A Palestinian human rights center has documented that 215 of the demonstrators participating in the return marches and breaking the siege, including 47 children and two women, were martyred until the end of 2019.
The Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights (non-governmental) said in a report published today, Sunday, that 145 of the martyrs are originally from Palestinian refugees who live in the Strip, while the other 70 are indigenous people. The report mentioned that the Israeli occupation authorities killed the demonstrators at long distances, and the bullets were directed at deadly places throughout the body, and the deadly types of bullets were used. On the number of injuries, the report indicated that the total number reached 19,226 injuries, of which 5,000 were children and 867 were women. According to the report, gunshot injuries amounted to about 9,501,501, out of the total number of injuries that the center counted. It is noteworthy that the Supreme National Authority for Marching Returns and Breaking the Siege, decided in a conference held last December to suspend the organization of marches until the end of March 30. It also decided to organize the border marches on a monthly basis during the year 2020, after they were organized weekly. Since March 2018, Palestinians have participated in these marches to demand the lifting of the blockade of the Strip and the return of refugees to their cities and villages. The Israeli army violently represses those peaceful marches, killing dozens of Palestinians, and wounding thousands of others.
