Thousands bury Gazans killed by Israeli fire

Relatives of 17-year-old Palestinian Momen al-Hams mourn over his body during his funeral in the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip on July 28, 2018, who died of wounds after being shot by Israeli troops. (AFP)

• Troops shot dead two Palestinians during Friday's protests
• Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008

GAZA: Thousands attended funerals on Saturday of three Palestinians killed by Israeli army fire in a border protest a day earlier, including an 11-year-old, a 17-year-old and a man on crutches.
More than 140 Palestinians, most of them unarmed, have been killed and several thousand wounded by Israeli troops since March in such protests led by Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers.
The Gaza Health Ministry said the latest deaths brought to 18 the number of minors, age 18 and under, killed in the past four months.
Human rights groups have accused Israel of the unlawful use of lethal force against the protesters. Israel says it is defending its border and accuses Hamas, a group sworn to its destruction, of using the protests as cover for attempts to breach the border fence and attack civilians and soldiers.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Saturday that Moumin Al-Hams, 17, was shot in the chest in the protest on Friday along the fence that separates Gaza and Israel.
Funerals were also held Saturday for Majdi Al-Satari, 11, whose age was previously announced as 14, and for Ghazi Abu Mustafa, 43.
The ministry initially gave Majdi’s age as 14. On Saturday, it said his age was 12. A relative said the boy had been born Oct. 3, 2006, meaning he was 11 when he was killed. Al-Mezan, a Gaza-based rights groups, confirmed Majdi’s age as 11.
Women gathered under the corrugated zinc roofing of the Al-Satari’s family’s house for the funeral.
Majdi’s mother, Kholoud, wearing a black robe and face veil, sat on a mattress.
“I don’t know what he did to them (the Israeli soldiers),” she said as she burst in tears.
In a nearby town, resident Hassan Najjar said he witnessed the shooting of 43-year-old Abu Mustafa.
He said soldiers shot at a group of Palestinians who rushed to the border and a bullet hit the man sitting about 250 meters away. He said the man had sustained leg wounds at a previous protest and was still using crutches.