Stones and snacks under fire, February 2014

During the past three months, many youths have been frequenting the area east of Jabalya Refugee Camp on Fridays. It is one of the few open spaces that remain in the crowded Gaza Strip. Some take walks. Others rest. Some sell drinks and snacks. Others arrive at the area to participate in demonstrations, throw stones at the perimeter fence or try to hang Palestinian flags on it or burn tires.

In a number of cases, young men lobbed Molotov cocktails at the fence and at the soldiers patrolling it.

The soldiers positioned on Israeli side of the perimeter fence use various measures to get the youths to back away from the fence. This varies from tear-gas to live ammunition. Between the 20.12.2013-28.2.2014, 32 people were injured in the area. Of them, 22 were injured by live bullets, 8 by rubber coated metal bullets, and at least three by aluminum tear-gas canister, two of them in the head. To read more on the topic click here.

Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem's field researcher, documented the scene.

Featured image
379345_47.jpg
Images
1_8.jpg
2_5.jpg
3_4.jpg
4_4.jpg
5_4.jpg
6_4.jpg
7_4.jpg
8_3.jpg
9_1.jpg
10_2.jpg
11_1.jpg
12_1.jpg
13.jpg
14.jpg
15.jpg
16.jpg
17.jpg
18.jpg
19.jpg