In response to clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police at the border, the Israeli military initiated air raids on Gaza, resulting in at least 12 Palestinians sustaining injuries. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported from the airstrikes so far.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) released a statement indicating that the airstrikes targeted a military post associated with Hamas, the ruling Islamist group in Gaza. The action followed a "violent riot" that erupted along the border between Israel and the coastal enclave. During the standoff, explosive devices and grenades were thrown across the border fence toward IDF soldiers, prompting the Israeli soldiers to employ riot dispersal measures against the Palestinians. The IDF noted that none of its soldiers were injured during the confrontation.
The Hamas-run health ministry confirmed that at least 12 Palestinians were wounded, some by live bullets, as well as other dispersal methods employed by the Israeli soldiers. The clash occurred as hundreds of young Palestinians gathered to express solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Additionally, on the same day, a Palestinian rally held to protest Israel's settlement expansion led to clashes with Israeli soldiers in the village of Qaryut in the northern West Bank. During this confrontation, four Palestinians were wounded by rubber bullets fired to disperse the protesters, as reported by the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
The year has witnessed ongoing tensions between Palestinians and Israelis in Gaza and the West Bank, with peace talks remaining at an impasse.
