Israeli forces kill Palestinian in northern Gaza

Israeli forces kill Palestinian in northern Gaza
Zakaria al-Kafarneh died after being shot in the chest in northern Gaza and is the 9th Palestinian to have been killed by Israeli forces since Trump's Jerusalem announcement.
2 min read
22 December, 2017
Fresh anti-Trump protests were taking place in both West Bank and Gaza on Friday [Getty]
Israeli forces killed a Palestinian in the besieged Gaza Strip as they violently suppressed protests condemning US President Donald Trump’s decision to declare Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the Gazan health ministry said.

"Zakaria al-Kafarneh, 24, died after being shot in the chest east of Jabalia (in northern Gaza)," a health ministry spokesman said in a statement.

Six other Palestinians were shot with live ammunition and one is in a critical condition, the ministry said, as hundreds of protesters clashed with Israeli soldiers at various points along the border.

Zakaria is the ninth Palestinian to have been killed by Israeli forces since Trump's December 6 announcement.

Seven Palestinians have died in clashes, while two were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza.

Fresh anti-Trump protests were taking place in both the West Bank and Gaza on Friday, while minor scuffles broke out after the main weekly Muslim prayers in Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Red Crescent says 77 Palestinians have been injured as a result of clashes in the West Bank and Gaza on Friday.

Trump's controversial announcement has undermined the likelihood of a reconciliation, and damaged the already fragile Israeli-Palestinian peace process. 

Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital, a position nearly the entire world rejects saying its status should be determined in peace talks with the Palestinians. Jerusalem is a key issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Arab leaders and others have reacted in anger. 

Trump's move has been condemned worldwide and protests have taken place globally in US, UK, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan.