Israeli army kills 16 Palestinians
Gaza: Sixteen Palestinian protesters were killed in clashes with Israeli security forces along the Gaza border as residents marked Land Day, a Health Ministry spokesman said here.
The spokesman told Efe news that about 2,000 other Palestinians were injured during the protests called by Hamas in observance of Land Day on Friday, which symbolises the demand of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to be allowed to return to their homeland.
More than half of Gaza's 2 million people are refugees or their descendants, according to the UN.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement that "17,000 Palestinians are rioting in five locations along the Gaza Strip security fence".
"The rioters are rolling burning tires and hurling firebombs and rocks at the security fence and IDF troops, who are responding with riot dispersal means and firing towards main instigators," the statement added.
Israel announced earlier this week that 100 snipers would be posted along the Gaza border.
Youths hurled stones at soldiers, who fired tear gas in order to disperse the thousands of men, women and children gathered in the area, witnesses told Efe news.
The witnesses estimated the number of participants at around 40,000.
Other Palestinian factions have joined Hamas in promoting the "Great Return March", which envisions maintaining a presence of hundreds of protesters along the Gaza border between now and May 15, when Palestinians commemorate what they call the Nakba (Catastrophe), referring to the exile and dispossession of Arabs that accompanied the founding of Israel in 1948.
Earlier on Friday, a Palestinian was killed and another injured by Israeli tank fire in southern Gaza.
"Two suspects approached the Southern Gaza Strip border in the morning in a suspicious manner. In response, the army tank fired at them," an IDF spokesman told Efe news.
The Land Day tradition was spurred by the events of March 30, 1976, when Israeli forces fatally shot six Palestinian protesters.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Lift collapses at Rajasthan mine, 8 officials of Hindustan Copper Limited rescued, 7 still inside
Jaipur (PTI): Eight of the fifteen members of a team of Hindustan Copper Limited who had been trapped in a mine in Neem ka Thana district since last night were rescued on Wednesday morning.
Fifteen officials of the public sector company got trapped in a mine Tuesday night when a cage used to carry the personnel fell down along the shaft after a rope broke, police said.
Three persons were rescued and taken out of the mine in the first round and five more were taken out in the second round.
Neem ka Thana Collector Sharad Mehra told reporters that remaining persons would also be taken out in around two hours.
Earlier, Dr Mahendra Singh, a part of the medical team, said the three rescued were sent to SMS hospital in Jaipur with fractures and other injuries.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said officials have been instructed to speed up the relief and rescue operations.
"Information was received about the accident caused by the breakage of the lift rope in the Kolihan mine of Hindustan Copper Limited in Khetri, Jhunjhunu. The concerned officials have been instructed to immediately reach the spot and speed up the relief and rescue operations and provide all possible help and health facilities to the affected," he said in a post on X.
A vigilance team, along with senior officials and workers of the state-owned company, had gone inside the mine for an inspection.
However, when they were about to come up, the rope holding the cage broke due to which it collapsed and the personnel were trapped at a depth of several hundred feet, police said.
