mask against the tear gas.

Israel's use of potentially lethal force against the protesters has drawn international criticism. Rights groups have said Israel's open-fire rules are unlawful.

Israel has accused Hamas of trying to carry out attacks and damage the fence under the guise of the protests, and that it only targets instigators. Hamas leaders have threatened possible mass border breaches, raising concern in Israel that communities near Gaza might be at risk.

The protests have largely been organized by Hamas and to some extent by the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group. Both have received political and financial support from Iran, but they also pursue their own agendas. Growing despair in Gaza over blockade-linked hardships, including daily power cuts and rising poverty, have driven turnout.

Israel and Egypt argue that they must maintain the blockade to contain Hamas and other militant groups, which have built up arsenals over the years, including short-range rockets. Israel and Hamas, which seeks Israel's destruction, have fought three cross-border wars since 2008.

The Jerusalem Day protests are being held each year on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The day is known in Arabic as "Al Quds Day," a reference to the city's historic Arabic name.

Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it to its capital, a move not recognized by most of the international community. Israel's current government has said it will not accept a partition of the city as part of a peace deal with the Palestinians.

Tensions were further heightened last month after the U.S. moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in a step seen by both Israel and the Palestinians as siding with Israel on the most sensitive issue in the conflict.

East Jerusalem houses major shrines revered by Muslims, Christians and Jews. The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in east Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, is built on the spot where tradition says the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. The compound sits on the ruins of biblical temples and is revered by Jews as the holiest site of their religion.

In Iran's capital of Tehran, thousands joined a Jerusalem Day march, chanting "Death to Israel" and burning a Trump effigy.

In Iraq, thousands of Iran-backed Shiite militiamen in uniform marched through the streets of the capital of Baghdad, burning an Israeli flag and carrying posters of the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.</s>GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli troops fired live rounds and tear gas as thousands of Palestinians protested near the Gaza border fence Friday, and at least four demonstrators were killed, including a teenage boy, with over 600 wounded, Gaza health officials said.

More than 100 of the wounded, including a photographer for the French news agency Agence Press France, were hit by live fire, the officials added, as the demonstrators burned tires, threw stones and flew flaming kites in the latest in a series of mass protests to call attention to a decade-old blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt. Israel says Gaza’s Hamas leaders are using the protests as cover to carry out attacks.

Late Friday, Israel said Gaza militants opened fire and struck an Israeli military post. No injuries were reported.

The march coincided with the annual “Jerusalem Day,” instituted by Iran to protest Israeli rule of the holy city. Israel and Iran have been archenemies since Tehran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In the capitals of Iran and Iraq, thousands of Shiite Muslims marked Jerusalem Day with protests, with some chanting “Death to Israel” or burning Israeli flags and effigies of President Trump.

Since the near-weekly protests began on March 30, more than 120 Palestinians have been killed and more than 3,800 wounded by Israeli army fire. The overwhelming majority of the dead and wounded have been unarmed, according to Gaza health officials.

Among the dead Friday was 15-year-old Haitham al-Jamal. His family said he was taking part in a protest in Rafah, in southern Gaza, when he was shot. A total of 12 children under age 16 have been killed in the protests.

Agence France-Presse said one of its photographers, Mohammed Abed al-Baba, was wounded at a mass rally after Israeli forces opened fire. AFP said al-Baba was wearing a press vest and helmet about 200 yards from the border when hurt.

It said he was wounded below the knee while trying to take a photo of a wounded protester after Israeli troops opened fire. The photographer’s injury was not life-threatening, but he was to undergo surgery.

Israel’s military had no comment on the incident.

After Muslim prayers at noon Friday, thousands of Gaza residents streamed toward five protest tent camps that were erected more than two months ago, each several hundred yards from the fence. From there, smaller groups walked closer to it.

Fares Akram is an Associated Press writer.</s>Millions of people across Iran and other world countries are gathering for the International Quds Day rallies to show their solidarity with the Palestinians and condemn Israel’s decades-long occupation and atrocities. In Tehran and other cities and towns, people from all walks of life are taking to the streets for the annual event which falls on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. In Cape Town, a march will get underway from Keizergrahct at 2pm, and will be supported by residents of District Six. The march is organised annually by the Islamic Unity Convention.

