Israeli soldier in serious condition after riots along Gaza border fence

An Israeli Border Police officer was critically injured along with dozens of Palestinians Saturday night during riots along the border fence despite an agreement reached to see humanitarian funds transferred to needy Gazans.

The border police officer, who was shot in the northern part of the Strip, was transported to Soroka hospital in Beersheba by helicopter for medical treatment, the Israel Police said in a statement.

During the riots, a dozen Palestinians were filmed along the border fence and one was seen trying to snatch the weapon of one of the soldiers. Though he managed to grab the barrel of one of the weapons, the soldier managed to pull it back. 

In another video of the same incident, Palestinians are then seen throwing objects and hitting the barrel of the weapon and then one rioter is seen approaching the firing position and firing a handgun into it.

The IDF opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Speaking about the event, Police Chief Kobi Shabtai said that "the incidents on the Gaza border remind us of the great challenges facing Israeli police, border police, and IDF troops." 

"We will not loosen our grip and we will continue to act firmly and with all our might against those who want to harm us and the security of the citizens of Israel for whom we work," he continued.

"On behalf of myself and the Israel Police and Border Police fighters, I wish a speedy recovery to Sergeant B, a border police fighter who was critically wounded by gunfire on the Gaza border this evening."

The Gaza health ministry reported over 41 Palestinians including 10 children were injured during the demonstrations of hundreds of rioters along the perimeter fence with Israel. 

A 13 year-old boy was hit in the head east of Gaza City, another was hit in the neck with a rubber bullet. A woman and journalist were also injured.

Snipers and rubber bullets were used by Israeli soldiers after some 100 Palestinians approached the fence and threw explosive devices towards troops. In other locations including near Khan Younis there were clashes after Palestinians threw stones at the fence and tried to climb it.

Palestinians were reported to have also launched incendiary balloons towards southern Israel during the riot.

A statement from the IDF Spokespersons unit released a statement on the riots, saying that "over the past week, the Southern Command has been conducting riot dispersal, increasing alertness, and reinforcing Border Police and snipers from special units stationed along the border fence."

The Gazans rioted along the fence to mark the "day of the burning of the Al-Aqsa Mosque”, near one of the protest hotspots in the northern Gaza Strip. 

#صور| شبان يحاولون اجتياز السياج الفاصل شرق مدينة غزة وقوات الاحتلال تطلق قنابل الغاز والرصاص الحي تجاههم. pic.twitter.com/PIe95lfu3P

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) August 21, 2021

In 1969 Denis Michal Rohan, a Christian Australian citizen, set fire to the pulpit of the al-Aqsa Mosque, destroying it. Rohan, who was in Israel on a tourist visa, was arrested two days later.

During the rally on Saturday Suhail al-Hindi, a member of Hamas Political Bureau said that the message of the rally was that the Gazans were “with al-Aqsa and the West Bank.”

”We will not forget our prisoners and our families, and we will not be patient with the siege of Gaza, which suffers from hunger and pain,” he was quoted by Wafa News as saying. “We are proceeding with all our strength and capabilities to lift the siege on the Palestinian people and we use the memory of the al-Aqsa fire and its meaning to achieve victory and liberate the homeland soon.”

Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanou said that those who took part in the protests “affirmed that our battle with the occupation is open. We have the power to defend al-Aqsa Mosque and break the siege of Gaza.”

al-Qadou added “that the continuation of the siege cannot be accepted and will not accept the occupation’s sluggishness and procrastination.”

The violent rioting took place just days after Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced that Israel, Qatar, and the United Nations agreed to a “new mechanism” to see humanitarian funds be transferred to those in need.

Following the 11-day fighting between Israel and Gaza in May, Israel has withheld the hundreds of millions of dollars provided by Qatar in aid to poor families in Gaza as well as salaries to Hamas clerks. 

Hamas has threatened to reignite the violence on the border if the money was blocked and Israel on Thursday reached a deal for the funds to make it to the poor. But the agreement did not include the millions of dollars in salaries provided to the Hamas clerks.

The funds are expected to enter the Strip next week and $100 will be distributed to 100,000 families during the upcoming months.

Earlier in the week, a rocket was fired towards the southern Israel college-town of Sderot and neighboring communities, setting off incoming rocket sirens and sending thousands to bomb shelters.

Palestinians in Gaza used to stage weekly March of Return border protests, organized by Hamas, that often turned extremely violent to end the blockade of the coastal enclave. 

The demonstrations, which began in 2018, saw thousands of Gazans participate every Friday at five locations along the perimeter fence. Other smaller protests were held during the week at the beach as well as during the night at various locations.

According to the UN, 214 Palestinians including 46 children were killed during the protests which lasted two years. Another 36,000 were injured.

Simcha Pasko contributed to this report.