Dozens of Palestinians armed with slingshots and setting tire fires have been killed in violent protests on the Israel-Gaza border
Dozens of Palestinians armed with slingshots and setting tire fires have been killed in violent protests on the Israel-Gaza border
The protests are focused on Gaza's border with Israel, where protestors have burned tires and thrown rocks at Israeli security.
As the protests started, demonstrators in Palestine's West Bank territory also protested, drawing a response from Israeli forces.
The Israeli's have responded with riot control measures, like tear gas and rubber-coated steel pellets, and water cannons.
Both sides claim that the other is provoking them into the clashes. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed during the protests and over 1,000 wounded.
Israel is not the only target of the protests. Many Palestinians are angry at the US for supporting Israel's actions in the region.
The protestors are sometimes able to get right up to the border, where they try to remove portions of fence that separate them.
Some protestors have resulted to covering their heads with plastic bags so as to avoid the affects of the tear gas.
The deaths have not phased protestors, who continue to organize marches on the border. "We are here to tell the occupation that we are not weak," one protestors said.
Hamas has said that the protests will continue for the coming weeks.
Israeli officials believe that Hamas is trying to "open up the fence and then to insert terrorists into Israel." Israel claims it has killed multiple Hamas gunmen in the protests, and says it will continue to guard the border until Hamas disarms.