Special Update Middle East Notes, April 26, 2018

APRIL 26, 2018

SPECIAL UPDATES will be available weekly as needed. This update concerns the Gaza Fence protests between the Palestinians of Gaza and the Israeli Defense Forces. Please note: Opinions expressed in the following articles do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns.

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1. “The Palestinian people are committed to seeking freedom,” Statement on Gaza by Kairos Palestine and 12 Civil Society Organizations, April 17, 2018.
“The Palestinian people are committed to seeking freedom. We are a collection of Palestinian groups and civil society organizations. We address our call to the Palestinian Authority, all Palestinian leaders, Israel, the American administration, the Arab states, the international community, and to all those of good will who support us in seeking our freedom and independence. We issue a call of peace and love, a strong call that stems from the strength of our belief in God, his righteousness and his love for all mankind, at a time when we see that the potential to achieve our cause, i.e. our demand for freedom and independence, is diminishing.” Read more…
See also: Palestinians report four killed, 156 wounded by Israeli fire in fourth Friday of Gaza protests
Ahead of border protests, IDF drops leaflets warning Gazans: 'Hamas endangers your lives'
UN convenes to discuss Gaza border clashes without Israeli envoy
The cold calculation behind the Israeli army’s sniper fire on the Gaza border 
A journey along the fences and barbed wire suffocating the Gaza Strip

2. “Israeli soldiers open fire on Gaza protesters fourth week in a row,” +972 Blog, Staff,  April 20, 2018
“Israeli forces reportedly kill at least four protesters and wound over 400 with live ammunition and tear gas during Gaza Return March demonstrations on Friday. Since the Great Return March began in late March, Israeli sharpshooters and snipers have shot over 1,000 unarmed Palestinian protesters, killing more than 30 people.” Read more…
See also: Gaza Doctors: Israeli Fire at Border Protests Causing Wounds Not Seen Since 2014 War
MSF teams in Gaza observe unusually severe and devastating gunshot injuries

3. “Stop Shooting Gazan Protesters,”  Haaretz Editorial,  April 23, 2018 
“Palestinians in the Gaza Strip will hold at least four more demonstrations through May 15 in their March of Return – three on the coming Fridays and one on Nakba Day.” Read more…
See also: Killing of Gaza protesters undermines Israel's claims of self-defense
Following killing of 15-year-old on Gaza border, Israeli defense chief says soldiers have 'total support'

4. “Palestinians Report Four Killed, 156 Wounded by Israeli Fire in Fourth Friday of Gaza Protests,” Yaniv Kubovich & Jack Khoury, Haaretz,  April 20, 2018
“The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that four Palestinians were killed and 156 wounded by Israeli live fire on Friday as thousands of Gazans protested along the border in the fourth consecutive week of the ‘March of Return.’" Read more…

5. “The Insanity at the Gaza Fence,” Roger Cohen,” New York Times, April 20, 2018
“I have passed several times through the fence separating the first world of Israel from the rubble-strewn open-air prison of Gaza. It’s a violent transition in a place of unreason. As usual Israel overreaches, an eye for an eyelash, as the Oxford professor and former Israeli soldier Avi Shlaim once observed. Israel has the right to defend its borders, but not to use lethal force against mainly unarmed protesters in the way that has already left 35 Palestinians dead and nearly 1,000 injured. Read more…
See also: Bernie Sanders to J Street: Israel has ‘massively overreacted’ to Gaza protests