Israeli military says to probe killing of Gaza nurse

Palestinians attend the funeral ceremony of Razan Ashraf Najjar, 21, a female paramedic who was shot dead by Israeli forces while healing wounded demonstrators during ‘Great March of Return’ protests in Khan Yunis on Friday, in Huzaa neighbourhood of Khan Yunis, Gaza on June 02, 2018 [Mustafa Hassona / Anadolu Agency]

The Israeli military said on Saturday it was investigating the apparent killing by its troops of a Palestinian nurse on Friday during protests along the Gaza border.

Health officials and witnesses said Israeli forces shot dead 21-year-old Razan al-Najar, a volunteer medic, as she ran towards the border fence, east of the south Gaza city of Khan Younis, in a bid to reach a casualty.

The Israeli military said Palestinian militants had attacked its troops along the border with gunfire and a grenade.

In a written statement on Saturday, the military said it would investigate al-Najar’s death.

Read: ‘Hit me with your bullets. I am not afraid’ – Israel kills budding Gaza nurse

File photo of 21-year-old Razan Al-Najar, a volunteer medic in Gaza, killed on June 1, 2018, during the 10th week of the ‘Great March of Return’ protests at the Gaza-Israel border

Thousands of people attended al-Najar’s funeral in Gaza on Saturday, including some she had treated when they were wounded at previous border protests. Her body was wrapped in a Palestinian flag and carried through the streets on a stretcher by mourners.

“With our souls and blood we redeem you martyr Razan,” cried mourners as the body was brought to her home for a last farewell before burial.

Residents said al-Najar was a popular figure at the protest sites and pictures depicting her as an angel circulated on Palestinian social media.

Her death brought to 119 the number of Palestinians killed in weekly demonstrations launched on March 30 in the Gaza Strip, an enclave controlled by the Islamist group Hamas and long subject to grinding Israeli and Egyptian embargoes.

MEMO journalist shot in Gaza: Israel doesn’t want anyone to disclose its brutality

Palestinians attend the funeral ceremony of Razan Al-Najjar, 21, a female paramedic who was shot dead by Israeli forces while healing the wounded during ‘Great March of Return’ in Gaza on 2 June 2018 [Mustafa Hassona / Anadolu Agency]

Palestinians mourn during the funeral ceremony of Razan Ashraf Najjar, 21, a female paramedic who was shot dead by Israeli forces while healing wounded demonstrators during ‘Great March of Return’ protests in Khan Yunis on Friday, in Huzaa neighbourhood of Khan Yunis, Gaza on June 02, 2018 [Mustafa Hassona / Anadolu Agency]

KHAN YUNIS, GAZA – JUNE 02 : Palestinians attend the funeral ceremony of Razan Ashraf Najjar, 21, a female paramedic who was shot dead by Israeli forces while healing wounded demonstrators during ‘Great March of Return’ protests in Khan Yunis on Friday, in Huzaa neighborhood of Khan Yunis, Gaza on June 02, 2018. ( Mustafa Hassona – Anadolu Agency )

Unless otherwise stated in the article above, this work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. If the image(s) bear our credit, this license also applies to them. What does that mean? For other permissions, please contact us.