Similar events are planned in London and Toronto as well as in 800 cities worldwide, which usually see people chanting anti-Israeli slogans and burning the occupying regime’s flags.

Organizers in Toronto said the theme of the rally is to push for “justice, peace and love” and countering Islamophobia and racism as well as opposing the “Zionism and Israeli war crimes”.

Near the Israeli fence separating Gaza from the occupied territories, Palestinians are expected to throng the site which has become the scene of bloodshed in recent weeks.

The International Quds Day is a legacy of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini, who designated the day in solidarity with the Palestinians.

This year, Quds Day has become a larger rallying cry as it comes after months of mass protests in Gaza which proved Israel’s inability to stop the Palestinians despite widespread use of deadly force against unarmed protesters.

Since late March, over 120 Palestinian protesters have been killed and thousands more wounded by Israeli forces, mainly sharpshooters. The Israeli military has come under intense international criticism for permitting its forces to open fire on unarmed protesters in Gaza.

Tensions have been running high near the Gaza fence since March 30, which marked the start of a series of protests, dubbed “The Great March of Return,” demanding the right to return for those driven out of their homeland.

The Gaza clashes reached their peak on May 14, the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Nakba Day (the Day of Catastrophe), which coincided this year with the US embassy relocation from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem al-Quds.</s>At least four Palestinians were killed and more than 600 injured as some 10,000 residents of the Gaza Strip took part in protests along the border with Israel on Friday, marking the last weekend of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The Gaza health ministry said most of the injured were suffering from tear gas inhalation but more than 100 were hurt by live Israeli fire. The Israeli army said a grenade and a pipe bomb were thrown at troops and that dozens of incendiary kites, some with bombs attached, were launched over the border.

The March of Return demonstrations have seen thousands of Palestinians mass on the border over the past few months in support of the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their former homes in what is now Israel.

Human rights groups have accused Israel of using excessive force. Israel maintains it has only opened fire in self-defence or on people trying to infiltrate across the border under the cover of the protests.

Bracing for potential violence, the Israeli military deployed additional troops to the border, including special forces, intelligence and combat units, snipers and sappers. Security forces were ordered to prevent a breach of the border at any cost, while at the same time exercising maximum restraint in order to minimise the number of Palestinian casualties.

On Thursday Israeli planes dropped leaflets across Gaza warning Palestinians against approaching the border fence.

“For your own benefit, it is better that you not participate in the violent demonstrations on the fence, not attempt to breach it and not permit Hamas to turn you into a tool to advance its narrow agenda,” the leaflets read.

Palestinian media reported on Friday that Israeli drones destroyed thousands of tyres the Palestinian had placed by the border ahead of Friday’s demonstrations.

At least 120 Palestinians have been killed since the March of Return protests began on March 30th.

Ahead of Friday prayers, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh urged Palestinians to arrive at the border.

“Under international law, we have the right to resist the occupation by all means possible, including by military struggle, if necessary. Our goal is a dignified and peaceful life and prosperity,” he said. “The marches to the Gaza border have led to important breakthroughs on the Gaza issue. We must continue with the March of Return until the siege on Gaza is lifted.”

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Hamas and Iran were behind the escalation in Gaza. “They want the number of casualties to be as high as possible so that they could say that the Jews kill Palestinians,” he said.

Mr Netanyahu said the army was working on developing nonlethal means of tackling the mass protests.

“We tried water-cannon, we tried tear gas, we tried all sorts of other devices, but none has worked against this kind of tactic,” he said. “They’re working on it, and given our record we probably will figure out something, but we haven’t gotten it yet.”</s>GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli troops fired live rounds and tear gas as thousands of Palestinians protested near the Gaza border fence on Friday, with some demonstrators burning tires, throwing stones and flying blazing kites. At least 413 Palestinians were wounded, including 80 by live fire, Gaza health officials said.

Seven of the wounded were in serious condition, the Health Ministry said, in the latest in a series of mass protests to call attention to a decade-old blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt.

