Israeli snipers kill disabled protester Fadi Abu Salah in Gaza massacre

Israeli snipers kill disabled protester Fadi Abu Salah in Gaza massacre

A disabled Palestinian activist was killed by Israeli sniper fire during mass protests in Gaza on Monday - the bloodiest day in the besieged enclave since the 2014 war.
2 min read
15 May, 2018
Monday's protests were against the opening of the US embassy to Israel in Jerusalem [Getty]

A disabled Palestinian man was killed by Israeli sniper fire during mass protests in Gaza on Monday - the bloodiest day in the besieged enclave since the 2014 war.

Fadi Hassan Abu Salah - a double leg amputee - was killed as he took part in the protests in his wheelchair along the border against the US embassy opening in Jerusalem, news agency Maan reported.

The 30-year-old's legs were severely injured in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza in 2008, forcing doctors to surgically remove them.

Hundreds of mourners performed a funeral prayer for Abu Salah on Tuesday.

Israeli troops opened fire on protesters in Gaza on Monday, killing at least 60 and wounding over 2,000 others.

The massacre has been widely condemned by the international community and human rights groups.

Among the dead was a baby girl, who died after suffocating from exposure to tear gas. At least eight children under the age of 16 were also killed.

Over 100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military forces since the Great Return March protests began on 30 March.

No Israelis have been killed and only one soldier has been reported wounded during that time.

Monday's protests were against the opening of the controversial US embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, which has caused outrage among Palestinians and the international community.

In December, Israeli forces shot dead 29-year-old Ibrahim Abu Thraya - a disabled Palestinian man in a wheelchair - as he peacefully protested along Gaza's border.

Israel's military cleared its troops of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of Abu Thraya.