"Especially Violent" March of Return Riots

A Palestinian rioter uses a slingshot to hurl a stone at Israeli forces during clashes along the border w east of Bureij in the central Gaza Strip on September 6. (Mahmud Hams ,AFP)

The usual March of Return rally at the Gaza border fence devolved into what the IDF described as an "especially violent" riot yesterday, involving hundreds of young Palestinian men. Some rioters approached the border fence and threw grenades, firebombs and improvised explosive devices at IDF positions, to which Israeli soldiers returned fire, killing two Palestinian teenagers and wounding dozens more. Several Gaza jihadist groups vowed revenge, and five rockets were fired from Gaza into Southern Israel on Friday evening. The rockets caused no damage or casualties, but sirens sent local residents running to nearby shelters. The IDF responded by shelling and bombing two unoccupied Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip.

The March of Return and Days of Rage in the Palestinian territories have long been used by the PA and Hamas to channel discontent with living conditions and dysfunctional Palestinian leadership toward the Jewish State. Young children and teenagers are often placed on the front line of such events and encouraged to act aggressively, a tactic meant to provoke Israeli fire, so that their injuries and deaths might be used as a pretext to demonize Israel in the international press and to justify violent retaliation against Israeli civilians.

Sources:

https://www.jpost.com/…/IDF-strikes-Hamas-posts-in-Gaza-Str…

https://www.timesofisrael.com/2-palestinians-said-killed-i…/