The march also marked the annual “Jerusalem Day,” instituted by Iran to protest Israeli rule of the holy city. Israel and Iran have been archenemies since Tehran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In the capitals of Iran and Iraq, thousands of Shiite Muslims marked Jerusalem Day with protests, with some chanting “Death to Israel” or burning Israeli flags and effigies of President Donald Trump.

In Gaza, at least 115 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 3,800 wounded by Israeli army fire in previous protests near the border fence. The overwhelming majority of the dead and wounded were unarmed, according to Gaza health officials.

After Muslim prayers at noon Friday, thousands of Gaza residents streamed toward five protest tent camps that had been erected more than two months ago, each several hundred y ards from the fence. From there, smaller groups walked closer to it.

In a camp east of Gaza City, activists burned tires, releasing black smoke. Others threw stones or flew kites with burning rags attached, aiming to send them over the border and set Israeli fields on fire.

Israeli troops fired volleys of tear gas, including from drones, that sent protesters running for cover.

One man with a bullhorn shouted, “America is the biggest evil.”

At one point, seven activists in black-and-white striped shirts meant to resemble concentration camp uniforms from World War II approached the fence.

“We want to remind the world that the Israeli occupation is committing the same massacres that the Nazis committed,” said activist Ahmed Abu Artima.

The attempt to draw a parallel between Gaza’s suffering and the Holocaust was bound to draw angry reactions.

The mass protests have been aimed at a border blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt in 2007, after the Islamic militant group Hamas overran the territory. The marchers have also pressed demands for a “right of return” for descendants of Palestinian refugees to ancestral homes in what is now Israel.

More than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel’s creation. Two-thirds of Gaza’s 2 million residents are descendants of refugees.

Protester Fadi Saleh said the frequent marches have helped revive sympathies in the Arab world for the Palestinians, but that more could be done.

“We need real Arab support and solidarity with our cause,” said Saleh, a student of Arabic literature who wore a medical mask against the tear gas.

Israel’s use of potentially lethal force against the protesters has drawn international criticism. Rights groups have said Israel’s open-fire rules are unlawful.

Israel has accused Hamas of trying to carry out attacks and damage the fence under the guise of the protests. Hamas leaders have threatened possible mass border breaches, raising concern in Israel that communities near Gaza might be at risk.

The protests have largely been organized by Hamas and to some extent by the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group. Both have received political and financial support from Iran, but they also pursue their own agendas. Growing despair in Gaza over blockade-linked hardships, including daily power cuts and rising poverty, have driven turnout.

Israel and Egypt argue that they must maintain the blockade to contain Hamas and other militant groups, which have built up arsenals over the years, including short-range rockets. Israel and Hamas have fought three cross-border wars since 2008.

The Jerusalem Day protests are being held each year on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The day is known in Arabic as “Al Quds Day,” a reference to the city’s historic Arabic name.

Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it to its capital, a move not recognized by most of the international community. Israel’s current government has said it will not accept a partition of the city as part of a peace deal with the Palestinians.

The eastern sector houses major shrines revered by Muslims, Christians and Jews. The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in east Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, is built on the spot where tradition says the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. The compound sits on the ruins of biblical temples and is revered by Jews as the holiest site of their religion.

In Iran’s capital of Tehran, thousands joined a Jerusalem Day march, chanting “Death to Israel” and burning a Trump effigy.

In Iraq, thousands of Iran-backed Shiite militiamen in uniform marched through the streets of the capital of Baghdad, burning an Israeli flag and carrying posters of the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.</s>Alwaght- Millions of people are expected to take to the streets across Iran and other parts of the world to show their solidarity with the Palestinians and condemn Israel’s decades-long occupation and atrocities.

The rallies are held to mark Quds Day, which falls on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan amid hope for the liberation of Palestine as the Israeli regime weakens.

President Hassan Rouhani of Iran has called on all Iranians to attend the International Quds Day rallies in large numbers, saying Muslims will be able to say their prayers in Quds soon.

In a message on Thursday, the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani invited people to attend the International Quds Day demonstrations in large numbers, saying “Quds day is a historic day when everybody protests against tyrants and voices support of an oppressed people who have been displaced from their homes during the past 70 years,” according to the official website of Iran's presidency.

