Israeli defence minister says 'no innocent people' in Gaza

Israel has faced mounting questions over its use of live fire after 10 days of protests and clashes along the Gaza Strip border.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced his resignation in November.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced his resignation in November. Source: EPA/ABIR SULTAN

Warning: Image of a deceased person below some may find distressing.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday there were "no innocent people" in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip after 10 days of protests and clashes left 30 Palestinians dead.

"There are no innocent people in the Gaza Strip," Mr Lieberman told Israel's public radio.

"Everyone's connected to Hamas, everyone gets a salary from Hamas, and all the activists trying to challenge us and breach the border are Hamas military wing activists."

Palestinian protesters chant slogans next to burning tires during clashes with Israeli troops along Gaza's border with Israel
Palestinian protesters chant slogans next to burning tires during clashes with Israeli troops along Gaza's border with Israel earlier this month. Source: AAP


Israel has faced mounting questions over its use of live fire after 10 days of protests and clashes along the Gaza Strip border in which its forces have killed 30 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Violence spiked again on Friday, when clashes erupted as thousands protested along the border, and nine Palestinians, including a journalist, were killed.

Yasser Murtaja, 30, a cameraman for Palestinian Ain Media, was the 29th Palestinian killed in the week-long protests.

Photos showed Murtaja lying wounded on a stretcher wearing a navy-blue protective vest marked ‘PRESS’ in large black capital letters. Health officials said a live bullet had penetrated the side of his abdomen and he succumbed to his wounds in hospital.

A statement from the Israeli military said: “The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) does not intentionally target journalists. The circumstances in which journalists were allegedly hit by IDF fire are not familiar to the IDF and are being looked into.”

Palestinians mourners carry the body of cameraman Yasser Mourtaja, 30, during his funeral in Gaza City on April 7.
Palestinians mourners carry the body of cameraman Yasser Mourtaja, adorned with his press jacket, during his funeral in Gaza City on April 7. Source: EPA


On March 30, Israeli forces killed 19 Palestinians as a protest by tens of thousands led to clashes.

There have been no reported Israeli casualties.

Israel says it has only opened fire when necessary to stop damage to the border fence, infiltrations and attempted attacks.

It alleges Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, is seeking to use the protests as cover to carry out violence.

But rights groups have harshly criticised Israeli soldiers' actions, and Palestinians say protesters are being shot while posing no threat to troops.

The European Union and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have called for an independent investigation, which Israel has rejected.

On Saturday, the European Union raised questions over whether Israeli troops engaged in "proportionate use of force".


Share
3 min read

Published

Source: AFP, Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
Israeli defence minister says 'no innocent people' in Gaza | SBS News