17 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army, including nine who were shot dead, along the eastern Gaza border on Friday.
According to The Independent, 1,000 more Palestinians were injured from ear gas, rubber-coated steel pellets, and/or live rounds from the Israeli military.
Friday was also Land Day, a Palestinian holiday which dates back to 1976. According to HuffPost, Palestinians led a nation-wide strike to oppose Israel's confiscation of thousands of acres of Palestinian land in the Galilee region. Since Israel's founding in 1948, confiscation of Palestinian land had been normalized.
Al Jazeera reports funerals for the Palestinian people killed have begun. Coffins were carried by crowds through the streets of Gaza.
This past weekend's incident had the most causalities in a one day in Gaza since 2014. Israeli forces were reportedly prepared (by ramping up their army) for such an incident to occur on the historic day.
Al Jazeera also reports the United States blocked a draft statement by the United Nations Security Council, which would have called for an investigation into the 17 unarmed people killed last week. The statement was proposed by the country of Kuwait, who called to reassure "the right to protest" and vocalize "grave concern at the situation at the border."
Additionally, the Israeli defense minister (of course) denied calls for inquiries following the Land Day death toll, Reuters reports.