“This year’s Quds Day is special; this year, in addition to being the 70th anniversary of the occupation of the Palestinian land, we are witnessing that Bayt al-Maqdis, which is respected by all Muslims, has been announced as the capital of the occupying Zionist Regime by the United States against all international rules and regulations,” Rouhani said.

“This year, we are also witnessing more tyranny and crimes against the oppressed people of Palestine, especially the residents of Gaza,” continued Rouhani adding: “On the other hand, we have witnessed more tours by the leaders of the Zionist Regime with the aim of promoting Iranophobia and attempts against the interests of the great Iranian nation in recent months” he continued.

He went on to say “I expect all people throughout our dear Iran, regardless of their thoughts and beliefs, to attend Quds Day demonstrations, sending this message to the usurper Zionist Regime that they have not forgotten the Palestinian land and the Holy Quds and the freedom of the Holy Quds is still the holy cause of the Iranian people and all Muslims.”

“The day when the noble people of Palestine will go back to their homes and Muslims can say prayers in Quds, as their first Qibla, is not far,” the Iranian president further said.

Meanwhile, a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, says years of Palestinian resistance have weakened Israel and put the occupation force on the back foot, paving the way for great victories against the Tel Aviv regime, says.

In a video message to a Quds Day conference in the besieged Gaza Strip on Thursday, Ali Akbar Velayati said that 40 years after Imam Khomeini's declaration of Ramadan's last Friday as the International Quds Day, Palestinians have been able to push back Israeli occupation forces and "reverse the regime's expansionism."

"Although the past 40 years have had its own ups and downs, magnificent victories have been achieved such as the liberation of southern Lebanon, the liberation of Gaza and Israel's constant defeats in wars of aggression against resistance forces in Gaza and Lebanon," Velayati said.</s>In an extraordinary show of support and solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine, tens of thousands of people poured into the streets of Tehran on Friday to mark the International Quds Day.

Braving intense heat, the demonstrators marched on a long stretch from Hafez Avenue to Enghelab Square, briefly stopping at the Tehran University campus to offer congregational Friday prayers.

Holding placards and chanting vociferous slogans, the demonstrators – men and women, young and old – strongly condemned the horrendous war crimes of Israel in Palestine and called for an unconditional withdrawal of Israelis from the occupied territories of Palestine, return of Palestinians who were forced to leave their land after the 1948 Nakba, complete ban on the construction of new settlements and immediate evacuation of existing illegal settlements.

The demonstrators chanted ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America’ and blamed these two entities for instability and chaos in the region. “Zionism and imperialism are responsible for everything that is wrong in our region today,” said Ali Reza, a protestor. “It is incumbent on us, as the conscientious people, to condemn the barbarism of Israel in Gaza and West Bank and call for the liberation of Al-Quds. Those who chose to be silent are complicit in the genocide of Palestinians.”

 The demonstrators also denounced the decision of Trump administration to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, terming it ‘provocative and foolhardy’. The liberation of Al-Quds, they reiterated, remains the ‘top priority’ for the Muslim world.

A symbolic coffin of Israel was carried out in the rally, with a message that the days of Zionism were numbered.

Many foreign nationals also took part in the rally including those from Nigeria, Yemen, Iraq, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pictures of Nigeria’s incarcerated leader Sheikh Zakzaky, Yemen’s Houthi movement leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, leader of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and ‘Free Kashmir’ posters were also seen in the rally.

Similar demonstrations were held in other cities of Iran, which saw tremendous participation of people, according to sources. Outside Iran, massive Al-Quds rallies were taken out in UK, Australia, Canada, United States, India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Lebanon, Iraq etc.

In his Al-Quds Day message, posted on Twitter, the Supreme Leader said the “tragic story of Palestine” can move any justice-seeking individual. “The massacre of women, children and infants; destruction of houses; blockade of food and medicine, and other crimes committed by Zionists proves that the barbaric instincts of the illegitimate Israeli regime have not only not changed over the past 70 years but become more grave.” He asked the Arab youth to “be prepared for a tomorrow when your countries are free, independent and developed” and “be sure about God’s promise of victory”.

