Some 20,000 Palestinians participated in violent clashes along the Gaza Strip’s border with Israel. According to Palestinian Health Ministry officials, three Palestinians were killed, including a 12-year-old boy, and some 400 others were injured. The IDF Spokesperson’s unit released a statement noting that the Israeli troops used crowd-control measures and live ammunition in keeping with the rules of engagement dictated by the political echelons in Jerusalem, while adding that the Palestinians hurled Improvised Explosive Devices and hand grenades at the Israeli soldiers —none of whom were injured—and that several attempts were made during the disturbances to cross the border’ security-fence into Israeli territory.
Meanwhile, one of the largest fires over the past six months broke out on Saturday evening in the southern Israeli village of Ein HaBesor that is located in the Eshkol Regional Council. Minutes before the fire broke out, several incendiary balloons were reportedly spotted flying into Israel from the Gaza Strip. Firefighting forces and farmers are still working to stop the fire from further spreading. According to a spokesman of the southern district’s fire department, “since this is a landfill fire, it could burn for several days and the smoke will continue spreading at the wind’s direction.” He further noted this was the third landfill fire in the southern district over the past several days.