21 Gazans lose limbs to Israeli army cross-border fire

By Nour Abu Aisha, Mohamed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine

The number of Palestinians recently injured by Israeli army gunfire along the Gaza Strip's eastern border over joining peaceful rallies and have had to have limbs amputated raised to 21 people, Palestinian ministry of health announced on Thursday evening.

A few hours ago, the number of wounded was 17, before rising to 21, after receiving updates of the number from hospitals in the besieged Gaza Strip.

"Twenty-one of the wounded of the peaceful Marches of Return have been amputated in their lower limbs and upper limbs," ministry spokesman Ashraf said in a brief statement on Thursday evening.

He pointed out that 17 different cases have had to have limbs amputated particularly in their lower limbs, while four cases suffered amputation in their upper limbs.

Al-Qidra told Anadolu Agency earlier Thursday that, the amputation came “as a result of injuries sustained during the ongoing border rallies”.

Since the rallies began on Mar. 30, at least 41 Palestinian demonstrators -- including five children -- have been killed by cross-border Israeli gunfire, according to ministry figures.

Thousands of others have been injured -- more than 140 seriously -- over the same period, al-Qidra said.

For the last four weeks, Gazans have been staging mass rallies along the border to demand the “right of return” to their land in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.

The rallies are part of a six-week protest that will culminate on May 15. That day will mark the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment -- an event Palestinians refer to as the "Nakba" or "Catastrophe".