On Thursday night, President Hassan Rouhani had also issued a statement, calling on Iranians to participate in Al-Quds Day rallies in large numbers. “Quds Day is a historic day when everybody protests against tyrants and voices support for the oppressed people who have been displaced from their homes during the past 70 years,” he said, adding that this year’s Quds Day was ‘special’. “In addition to being the 70th anniversary of Palestinian land, we are witnessing that Bayt-al-Muqaddas, which is respected by all the Muslims, has been announced as the capital of the occupying Zionist regime by the United States in violation of all international norms. This year we are witnessing more tyranny and crimes against the oppressed people of Palestine, especially the residents of Gaza.”

For the campaigners of truth and justice, International Al-Quds Day has an extraordinary historical and contemporary significance. Al-Quds, which stands for Jerusalem in Arabic, is an affirmation of solidarity with the oppressed and subjugated people of Palestine in their struggle for the liberation of Jerusalem, the third holiest sanctuary for Muslims. “It is an expression of unwavering commitment to end the Zionist regime’s horrendous war crimes in the occupied territories of Palestine,” says Dr. Mohammad Hanifi, Tehran-based political commentator.

Al-Quds Day was first observed in 1979 in Iran by Imam Khomeini, the chief architect of the Islamic revolution, soon after the revolution. Since then, the day is being observed across the world every year on the last Friday (jumatul wida) of Ramadan to express solidarity with Palestinians and to protest the Zionist entity’s illegal occupation of Jerusalem. It also calls for the political unification of Muslims, cutting across ideological lines, for the cause of justice and righteousness. Each year, Al-Quds Day demonstrations are held in more than 80 countries across the world.

“The holy month of Ramadan granted Muslims a historic victory in the Battle of Badr. It is the month in which the holy city of Mecca was conquered and cleared of idol worshippers (mushrikeen). It is the month in which all the Abrahamic scriptures, including the Holy Quran, were revealed. It is the spirit of this month that inspired our brave forefathers to struggle in the way of Allah and overcome insurmountable odds,” says Mazhar Hussain, a writer and analyst. “So it is highly appropriate that the last Friday of this blessed month is dedicated to the struggle of Palestinians and all other oppressed people of the world.”

The idea of Al-Quds Day solidarity rallies was conceived by Imam Khomeini, who appealed to the Muslims across the world to extend moral support to their brethren in Palestine. In August 1979, Imam declared the liberation of Jerusalem ‘a religious duty of all Muslims’. “I invite Muslims all over the globe to observe the last Friday of Ramadan as Al-Quds Day, and to pledge support and solidarity to the people of Palestine and their legitimate rights. I ask all the Muslims of the world and the Muslim governments to join hands and sever the hand of this usurper and its supporters,” he said.

Al-Quds Day has a major influence on the issue of Palestine and prevents it from sliding into oblivion, believe observers. “Al-Quds rallies seek to raise awareness about the plight of Palestinians and the atrocities unleashed on them by the Zionist state,” says Zahra Moosavi, a student at Tehran University.

During the first Palestinian Intifada in January 1988, the Jerusalem Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) declared that the Al-Quds Day be observed publicly throughout the Arab world. Its official endorsement was significant as some Arab countries that had strategic ties with Israel felt isolated. Some of them, quite brazenly, still have overt and covert ties with the Zionist regime.

It is also a day to remember people in other occupied lands, who are crushed by strong military powers. “The Al-Quds Day is a universal day. It is not an exclusive day for Quds (Jerusalem). It is a day for the oppressed and the supporters of oppressed to rise and stand up against the arrogant oppressors,” Imam said, in unequivocal terms.

Every year, on the Al-Quds Day, hundreds of people pour into the narrow streets of Gaza to protest the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The officials and activists of various resistance groups based in Palestine also take part in these public gatherings. Massive rallies are also taken out in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa, in which protestors burn blue and white Israeli flags and chant slogans like ‘Death to Israel’, ‘Israel Your Days Are Numbered’, ‘Zionism Must Go’ and ‘From River to Sea Palestine Will Be Free’.

The unrelenting injustices perpetrated against the Palestinian people have stirred the conscience of people worldwide, transcending the religious divide. The international community deems Israel’s presence in Gaza and West Bank as “illegal occupation”. Many anti-Zionist Jews and Christians actively take part in annual Al-Quds Day rallies now, primarily because these rallies are not against the Jews, but against the Zionists, they say.

On the other hand, some Arab monarchies and puppet Muslim regimes, that suck up to Israel and America while claiming to represent Muslims, stand exposed, says Ibn Hassan, a research scholar at Tehran University. “They are, in reality, the local custodians of Zionism and imperialism, and it is incumbent on those fighting for the cause of Palestine, to raise their voice against these puppets as well,” he says.

It is pertinent to mention that more than half a million Israelis occupy over 120 illegal settlements built since 1967. These settlements blatantly violate the Hague and Geneva Conventions, threaten Al-Aqsa Mosque and violate the sanctity of the sacred Islamic sites.</s>Israeli troops killed three Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, after opening fire on protests at the Gaza Strip border on Friday as protesters continued demonstrations for the 11th consecutive Friday against Israel's decades-long occupation and decade-long blockade of their territory.

The officials originally listed four Palestinians as killed but revised the number, saying a 26-year-old casualty was in critical condition after having been revived.

Gaza's National Authority for Breaking the Siege (NABS), which is coordinating the rallies, dubbed Friday's demonstration the "Friday of Jerusalem".

In a statement, the NABS reiterated calls to the people of Gaza to take part in the rallies with a view to "breaking the decade-long siege" of the strip.

NABS member Ahmed Abu Rteima, for his part, said: "Peaceful mobilization is our most powerful weapon."

He also called on Palestinian demonstrators to "redouble their efforts to get through the rallies without losses and refrain from giving the Israelis a pretext to attack".

"Palestinians everywhere are rising up for Jerusalem," Abu Rteima asserted.

Medical personnel set up field hospitals near the Gaza-Israel security fence to provide immediate medical treatment if needed.

 



Later on Friday, medics said that Israeli troops fired tear gas and live bullets at Palestinians taking part in the protests, injuring at least 100 people.

The army said it was taking action to disperse thousands of Palestinians, some of whom threw rocks the troops and burned tyres, and prevent any breach of the fortified frontier fence.

Witnesses say that along one stretch of the fence, they heard gunshots. They say Israeli soldiers also fired tear gas volleys. One man with a bullhorn shouted, "America is the biggest evil."

Early Friday morning, local eyewitnesses said Israeli forces -- using unmanned aerial drones -- had torched several protesters' tents east of Gaza's southern city of Rafah.

Israeli forces have killed at last 120 Palestinians in protests along the border since a campaign was launched on March 30 to demand the right to return to ancestral lands that are now part of Israel, hospital officials say.

Friday's march coincides with "Jerusalem Day," instituted by post-Islamic Revolution Iran as an annual protest against Israeli control over the holy city.</s>Thousands of Palestinians held marches on the Gaza border, culminating two months of weekly Friday protests aimed at breaking an Israeli and Egyptian blockade. This demonstration came on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and coincided with Jerusalem Day, an annual anti-Israel protest in Iran.

As demonstrators approached the border, they were confronted by Israeli troops. Soldiers fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds, and snipers used live ammunition to prevent a breach of the border fence.

The international community has accused Israel of an excessive use of force during the protests, which left more than 115 Palestinians dead since the end of March. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has the right to defend its borders against acts of violence by a terrorist organization — a reference to the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza.

"They organize this, Hamas. They pay for some civilians to come and they pretend that it's a peaceful protest. But this is not a peaceful protest. They come in with pipe bombs, they come in with weapons, come in with explosives," Netanyahu said.

Despite the high Palestinian death toll, Hamas is declaring victory.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said martyrdom is the price Palestinians must pay to break the blockade and confront the Israeli occupation.

Once again, the Palestinians employed a primitive but effective new weapon that has caused heavy damage in Israel: They flew flaming kites across the border to burn Israeli crops and nature preserves.</s>GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Latest on Gaza protests and Jerusalem Day demonstrations around the Middle East (all times local):

French news agency Agence France Press says one of its photographers was wounded at a mass rally in Gaza by what appeared to be Israeli gunfire.

AFP said Mohammed Abed al-Baba was wearing a press vest and helmet about 200 meters (yards) from the border when hurt.

It said he was wounded below the knee while trying to film a wounded protester after Israeli troops opened fire. He is to undergo surgery.

The news agency said he has won several awards and has been working for AFP in Gaza since 2000.

Israel's military had no immediate comment on the incident.

Israel says it's defending its sovereign border, including nearby communities, and that troops only target instigators. It accuses Hamas of trying to carry out attacks under the guise of the mass protests.

The leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group said his men will not leave Syria even if the whole world tried to force them to do so, adding that only a request from the Syrian government would prompt such a move.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's comment came during a televised speech he gave to hundreds of supporters who gathered in the village of Maroun el-Ras on Lebanon's border with Israel to mark Jerusalem Day.

The close ally of Iran said Israeli claims that Iran is planning to resume uranium enrichment to wipe out six million Jews in Israel are lies. Iran and its allies don't want to kill Jews, he added.

"The day of the great battle" in the Middle East is coming, he said, as is the day "when we will all go and pray in Jerusalem."

Iranians held anti-Israel Jerusalem Day rallies across the country, while in Gaza, Israeli troops killed two men and wounded 525 others participating at a march protesting the decade-long blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt.

Gaza's Health Ministry says Israeli fire has killed two Palestinians at protests along the Gaza border.

It said the two men succumbed to wounds sustained earlier Friday. It said a total of 525 people have been wounded at the protest over the course of the day, 92 of them by live fire.

Witnesses said one of the men was shot close to the fence where he was throwing stones at soldiers.

Israel says it's defending its sovereign border, including nearby communities, and accuses Hamas of trying to carry out attacks under the guise of the mass protests. Israel's use of potentially lethal force against the protesters has drawn international criticism.

At least 115 Palestinian protesters, the vast majority unarmed, have been killed and close to 3,800 have been wounded by Israeli army fire since the marches began in late March.

Several Palestinians donned uniforms similar to those the Nazis forced Jewish prisoners and others to wear in World War Two at a protest along the Gaza border.

Ahmed Abu Artima said "We want to remind the world that the Israeli occupation is committing the same massacres that the Nazis committed."

Six million Jews were systematically murdered by German Nazis and their collaborators in the Holocaust of WWII, wiping out a third of world Jewry.

Israeli fire has killed 115 Palestinians at border demonstrations led by the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza.

Denials or attempts to minimize or mock the Holocaust are widespread in the Arab world.

Gaza's Health Ministry says 386 Palestinians have been injured in protests near the Gaza fence with Israel, including 70 by Israeli fire.

The ministry says five of the wounded were in serious conditions.

Friday's march was the latest in a series of protests against the decade-long blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt.

The protest also coincided with the annual "Jerusalem Day," instituted by Iran to protest against Israeli rule of the holy city. Israel and Iran have been arch enemies since Tehran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The protests have been organized by Hamas, the Islamic militant group ruling Gaza.

The top leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, visited a protest tent camp several hundred meters (yards) from the Gaza perimeter fence. He sat under a large sun cover, addressing demonstrators.

Hundreds of Pakistani Shiite and Sunni Muslims are rallying together in the capital Islamabad and other major cities around the country to mark "Jerusalem Day." That's the annual protest against Israel's rule over Jerusalem and and show of solidarity with the Palestinians.

Chanting slogans "Down with America" and "Down with Israel," demonstrators Friday burned an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli flags. They urged Muslim countries to sever diplomatic ties with Israel and support the Palestinians' struggle.

Many Pakistanis on the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan take part in anti-Israel rallies every year to mark Al-Quds Day. Al-Quds is Arabic for Jerusalem. Pakistan does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and have observed the day since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Thousands of Palestinians are streaming toward the fence separating Gaza from Israel for a protest against the decade-long blockade of their territory.

In some areas, they burned tires Friday, sending black smoke into the air. Witnesses say that along one stretch of the fence, they heard gunshots. They say Israeli soldiers also fired tear gas volleys. One man with a bullhorn shouted, "America is the biggest evil."

Friday's march is part of a series of protests held since late March against the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the territory. Demonstrators have also pressed demands for a "right of return" for Palestinians uprooted in the 1948 war over Israel's creation.

Friday's march coincides with "Jerusalem Day," instituted by post-Islamic Revolution Iran as an annual protest against Israeli control over the holy city.

Israelis and Palestinians are gearing up for another mass demonstration along the fence with Gaza.

Palestinians burnt tires near the border and Israeli soldiers took positions Friday.

Israeli firefighters were on standby to battle fires caused by kites rigged with burning rags launched by Palestinians that have damaged forests and crops in past protests.

Over 115 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during near-weekly demonstrations that began March 30.

Protests led by the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza are fueled by frustration over a decade-old Israel-Egyptian blockade, imposed after Hamas seized control there.

Israel is bracing for a large turnout as the protest coincides with "Jerusalem Day" that its archenemy Iran established to coincide with the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to express support for the Palestinians.

Scores of Syrians and Palestinians have commemorated the Jerusalem Day marching through the streets of Damascus while chanting anti-Israel slogans.

The men and women marched from the Hamidyeh market in the old city of Damascus to the Umayyad Mosque and waved the Syrian and Palestinian flags.

Hamid Hassan, 73, a Palestinian, said that the Jerusalem Day "means a lot for us. Jerusalem is an Arab land and it's the land of all religions."

He added: "We will continue to offer martyrs until we liberate it. We will never kneel."

Syrian citizen Samah Abdullah, 42, said the issue of Jerusalem is the cause of all Muslims, adding that commemorating the day is a "motivation for us and for all Palestinians to restore the occupied land."

Organizers are urging Gaza residents to head to the perimeter fence with Israel for the latest in a series of protests.

The call was issued through mosques and loudspeakers mounted on cars that toured Gaza neighborhoods Friday.

Marchers have protested an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade. On Friday, protests also coincide with "Jerusalem Day," marked by Iran since its 1979 Islamic revolution.

Iran does not recognize Israel or its control over Jerusalem, whose Israeli-annexed eastern sector Palestinians seek as a future capital.

In border protests, activists have burned tires to block the view of Israeli snipers. Organizers say Israeli drones dropped incendiary materials on piles of old tires early Friday to make them unusable for the later protests.

Thousands of Iran-backed Shiite militiamen have marched through a main Baghdad street to mark "Jerusalem Day."

The men in military uniforms carried posters of late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before setting an Israeli flag on fire.

Jerusalem Day began after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, when the Ayatollah Khomeini declared the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan a day to demonstrate the importance of Jerusalem to Muslims.

Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque is the third holiest site in Islam after the Saudi Arabian cities of Mecca and Medina. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

Iranians have begun anti-Israel "Jerusalem Day" rallies across the country to condemn Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

The rallies, including one at Tehran University, were expected to last through Friday prayer ceremonies.

Chanting "Death to Israel," demonstrators protested Israel's occupation of Jerusalem, the city where Muslims believe Islam's Prophet Muhammad began his journey to heaven. Palestinians want East Jerusalem for their future capital.

Iran does not recognize Israel and supports anti-Israeli militant groups such as Hamas, which rules Gaza, and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Demonstrators also chanted anti-American slogans to condemn the U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

Iran has marked Al-Quds Day since the start of its 1979 Islamic revolution. Al-Quds is the historic Arabic name for Jerusalem, and Iran says the day is an occasion to express support for the Palestinians.

The Israeli military is expecting a large turnout for a protest at the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip and is warning residents to stay far away.

Over 115 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during near-weekly demonstrations that began March 30.

The Hamas-led demonstrations have been fueled by despair over a decade-old Israel-Egyptian blockade, imposed after the Islamic militant group seized control of the territory.

Demonstrators have also called for the "right of return" to lost ancestral homes in what is now Israel. Some two-thirds of Gaza's 2 million people are descendants of refugees who fled or were forced from their homes during the war surrounding Israel's establishment in 1948.

Friday's demonstrations are meant to coincide with "Jerusalem Day," a day of protest against Israeli control of the city of Jerusalem.
On Quds Day – the last Friday of Ramadan – thousands of Palestinians protest near the Gaza border fence. Israeli troops fire live rounds and tear gas, killing four people and injuring over 600.